Group training exercise

Group exercise training is a popular training option for many reasons, largely related to the cost effectiveness of including groups of people together with one instructor (or multiple instructors) when compared to one-on-one instruction. The benefits of group exercise training are not only related to the health outcomes that are known to result from exercise in general but also include additional benefits due to the social aspects of the environment, and the potential improvements in adherence related to the social contract that is often formed between group members (Figure 13.1). Group training must adhere to the general principles of exercise prescription; however, there are certain additional concerns and considerations that must be accounted for in the group setting. This practical will cover the safety, instruction, delivery and adjustments that must be made to run an effective group session. The prevalence of group training in the health and fitness industry extends to the training of similar populations together. This might include participants with Parkinson’s disease, postpartum women and older individuals. In addition to groups that are formed by condition or population, there are also countless examples of group training by particular activities, such as Pilates, yoga, dance, sports and established commercial fitness paradigms. Many of the characteristics relevant to instructing group sessions should be consistent across group training as a whole; however, due to the significant scope that this entails, the focus of this practical is small group sessions of between 2 and 15 people, with session goals related to strength and cardiorespiratory fitness.