A Group to Count On
Craig is a faithful group exerciser. He takes Les Mills classes at Bellevue several times a week, often multiple classes a day.
“I love the accountability that you get from the groups, the encouragement from everybody—it feels like a little family group,” he said.
Along with great workouts, the camaraderie encourages him to keep showing up.
“You can count on them, they can count on you. When you’re dragging, they push you. You can just help each other.”
We caught up with Craig after back-to-back classes and asked him to give advice to new members who doubt they can reach their fitness goals.
“Don’t give yourself the option to quit,” he said. “Decide before you even start: I’m just going to do this. This is going to be part of my routine; this is going to be who I am as part of my identity. That way when you get up in the morning, you don’t ask yourself the question, ‘Am I gonna go today?’ You’re just going. That’s part of what you do.”
The group exercise format also helps Craig to stay consistent, and he encourages other members to take advantage of it.
“Come to a class. That way, it takes the guesswork out of it for you, and you have people to keep you motivated.”
But most of us, at one point or another, have been afraid to show up to a new class. Craig has some advice for that as well.
”Every class I’ve ever been a part of has been 'the more the merrier,'” he said. “People want you to be there; they encourage you. So, don’t be afraid to do it.”