Everyone working at our West Auckland physio clinics, as well as all of our other locations throughout the city, wants you to live life to its fullest. We want you to be happy and healthy. While we are used to treating all sorts of injuries and pain, and will happily help you should you come to us with any sort of issue, we would be just as happy not to see you! We’d much prefer it if you were out there feeling as fit as a fiddle.
Of course, one of the best ways to get fit and stay fit is to exercise. Along with eating a balanced and nutritious diet, sticking to an exercise routine does wonders for your physical and mental health. Obviously, we have a special interest in anything to do with exercise and fitness, and we were intrigued to read some of the latest research from the United States that confirms the advantages of exercising and socialising in group activities.
The research, carried out by Iowa University, found exercising with others can satisfy some basic psychological needs. The research revealed pretty clear evidence that exercise not only helps the body but the mind as well by promoting a better mood and wellbeing, as well as lowering depression. At the same time, It also slows down cognitive decline as people age.
While this is pretty well known to us, the research went on to say that exercising with other people makes it easier to achieve all of these significant benefits and appears to be more advantageous than individual exercise. In America, nearly 40% of regular exercisers participate in group fitness classes, and these classes were the source of much of the information published in the research conducted by Iowa University.
In this country, The Exercise Association of New Zealand (Exercise NZ) tells a similar story. Exercising in groups has benefits that individual exercise can’t provide and Exercise NZ says this is reflected in the fact that more than 90 % of all exercise facilities in New Zealand offer some sort of group activities. More than two-thirds of those who participate are members of gyms taking part in at least one group activity.
Both Iowa University and Exercise NZ say that those who take part in group activities tend to stick to their exercise routines and derive all of the associated physical and psychological benefits as a result. People who attend group exercises consistently show higher attendance rates than individuals who use exercise facilities including gym spaces. It must be pretty clear by now that to enjoy better fitness and reduce the need to call upon us, it’s best that you exercise in a group where and when you can.
