Exercise class newbie

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Hi all,

I used to do exercise classes when my kids were younger, lots of step aerobics, legs bums tums etc. Fast forward 20 years, I’m size 18 and have joined the local village gym to try to feel a bit healthier. My hope is to find two classes that I can do during the week then just use the gym once at weekends. I tend to swim 20 lengths and go in the sauna afterwards.

On Tuesdays I do a step and tone class. It’s half an hour of step then either upper body or abs work. At my current level of fitness I find this class challenging but can get through it and it’s fun. I’ve been going 3 weeks. On Thursdays there’s aquafit which I’ve been doing but I find it quite easy. I’ve been going in the gym and doing some cardio before and a swim after. They do a 30 minute HIIT step class that I’d like to do when I’m fitter but I think would kill me just yet. There’s also an hour Pilates class at the same time. I’ve never done Pilates so I’m not sure if this would be more challenging than the aqua class - I’m not flexible at all lol. Can anyone advise me?

They offer all kinds of classes but the descriptions are quite buzzwordy so I don’t know what the right level is for me. I don’t know how body combat, body pump, body attack, burn, move, and body blitz relate to each other. I don’t want to do bouncy aerobics or be the messy fat woman slinking out after the first ten minutes! And what’s the difference between yoga and Pilates? I think I’m more likely to go to a class that has a set time because I work from home and will always put just going to the gym off until ‘later’

I've never tried any body pump, body attack, body blitz type classes, they sound terrifiying!

I've tried HIIT classes and Cave Training a few years ago, they're very challenging and you notice a difference in your fitness and tone very quickly but I don't think I could do them now.

I've recently tried yoga and pilates and enjoy both of them, pilates is nore like a fitness class whereas yoga is more focused on breathing etc. Both are better if you do classes with a good observant instructor as they both require good 'form' to get best results.

I think its a good idea to try a few classes to see what you like and what best suits you.

I do pilates and yoga. I would say they are more challenging than aqua fit, but they are a different kind of exercise.
Pilates is all about control. It is great for your core and building strength there. Yoga is a more meditative discipline that does focus on breathing and stretching. They can be as challenging as you make it - so a beginner would do modified exercises and poses.
The best thing is to try them! I am on the larger side and this can restrict your movements, particularly in yoga. However that shouldn't stop you from trying, and any good teacher can show you modifications. You will benefit alot, keeping strong and supple. It's good to combine these type of classes with aerobic and weight training.

Body pump is a great one to start out with. It's an all over body workout set to music. The exercises are done with a bar or weight plates and you are in charge of those so you can go as light as you need to - in fact light to start out with so you can concentrate on using the correct technique.
The exercises are all done in place, so no grapevines or twirling left while everyone else is going right
It's good because you don't need to be particularly fit to do it, but will improve your strength and fitness fairly quickly.
The changeover between tracks can be quite quick (changing weights) but once you've been 2 or 3 times you get used to that.
Take a look at this web page to give you an idea of what it's about.

I absolutely body pump, it’s so boring and repetitive!! I’d rather do a decent weights session on my own in the gym.
If a HIIT class is taught properly then you should be able to do it. Most are taught by time not number of reps so you work to what’s high intensity for you and a good instructor should give you options for exercises.

• hate body pump! I also think if you’re not sure what you’re doing it would be easy for poor technique to go unnoticed. In my experience the instructors teach from the front and do the class themselves so there’s no help or correction of technique. If you’re not used to lifting weights it’s also really hard to pick what weights you need for each track - I lift in the gym all the time and still spent half the class stealing dumbbells off the guy next to me!

I've been going to the gym 4 times a week since November and only ever do classes, I love them! I've lost over 3st and gone from an 18 to a 12.

I would recommend mixing up the cardio classes with some strength and stretching classes. I do 3 cardio classes a week, usually body combat and spin. Spinning I love because you just work as hard as you can and no one pays any attention to you as they're all concentrated on their own bikes. Combat is fun, it's a bit of jumping around and punching thin air, always makes me smile.

Strength wise I also do body pump which has really help me see a quick improvement in toning and like pp said you really don't have to be coordinated as you're mostly standing in the same spot. I also do a yoga or Pilates class a week because I think stretching is really important to help me not get injured and feel good in myself.

I would say try a few and just see what you enjoy most, those are the ones I go back to again and again. I tried Rebounder for example but jumping up and down on a trampoline in front of mirrors made me feel crap so I knew I wouldn't stick to it.

Please don't worry about putting stuff off until you're fitter, going is how you'll get fitter. When I started a few months ago I was sooo unfit but saw improvements quickly and no one else in the class cares if you're puffed out!

Thank you all for your help x

I’m going to sack off the aquafit as I swam 20 lengths and did half an hour of cardio in the gym after, so I think I probably need more of a challenge.

I tried my first body pump class yesterday - I was a bit clueless as they skip from one thing to the next quite fast but kinda managed to keep up, the instructor told me she runs a beginner session once a fortnight to go through things so I’m going to do that. I’ve booked Pilates to try too - and I’ve still got the step class once a week

So good to read positive stories :-) - just wondering if the gym will shut due to the virus though