Fears Women Have About Group Exercise. And Why Bod Squad is Different.

We bet our bottom dollar that most of you have felt, or do feel, some of these fears about exercising in groups. We try to alleviate them at Bod Squad to ensure that you can move your body without the complications of fear getting in the way. Because, when you train happy, you train better, and you train more consistently! And that is the end goal - a life long LOVE of group exercise.

JUDGEMENT 

“I’m going to be judged by others for not being fit / strong / *insert verb here* enough”

Often this fear is not judgement from someone else, but our judgement of ourselves. If you have the fear that you will be judged, take a look inward and ask yourself if you are just being critical of yourself <3 It is so common - we don’t do things and tell ourselves it’s because of what someone else is going to think - when in reality it’s what we think! 

But even with that being said, judgement is still a fear! Especially for those of us new to exercise or getting back on the train after some time off. In a gym with strangers, who knows what they are thinking (usually very little, because let’s face it we are all there to look out for #1 ME”) but even so, it can be a daunting place. 

The Bod Squad ethos ;) Just kidding, but you get the jist.

Bod Squad is different - you train with a group you know, trust and are familiar with. The very ethos of Bod Squad is about a supportive, non-judgemental community, and we all live it in every session! It’s magical to see the lack of negativity flowing through our group classes. There’s an energy in the air when our groups of women come together and train, as one, without fear! 

SHAME 

“I’m way bigger than last time I trained / I’m so weak these days, I’m embarrassed”

Another big bad wolf scurrying around inside that beautiful brain: ‘I’m gonna huff, and puff and blow your self-esteem down…!’ 

Ah, wolfy, you naughty boy.

Shame is a double pronged sword - it can demotivate us from training with others, for fear of how we look or feel being on show. It is also a key ‘motivator’ for exercise though, as you might imagine the trends of gym memberships after New Year increasing, and marketing from gyms capitalising on shame! We are motivated by shame and putting on weight over the holidays, for example. This kind of ‘motivation’ is never long term though, and you’ll find that the majority of these memberships will get cancelled. More on that another time though… 

This was an advert by a gym in 2016, which was called out for shame-mongering.

Bod Squad is different… Not once have we marketed our group classes as a way to trim fat, or get lean ETC. We promote exercise for happiness, endorphins, self-love, and we KNOW that when you exercise for these reasons, the shame will float away.

Shame about how we look is such a fear that it can be crippling and stop you even trying to exercise. Research has found that adults and children are more likely to avoid exercise if they feel shame or stigma about their body size. We fear our own judgement and hold ourselves in low self-worth. How to combat shame when it comes to exercise? Bite the bullet and do it anyway :) Now, in a class with strangers this sounds like the scariest thing to do. In Bod Squad, however, you’ve got dozens of other women just ready to lift you up and put a smile on that dial as soon as you get there. Even when we are not training, we have the Facebook group, where so many of you post about your worries and fears, and get so many wonderful responses from others in our community. 

Feeling shame? Tell someone! I bet they feel fear too - and sometimes even just knowing other people are feeling the same way as you is a way to push through to the other side :) 

COMPARISON

“I am nowhere near as fit as her // I could never do THAT // I’m so much bigger than her”

In group exercise classes, comparison is ripe for the taking. You walk into a beefed up gym environment, with Mr Muscles front left and Mrs Aerobics (probably Coach Alex, soz) front right, and your brain goes F*****CK, this is not the class for me, I’m going to be so much worse. ETC. Choose your comparison - it happens, and it happens to most people too, in some way or another. The way to combat it is to realise that no one is actually looking at you - they are all mostly concerned with how they are doing!

We’re all in it together!

Another way Bod Squad differs from standard group classes is a) the closeness of coaches to you and b) the fact that you train with the same group of women every session. If you’re feeling nervous or feel yourself start to compare, let us know, maybe even arrive a little bit early and we can ensure you feel confident in what we are going to be taking on that session. And another thing, Bod Squadders move cuz we love it! Not because we want to be the best in the class! It’s all about culture, and we’ve got that in spades. The only comparison you’ll get from us is encouragement about how great that last set was compared to the one before <3.

So, as the Spice Girls would say… “Stop right now, thank you very much” 

PRESSURE TO PERFORM 

“I’m worried that I can’t do the exercises // I am new to exercise and don’t want to push too hard”

The stress of being in a group can be high, especially when you’re not fit or perhaps are regaining strength after pregnancy or an injury. You look around and see ‘ol mate smashing through the 40 second interval, while you wanted to give up 5 seconds in, and the gym instructor is there in your ear shouting to get it done and that’s just not what you need to hear! On the other side of the dice, you’ve got a niggle or injury, but feel the pressure to just do the exercise you’re told because that’s what everyone is doing and there wasn’t an alternative given! 

Bod Squad wants you to perform… but we want you to perform to your capability in that session! We understand that some days you need more rest, some days you can whack out 10 burpees in a minute+. We work hard to ensure that every single session we plan has ready-written alternatives for you, so you don’t need to worry about asking or telling anyone you will be doing them, if you don’t want to. We work around the pressure, and want you to enjoy being outside, training and having fun! The progress and the 40 second full interval work will come in time, and in the meantime you’ll be able to smile doing it! 

Has any of this resonated with you? Why not share it on your socials or with a friend who might need to read it <3 

Have a fabulous day legends 

X O X O