{"id":2048,"date":"2019-02-20T06:46:08","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T22:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/?p=2048"},"modified":"2021-04-23T20:47:37","modified_gmt":"2021-04-23T12:47:37","slug":"new-to-group-fitness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/","title":{"rendered":"New to Group Fitness?<\/thrive_headline>"},"content":{"rendered":"

Thinking of giving a group exercise class a go but are scared or nervous about going for the first time? \u00a0Read on for some tips that will ensure you get the most out of your first visit and avoid some of the common mistakes people make.<\/p>\n

1) Choose a class appropriate to your goals<\/h3>\n

Some routines are designed for fat loss, some will get your heart and lungs fitter, others will strengthen and tone your muscles while others offer the chance to become more flexible and reduce your stress levels. \u00a0Not all classes will achieve all fitness goals so do your homework and find a class hat\u2019s designed to deliver the results you\u2019re looking for.<\/p>\n

\u200b2) \u200bWear suitable clothing and footwear<\/h3>\n

\u200bFor the most part, you\u2019re likely to be on your feet running, jumping, squatting or even dancing your way to a fitter body. \u00a0Think about wearing a pair of comfortable trainers that offer adequate support and cushioning. \u00a0Flip flops and plimsoles may feel comfortable at first but are unlikely to allow you to complete the class safely. \u00a0Bear in mind that some classes may be carried out in bare feet so you might want to make sure your nails and feet are clean if this is the case. \u00a0It\u2019s generally best to wear loose fitting, comfortable workout gear that will allow you to move freely and comfortably.<\/p>\n

\u200b3) \u200bArrive early<\/h3>\n

\u200b\u200bGive yourself plenty of time to get to the venue and register for the class remembering that there may be queues etc. \u00a0Nothing will spoil your first experience of group fitness quicker than having to enter into a room late once the music is on and everyone\u2019s already set up and moving.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b4) \u200b\u200bLet the instructor know beforehand that you’re new<\/h3>\n

\u200bIntroduce yourself to the instructor and let him or her know this is your first time to the class. \u00a0This allows them to keep an eye on you throughout the routine and they can offer you options and alternatives that you may find easier. \u00a0They should let you know what to expect during the if you require any equipment to be set up. \u00a0They might also ask about any illness, injuries or pre-existing medical conditions they might need to be aware of.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b5) \u200b\u200b\u200bChoose your position carefully<\/h3>\n

Probably the most common mistake I see new people make is cramming themselves right up at the back of the room behind everyone else. \u00a0Generally the best place to be is in the centre of the room in direct line of sight with the instructor and people in front of, behind and at either side of you. \u00a0This means that throughout the class you should have a perfect view of the instructor, they should be able to see you to check you\u2019re not going to hurt yourself and if there are any points at which you need to turn and face a different direction, you\u2019ll have someone in front of you that you can follow.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b6) \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bDo you have what you need?<\/h3>\n

\u200bFor most classes you\u2019ll want to bring along a bottle of water and small sports towel. \u00a0Bear in mind for some classes you may need to bring your own mat to lie on, exercise equipment or specific item of clothing.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b7) \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bGive each class or instructor a few chances before deciding it\u2019s not for you<\/h3>\n

If you don\u2019t enjoy the class, it may be for any number of reasons so before giving up completely consider giving it another go to see if you enjoy it more the second time now you know what to expect. \u00a0Different instructors teach with different styles and capabilities so consider attending a similar class taught by a different instructor as you might find you respond better to someone else\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b8) \u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200bAccept your limitations<\/h3>\n

I\u200bn your first time at any class, it\u2019s unlikely you\u2019ll be able to do all of the moves all of the time with perfect technique and form. \u00a0Accept that others will have done the class before, may know the routine inside out and go to the class several times a week. \u00a0No matter how hard we try our brains don\u2019t generally operate at the same speed as our muscles so accept that some parts you may find difficult to follow, other parts you may not be fit enough for yet and have to take an option. \u00a0Just remember you\u2019re only new the first time and things will get easier with continued practice.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b9) \u200bExpect some soreness the next day<\/h3>\n

Any class worth your hard-earned cash will work your muscles to some degree and so if you\u2019re asking them to do things or perform in positions you\u2019ve never asked of them before then it\u2019s inevitable you\u2019ll experience some stiffness and soreness over the next few days. \u00a0This is normal and all part of getting fitter and healthier and is just a sign that your body is having to work differently and will have to adapt \u200bto get fitter and stronger.<\/p>\n

\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b\u200b10) \u200bBring a buddy<\/h3>\n

