Where Did the Fun Go in Group Exercise?

With all the talk about how having fun is so important when it comes to motivating individuals to work out, what happened to fun?

This issue of fun in fitness facilities really started to gnaw at me when I read an article in my local paper titled “Kick Up Your Heels.” The article talked about how dance classes are the “latest craze” at fitness facilities, specifically mentioning a Cowboy Boogie class offered at the Fontana (Calif.) 24 Hour Fitness facility, as well as belly dancing, salsa and stripper-inspired pole dancing classes at other locations. Well, guess what? Dancing while exercising isn't new.

The dance exercise craze began with Jazzercise more than 30 years ago, and it soon carried over into commercial health clubs in the form of aerobics classes that were choreographed to the hottest new dance songs. That was when exercise was fun! At least, for me. During the late-80s through mid-90s, the fitness center I belonged to offered some great classes that focused on choreographed steps, to great music, that were progressively expanded upon in each class. The more I got the steps down, the more excited I was to go to class each week to show off my stuff. I even remember when Michael Jackson’s newest album, Dangerous, was set to be released, and the instructor had us all salivating for the new choreography he had planned.

But, soon, "dance-exercise" got phased out by “group exercise,” which replaced "fun" classes with “special needs” classes. For instance, group strength classes were introduced to emphasize the equal importance of strength and cardio training. Mind/body programming was introduced for the older adult, deconditioned exerciser or those who just preferred passive exercise. Group cycling was introduced for the athlete. But, did group exercise have to be broadened at the expense of dance-exercise? These days, the most exciting classes I can find at my fitness facility are mat Pilates, group cycling and boot camp. They’re great workouts! But let’s face it, no one looks like they’re having fun. In fact, I see a lot of necks craning toward the clock.

I’m glad to see that some fitness facilities are going back to group fitness' roots by re-introducing fun in their classes with dance steps and choreography. Certain facilities, like Crunch, never stopped. Now, other facilities and suppliers are looking at the similarities between adult’s and children’s needs when it comes to exercise and fun. There are few kids who you can convince to go for a run on a daily basis to keep in shape. But, give them a game that gets their hearts pumping, like Konami’s Dance Dance Revolution, or a bike that offers virtual reality courses, like Cateye’s Game Bike, and exercise suddenly becomes fun. Guess what? Adults like Dance Dance Revolution and Game Bike, too!

Remember Billy Blanks’ Tae Bo? His group martial arts program was introduced when dance exercise was in the first stages of dying out. Now, Billy Blanks is back, and he’s focusing on fun with his new Cardioke program, a mix of cardio hop with group karaoke — designed for all ages, young and old alike. Now, that looks like fun.

I bet there are more fun programming ideas out there that my facility and others could implement. Let's hear about them!