Have your plans to get in shape ever started off by signing an expensive gym contract, or buying a pair of running shoes with the promise that you’ll get up each morning to jog? If you’ve tried exercising alone, like many of us have, there’s a good chance that you’ve experienced the most common outcome – loss of motivation and unmet fitness goals.

Trying to get in shape by yourself is hard for many people and, I’d argue, impossible for most. Without some kind of social support or group motivation, most people simply can’t push themselves hard enough or long enough to make a measureable impact on their health.

Group vs Solo Workouts

Having tried a large variety of fitness activities, including solitary pursuits like weight lifting and jogging, and group activities such as martial arts and rowing, I’ve become a firm believer that working out in groups produces the best results.

For me, the ideal fitness class has always involved martial arts or fighting sports. Such activities are practiced in groups, but are obviously not team sports; with this arrangement, the expectation for meeting one’s goals rests solely on themselves, and yet the motivation to reach these goals is often linked to the group. This interesting dynamic is what makes working out with others so much more effective than training alone.

Fear of Group Workouts

Despite the benefits of group training, many people feel intimidated by this activity. By far, the biggest excuse I hear for not joining a group class is that the person feels that they should be in decent shape before they begin training with others. Since it is unlikely that such a person will get in shape training alone, it’s even less likely that they will ever join a group! Most people with this mindset have great difficulty initiating their first steps towards better fitness. If you are serious about getting in shape, you must be willing to try a new approach when past ones have failed.

Joining a Martial Arts or Fighting Club

Having been a member of a dozen or so martial arts and sports clubs over the years, I can testify that many obese and unfit students sign up all the time for such activities.

And why shouldn’t they?

A novice student doesn’t join a kickboxing gym because they’re already an expert striker or have amazing cardio – new students sign up because they seek self-improvement. Being clumsy and struggling to keep up with the rest of the class is standard fare for newcomers; such experiences are very common and expected. On some occasions, I’ve even trained with several morbidly obese people. Despite what you may think, they were not laughed at or ridiculed. In fact, these individuals were highly praised for their efforts in the gym.

Find a Group Activity and Get in Shape

So if you’re sitting at your desk planning some solo training regime that never worked for you in the past, I implore you to find a group fitness activity that you can join soon. From cardio kickboxing to hardcore MMA, there are tons of options to help you get into shape. Remember, sport clubs are businesses that want your membership. They accept all kinds of people, and you may be surprised at the variety of folks who participate at these places. Even the most ‘hardcore’ training centres I’ve visited had novice students who were clearly out of shape. Just take the plunge –  few things in life are more important than managing your health!