About Group Exercise & 58 Year Olds

My first love in the world of indoor fitness activities was group exercise classes. The energy, the music, the enthusiasm of a group of people working out together just got me. Nearly twenty years later it still does, each and every time I enter the room to take a class I feel that anticipatory high of the synergy of movement and energy that is going to follow.

Group classes provide a unique fitness opportunity in a motivational group environment filled with camaraderie, energy and fun. It’s where you can find a group of people exercising together, encouraging one another and building a rapport; with a great deal of support and motivation being generated. The kind that finds you pushing yourself to go in for a work-out even on that cold dreary morning or a lazy day.

Some of my best moments have been those where the class masters something challenging (or gets some crazy moves that I put together), surprising me by out-performing what was demanded from them. Almost like a counter-challenge of “what’s next huh?” That attitude, enthusiasm and spirit constantly has me looking for newer (my class participants would say “meaner”) ways to keep them challenged and pushing harder; to achieve better and higher standards of fitness. Mind you, its not just all hard work only…there’s the occasional game of tag where you have a group of adults just letting go and chasing one another with gleeful abandon or the times when, with disbelief all over their faces, I have them trying out (very gamely, I must add) Shakira-style hip shaking moves, all in the name of an aerobic class!

Getting them to discover potential they themselves didn’t know existed and seeing them leave feeling satisfied with that sense of achievement is another great driving force for me. But above all, one of the greatest motivators for me is when I have someone like Surjeet Kaur using my group classes as her testing ground, to push herself beyond her perceived limits. In fact she’s got, not only herself but, every other person in that room challenging themselves to go that much further. What makes Surjeet special? Just that she is 58 years old, a doctor, homemaker, grandmother and a fitness enthusiast. She’s the one I put forth as an example to much younger individuals complaining of lack of time or energy. Despite her fairly busy day Surjeet can be seen working out an average of five days a week and she does the whole shebang – gym, group classes, yoga and pilates! I don’t know how many women and men she has inspired into putting in another set of push-ups or squats on the smith machine. Then a couple of years ago she had to undergo knee surgery due to a bad fall when on holiday. And that did nothing to slow her down; there she was in my step class within four months, with her characteristic enthusiasm and energy, ready for more. It’s all about her self-belief. It’s now a common refrain amongst the 20-30 year olds – “I want to be like Surjeet when I’m 50!”

Challenges, are the underlying theme of my group classes – to one’s body (fitness and athletic abilities), and to one’s mind (commitment and focus). My premise for my classes has been to always go beyond the stereotype, to innovate, inspire, challenge. However, I confess that this kind of commitment and enthusiasm has led me to occasionally get mad when I’m not met with a reciprocal effort. Most times this leads to the group responding with renewed energy for a better effort; just to shut me up. But then I’ve also had the odd walk-out of individuals with a bruised ego or indignant anger!

At the end of the day (and many, many years) what I do know is that I enjoy my work. Not only because I love what I do, but also because when I look at those highly energized, strong, committed individuals ready to challenge themselves along with me for the next sixty minutes, I know it’s working!