“I want to exercise more this year!” is what we say every year…

So, you’ve just made your new year’s resolution to exercise more but each day you find it harder and harder to get out and exercise. You know the exercise will be good for you but in reality, it is hard to know what to do, where to go, etc? This all results in you end up not sticking to your exercise program. If this is you, you’re not alone! Research reports that about 50% of people who begin an exercise program tend to drop out within the first few months (1). Understanding why this happens is a question that has faced researchers for a while(2). It is an important question to answer because of the clear benefits of regular physical activity and the clear negative consequences of a lack of activity (3).

Over the years, researchers have attributed low rates of exercise program adherence the competing demands in life (e.g., educational, career, and family obligations) (3,4) as well as the difficulty of the programme (4,5). Being supervised by an exercise professional may increase adherence to physical activity (6). One strategy that is often used to help adherence to regular exercise is the use of personal trainers or attending classes at the local gym (a.k.a., group exercise) (7). Both group exercise and personal training modalities are excellent ways to stay motivated and accountable to get exercise sessions in, and both show promise to help individuals reach their fitness goals. In this article we will unpack a bit more about why these strategies have been shown to be effective.

Personal Training

More and more people seem to be using personal trainers for exercise programs (8). Personal trainers are good at providing an individualised exercise program that is appropriate and specific to your goals and that adapts as you get stronger. They can also ensure correct exercise technique during sessions and play an important role in boosting motivation and self-belief (9). Boosting motivation and self-belief may be important in enhancing adherence to the program (7). For these reasons, training with a personal trainer has been shown to be better at improving health and fitness compared to training alone (10). Unsurprisingly, training with a person trainer is recommended for strengthening motivation, maintaining adherence, and ultimately achieving health and fitness goals (9).

Group Exercise

Group exercise is available at most commercial and private fitness centres around the world. The classes aim to create a space for like-minded individuals to exercise together. For example, a “get fit” class might use elements of circuit training with whole body movements to increase fitness and strength. These classes are usually led by qualified group exercise instructors who may use music, dancing, and other strategies to make the class more “fun” while still providing a good workout (4). Like training with a personal trainer, group exercise has shown to lead to improved physiological health (7). Interestingly, alongside these health benefits, many individuals tend to like the social aspect of exercising in a group (7). Data from a previous study highlighted this phenomenon with participants speaking on the social aspect of group exercise: “You get out of the house, see people, that helps create bonds.” (11). Having this positive social environment in which you can exercise is likely one of the reasons why group exercise has been shown to enhance exercise program adherence (11).

Differences between Personal Training and Group Exercise:

Whether training in a group or with a personal trainer is better remains to be established and is likely down to the individual. When comparing research between these two approaches to supervised training, research by Leach and colleagues (2019) conducted a study with a group of research participants undertaking physical activity interventions to compare the efficacy of group exercise and personal/individualised training. The results of this study revealed that group dynamics-based exercise intervention produced similar improvements in physical activity and physical fitness compared to the personal training interventions. In addition, group-based training facilitated improved quality of life among research participants due to the social aspects of training in a group (12). Another study showed similar results for group-based training, with results describing a 26% in reduction in stress, and a significant improvement of quality of life. Among other exercise outcomes, this study revealed that participants experienced a 13% improvement in overall mental health, a 25% improvement in physical health, and a 26% improvement in emotional health. Among the participants that participated in individual-styled programmes (such as one-on-one training with a personal trainer), revealed less significant changes in quality of life outcomes, except for an 11% improvement in mental health (13).

Finding what works for you, your behaviour and your circumstances is important. Therefore, regardless of exercise with a personal trainer or in a group exercise class, maintaining regular exercise in the long term will most likely yield positive health-related results and the achievement of personal fitness goals.

To bring you the most evidence-based and cutting information in the fields of sports and exercise science and health, SSISA works alongside the UCT Research Centre for Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Sport (HPALS) to disseminate the latest research.  HPALS research focuses on optimizing human performance and promoting health and well-being through physical activity, sports participation, healthy eating and good sleep hygiene.  Their work begins at the DNA, to the human performance laboratory and ultimately to the community. To read more about the Health through Physical Activity, Lifestyle and Research Centre, Division of Physiological Sciences at the University of Cape Town, please see the HPALS website or email Ayesha Hendricks for more information about applications for MSc/PhD research programmes.

To get in touch with the Sports Science Institute of South Africa Group for Research Implementation and Translation (GRIT) Research Consultants, get in touch with Warren Lucas at research@ssisa.com or call 021 650 5728 for enquiries. Read more about the SSISA GRIT Team here.

References:

1. Dishman RK, Buckworth J. Increasing physical activity: A quantitative synthesis. Essential readings in sport and exercise psychology. Champaign,  IL,  US: Human Kinetics; 2007. 348–355 p.
2. Teixeira PJ, Carraça E v., Markland D, Silva MN, Ryan RM. Exercise, physical activity, and self-determination theory: A systematic review. Vol. 9, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2012.
3. Vandoni M, Codrons E, Marin L, Correale L, Bigliassi M, Buzzachera CF. Psychophysiological responses to group exercise training sessions: Does exercise intensity matter? PLoS One. 2016 Aug 1;11(8).
4. ACSM. ACSM Resources for the Exercise Physiologist by American College of Sports Medicine. 2018.
5. Collado-Mateo D, Lavín-Pérez AM, Peñacoba C, del Coso J, Leyton-Román M, Luque-Casado A, et al. Key factors associated with adherence to physical exercise in patients with chronic diseases and older adults: An umbrella review. Vol. 18, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. MDPI AG; 2021. p. 1–24.
6. Kanamori S, Takamiya T, Inoue S, Kai Y, Kawachi I, Kondo K. Exercising alone versus with others and associations with subjective health status in older Japanese: The JAGES Cohort Study. Sci Rep. 2016 Dec 15;6.
7. Mcclaran SR. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PERSONAL TRAINING ON CHANGING ATTITUDES TOWARDS PHYSICAL ACTIVITY [Internet]. Vol. 2, ©Journal of Sports Science and Medicine. 2003. Available from: http://www.jssm.org
8. Wayment HA, Mcdonald RL. Sharing a Personal Trainer: Personal and Social Benefits of Individualized, Small-Group Training [Internet]. 2017. Available from: www.nsca.com
9. Storer TW, Dolezal BA, Berenc MN, Timmins JE, Cooper CB. Effect of Supervised, Periodized Exercise Training vs. Self-Directed Training on Lean Body Mass and Other Fitness Variables in Health Club Members [Internet]. 2014. Available from: www.nsca.com
10. Gilbert M, Chaubet P, Karelis A, Dancause KN. Perceptions of group exercise courses and instructors among Quebec adults. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2017 Aug 1;3(1).
11. Leach HJ, Covington KR, Voss C, LeBreton KA, Harden SM, Schuster SR. Effect of group dynamics-based exercise versus personal training in breast cancer survivors. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2019 Mar 1;46(2):185–97.