Gym Classes

Many people join gyms for the classes that are offered. For example, when you go to the gym you can have a certified instructor teach you Yoga, Pilates, Spinning, Aerobics, and a number of other classes depending on the gym.

Gym classes are a great way to exercise as they force you to exercise for a set amount of time. The class is structured and taught by a certified instructor, so chances are you will be safe (as in free from injury), you have other people there which makes it more fun, and easier to stay motivated, etc.

So what else do gym classes have to offer?
Well, in general all classes combine several elements of fitness in a thirty minute to one-hour session. For example, you may begin with 8-12 minutes of warm-up to prepare your body for exercise and to decrease the risk of injury. After the warm up is complete you may do a 20-40 minute aerobic segment to improve your cardiovascular system, this exact exercise will depend on the gym class you take, but for our purposes let's say aerobics. After that you may spend 5-8 minutes on abdominal work to strengthen your back and stomach. This would be then followed by 4-6 minutes of cool down stretches to work on flexibility and relaxation.

As you can see, a gym class structured like this would mean you get safety and the ability to remain injury free. You get a set amount of time to warm your body up and prepare it for a grueling work out. You then have a set amount of time to push your body and focus on improving your lung capacity, cardiovascular systems, etc. You get to work on everyone's favorite thing. the stomach, and then cool down, all in an hour. So basically a gym class enables you to focus on all essential parts of your body, and do it all in a structured way in an hour.

Obviously you do not have to have a gym class to do this, but gym classes are very helpful. Generally classes range from 30 to 60 minutes in length. Gyms try to appeal to as many people as possible, thus they usually offer a variety of options to choose from. And many gyms have even catered to the sexes, as they realized very few men were attending aerobic style classes they created boxercise so the class didn't sound too wimpy.

Classes like boxercise are similar to normal aerobics, but attract men because of the more masculine name.

The following is a list of the latest classes:

Boxercise
This gym class incorporates a number of boxing moves and techniques without the physical contact. It is said to be the best way of getting fit like a boxer without ever stepping in the ring. So, even if you are afraid of getting punched in the face, you can do boxercise.

Body pump
In this class you use weights and aerobic exercising to tone up and get fit. It uses a mixture of aerobic exercise and weights.

Skipping
This gym class is a favorite of heavyweight boxers because it improves speed, balance and co-ordination, by using a simple aerobic exercise where a person repeatedly jumps over a rope. You can skip with more than one person with a long rope or even skip without a rope.

Spinning
For this gym class you sit on a special bike in a gym, following the instructions of the trainer. Basically you cycle at different speeds and intensity levels for between 30 minutes and an hour.

Yoga
Yoga is a very popular form of exercise, and has been used for years as it is an ancient Indian philosophy that teaches you to control your body and mind.

Circuit training
An intense fitness program designed to get the heart working hard for short time bursts
This gym class focuses on a group of six to 10 exercises that are completed one after another. You do each exercise for a specified number of repetitions or for a set time period before having a quick rest and moving on to the next exercise.

Pilates
This is a recent phenomenon designed to improve core strength and increase flexibility
This gym class focuses on building your body's core strength and posture. This class is done through a series of stretching and conditioning exercises.