\u200bIf you don\u2019t feel comfortable going to a brand new class on your own, consider asking a friend, family member or work colleague to go with you. \u00a0Aim to pick someone who will be supportive, is of a similar fitness level to you and most importantly of all can be relied upon to turn up!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thinking of giving a group exercise class a go but are scared or nervous about going for the first time? \u00a0Read on for some tips that will ensure you get the most out of your first visit and avoid some of the common mistakes people make. 1) Choose a class appropriate to your goals Some […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":10340,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[1383],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew to Group Fitness? Avoid these mistakes | Paul Stokes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"If you're new to group fitness, find out the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them. Enjoy success at your first class...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"New to Group Fitness? | Paul Stokes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"If you're new to group fitness, find out the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them. Enjoy success at your first class...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Paul Stokes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paul.stokes.1983\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paul.stokes.1983\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-02-19T22:46:08+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-04-23T12:47:37+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"400\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Paul Stokes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@paulstokes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@paulstokes\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Paul Stokes\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Paul Stokes\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0\"},\"headline\":\"New to Group Fitness?\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-19T22:46:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-23T12:47:37+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\"},\"wordCount\":903,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"group fitness\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Gym tips and exercise advice\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\",\"name\":\"New to Group Fitness? Avoid these mistakes | Paul Stokes\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-02-19T22:46:08+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-04-23T12:47:37+00:00\",\"description\":\"If you're new to group fitness, find out the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them. Enjoy success at your first class...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":400,\"caption\":\"women exercising new to group fitness\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Gym tips and exercise advice\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/gym-tips-exercise-advice-training-programs\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"New to Group Fitness?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/\",\"name\":\"Paul Stokes\",\"description\":\"FIFO Personal Trainer, Sports Nutritionist and Wellness Coach\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0\",\"name\":\"Paul Stokes\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/PaulStokesLIGHTbackground.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/PaulStokesLIGHTbackground.png\",\"width\":250,\"height\":40,\"caption\":\"Paul Stokes\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"description\":\"Paul Stokes BSc (Hons) is a Certified Personal Trainer, Accredited Sports Nutritionist, qualified Exercise to Music Instructor, Precision Nutrition coach, Massage Therapist and teaches 8 of the Les Mills Group Exercise programs. He currently works in the Oil & Gas industry as a Wellness Coach, imparting his vast knowledge and experience to improve the quality of life of several hundred offshore workers.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paul.stokes.1983\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paulst0kes\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/paulstokes\/\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/paulstokes\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpLpo5m_-u-0yPWwVsiWx9Q\"],\"honorificSuffix\":\"BSc (Hons)\",\"gender\":\"male\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"New to Group Fitness? Avoid these mistakes | Paul Stokes","description":"If you're new to group fitness, find out the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them. Enjoy success at your first class...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"New to Group Fitness? | Paul Stokes","og_description":"If you're new to group fitness, find out the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them. Enjoy success at your first class...","og_url":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/","og_site_name":"Paul Stokes","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paul.stokes.1983","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paul.stokes.1983","article_published_time":"2019-02-19T22:46:08+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-04-23T12:47:37+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":400,"url":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Paul Stokes","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@paulstokes","twitter_site":"@paulstokes","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Paul Stokes","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/"},"author":{"name":"Paul Stokes","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0"},"headline":"New to Group Fitness?","datePublished":"2019-02-19T22:46:08+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-23T12:47:37+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/"},"wordCount":903,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg","keywords":["group fitness"],"articleSection":["Gym tips and exercise advice"],"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/","url":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/","name":"New to Group Fitness? Avoid these mistakes | Paul Stokes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg","datePublished":"2019-02-19T22:46:08+00:00","dateModified":"2021-04-23T12:47:37+00:00","description":"If you're new to group fitness, find out the most common mistakes beginners make and how to avoid them. Enjoy success at your first class...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/NewToGroupFitness.jpg","width":1080,"height":400,"caption":"women exercising new to group fitness"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/new-to-group-fitness\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Gym tips and exercise advice","item":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/gym-tips-exercise-advice-training-programs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"New to Group Fitness?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#website","url":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/","name":"Paul Stokes","description":"FIFO Personal Trainer, Sports Nutritionist and Wellness Coach","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/a41ac63de4139015041b72a4ca5677a0","name":"Paul Stokes","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/PaulStokesLIGHTbackground.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/PaulStokesLIGHTbackground.png","width":250,"height":40,"caption":"Paul Stokes"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"description":"Paul Stokes BSc (Hons) is a Certified Personal Trainer, Accredited Sports Nutritionist, qualified Exercise to Music Instructor, Precision Nutrition coach, Massage Therapist and teaches 8 of the Les Mills Group Exercise programs. He currently works in the Oil & Gas industry as a Wellness Coach, imparting his vast knowledge and experience to improve the quality of life of several hundred offshore workers.","sameAs":["https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/paul.stokes.1983","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/paulst0kes\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/paulstokes\/","https:\/\/x.com\/paulstokes","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCpLpo5m_-u-0yPWwVsiWx9Q"],"honorificSuffix":"BSc (Hons)","gender":"male"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2048"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9995,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2048\/revisions\/9995"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10340"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paulstokes.com.au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}