Strength in numbers
Rebecca Nasca
Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Sports
Outside of a team setting, Blaney says there is a distinct lack of interest in group personal training specifically. However, group exercise programs, such as spin classes, aerobics, and yoga, are very popular. Blaney says students usually bring ideas for classes to the fitness center. Theses classes are then offered based on interest. Fitness classes like these can be offered on a larger scale because they are not tailored to the individuals. Blaney says these are likely to be more popular because of their size. The more people in the group, the more comfortable many participants feel. They can also be offered at an even cheaper rate than group personal training. Of the fitness programs offered, group personal training was not taken advantage of by students or faculty.
"We have … at least published group personal training, up to three people in a group," says Blaney. "No ever took advantage of it, so we stopped offering it."
Unlike at Salve Regina University, the national trends show an increasing people taking advantage of group personal. Many are attracted to group training because it is less expensive. Salve Regina's website prices a single personal training session at $35. Blaney says in a group of three, a session would cost only $12.
Dawn Gardner, a personal trainer at the Newport County YMCA, says a big contributing factor to the new trend is the discount price-tag. "Personal training can be very costly, but when you do it with a group the price drops significantly," she says. "So now you can afford to do it and you might even be able to afford to do it twice a week."
Gardner's training groups have ranged from couple to parent-child teams. Most often, her clientele is groups of girlfriends who get together to get fit. Like at Salve Regina, fitness programs are tailored to the needs of the participants. For example, one group was a mother and her 13 year old son. The mother was looking to shed a few pounds while her son wanted to buff up for sports.
Gardner notes the positive accountability the group creates for the members, similar to a sports team. A marketing brochure for personal training at the YMCA notes 80 percent of people who try to start exercising on their own quit after approximately 30 days. In a one-on-one trainer setting, clients are more likely to cancel when they are busy or tired. With a close group of friends, the dynamic changes; the others can motivate one
who is discouraged. Consequently, one uninterested member is far less likely to cancel when they have two friends cheering them on.
Possibly the best advantage of group fitness, according to Gardner, is the motivation of training together. Even with her background in exercise science, she finds that she does not push herself as hard when she is working out alone. She feels the group energy makes working out much more successful and fun. "I love it, and I prefer it that way," says Gardner.
"We have … at least published group personal training, up to three people in a group," says Blaney. "No ever took advantage of it, so we stopped offering it."
Unlike at Salve Regina University, the national trends show an increasing people taking advantage of group personal. Many are attracted to group training because it is less expensive. Salve Regina's website prices a single personal training session at $35. Blaney says in a group of three, a session would cost only $12.
Dawn Gardner, a personal trainer at the Newport County YMCA, says a big contributing factor to the new trend is the discount price-tag. "Personal training can be very costly, but when you do it with a group the price drops significantly," she says. "So now you can afford to do it and you might even be able to afford to do it twice a week."
Gardner's training groups have ranged from couple to parent-child teams. Most often, her clientele is groups of girlfriends who get together to get fit. Like at Salve Regina, fitness programs are tailored to the needs of the participants. For example, one group was a mother and her 13 year old son. The mother was looking to shed a few pounds while her son wanted to buff up for sports.
Gardner notes the positive accountability the group creates for the members, similar to a sports team. A marketing brochure for personal training at the YMCA notes 80 percent of people who try to start exercising on their own quit after approximately 30 days. In a one-on-one trainer setting, clients are more likely to cancel when they are busy or tired. With a close group of friends, the dynamic changes; the others can motivate one
who is discouraged. Consequently, one uninterested member is far less likely to cancel when they have two friends cheering them on.
Possibly the best advantage of group fitness, according to Gardner, is the motivation of training together. Even with her background in exercise science, she finds that she does not push herself as hard when she is working out alone. She feels the group energy makes working out much more successful and fun. "I love it, and I prefer it that way," says Gardner.
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