Part 2: The Most Powerful Group Fitness Classes in Columbus
Part 2: The Most Powerful Group Fitness Classes in Columbus
In Part One, The Power of Group Fitness, we discussed the positive effect that group exercise can have on your mental, physical, and emotional health. If you missed it, here’s the link. In Part Two, we’re showing you how Friendship Fitness takes the power of group exercise — and dials it up! Statistically, there are several factors that people use to decide which group fitness and nutrition program to join. The top determinants include:
People
Gym Vibe & Atmosphere
Personalized Attention & Coaching
Convenience & Fun
The People
Rigs, rowers, and barbells are mere accessories compared to the one thing that the greatest gyms in the country have in common — good people. According to research, the best way to create an exceptional gym experience for beginners and veterans alike is to build a strong, diverse gym culture.
60% of group fitness goers accredit social motivation as the reason they regularly attend classes.
25% of gym-goers attend group fitness specifically to meet new people.
This image is of Maria Binek
The Friendship Difference
We honor “house rules” that emulate the culture we wish to create.
Toxic gym cultures don’t just happen; they’re made. This is one of the many reasons why we proudly display, honor, and encourage our own set of house rules to shape a culture of friendship (hence the name).
Be responsible for the energy you bring into this space.
When you make eye contact with someone, say hi!
Introduce yourself to two new people every day.
Laugh!
Challenge your way of thinking and being.
Don’t short the movements, the count, or yourself.
Have fun!
We treat all people fairly and with the same enthusiasm.
No hierarchies, here. Our greatest achievements are when beginners find success in their goals in just a few months; getting off prescription drugs, inspiring your son or daughter (as shown by them wanting to do rope climbs "like Mom") or your first pull-up!
We are an interactive community
From Podcasts and email newsletters to parties and special fitness events, we stay connected with one another and interact as a close-knit community. It’s not uncommon to experience an uptick in Facebook friends after you join Friendship. You may even be our next “featured member”. Friendship also has an amazing community board that helps connect our community members with local business owners and service providers.
The Vibe & Atmosphere
All gyms have their own distinct vibe, but studies suggest that the characteristics of the facility, energy of the environment, and music play an important part in the selection process.
The Friendship Difference
Quality Facility
We've designed our Dublin, Ohio location to have four separate workout areas (over 8,000 sq/ft) including an amazing outdoor workout space to soak up some sun and get your workout in at the same time! Our community also has access to a physical therapy room, nutrition room & InBody scanner, and three newly renovated bathrooms, including the nicest shower you’ll ever see in a gym!
EnergyIf you read part one, you know that a positive mood is a byproduct of group exercise. More than that, we encourage positive energy by lifting each other up (sometimes literally), giving out too many high-fives, dancing when the mood strikes, celebrating achievements in life, being silly, and having fun.
Music
Working out to energetic music “significantly” increases strength.
Music also creates a distraction that reduces the feeling of fatigue and enables exercisers to work out beyond their preconceived limitations. If Eye of the Tiger is what it will take to get you an inch closer to your fitness goal — consider it done! Our coaches understand the relationship between tempo/movement and volume/intensity. It’s not uncommon to hear a jam that surprisingly fits the rhythm of the workout or to see a coach crank up the tunes during the most exerting segments of a workout to drive higher performance. We have searched high and low for better music choices and found an amazing new product that gives us 60-minute mixes to give variety and excitement to the music!
The personalized attention and coaching
The failure rate for most physical activity programs is 6 months.
There are dozens of reasons why people quit group fitness classes. Dissatisfaction with staff, programs, and activities are top of the list. In many cases, people can’t justify the cost because they don’t see the value.
The Friendship Difference
Friendship Fitness builds value into every square inch of our fitness and nutrition experience, starting with exceptional coaching and personalized attention. Because of this the average Friendshipper stays for over 20-months! The name of the game in fitness is consistency, and those extra 14-months can make a massive difference in your health and habits.
Certified Fitness
Coaches 95% of exercisers say the instructor is a crucial factor in their decision to keep coming back.
We have five of the most talented and experienced full-time certified fitness coaches in Columbus, Ohio and an equally amazing team of part-time coaches. To stays sharp, each coach is required to complete continuing education courses and seminars. We also bring in experts like Columbus Chiropractic & Rehab, our resident Physical Therapist, Jenny Borda, and our resident dietitian, Andy Arra to educate our coaches and community on proper physical and nutritional health.
Friendly Onboarding
Process70% of people who go through an onboarding process stick with the program for at least a year compared to only 38% of people who are not onboarded.
On day one, we assign you to a certified fitness coach who will become your point-person for as long as you choose to work out with us. Your coach will spend one-on-one time with you to evaluate your fitness level and understand your fitness goals. They will break down terms and train you on the basic movements you will perform in class to help acclimate you to the workouts. This isn’t just important for familiarity, but also injury prevention. Finally, we follow our house rules and introduce you to other people at the gym. When you attend your first group fitness class, you’ll be well prepared, and you might even know a few friendly faces.
Class Variety
Despite our differences, we’re all here for the same reason — to get healthy and stay healthy.
We offer a variety of group fitness classes for all ages and levels of skill. As a result, you’ll find every generation represented in our gym from all walks of life and in all shapes and sizes. Everything we teach can be scaled to work around injuries or limitations. We also have specialized clubs for athletes looking to develop specific abilities, such as gymnastics club, row club, and Strength class. Recently, we developed a new group fitness program called ThriveFit that incorporates yoga and high-intensity exercise.
Convenience and Fun
If a gym location isn’t conveniently located, the class schedule doesn’t mesh well with work or home life, and the entire experience feels like a chore, people will quit their group fitness program.
The Friendship Difference
Class Schedule
Life is busy and sometimes, working out is the last thing on your mind. Our class schedule runs all day and throughout the weekend, giving you plenty of options to get your sweat on. If you still need a little extra flex, you can also schedule one-on-one sessions with one of our personal trainers. In total we offer over 11 classes each day and 70 classes per week! Because of this, the average Friendshipper makes it to the gym 3.7 times per week!
Games and Challenges — Friendly competition increases physical activity inside and outside the gym by 23%.
However, the most effective way to turn competition into motivation is to make the game a positive experience that’s winnable for any participant. One of our favorite games is The Whole Life Challenge, which encourages all participating members to support one another as we work together to improve our fitness, nutrition, and mental health. The best part is, we all win because we all learn to develop healthier habits. Additionally, we cheer each other on as we complete nationally in events like the CrossFit Open or dedicate our workouts to honor fallen heroes. Nothing motivates our athletes to push harder than pride for our nation and gratitude for our military forces. In addition, the podcast gives homework each week to be working on motivation and mindfulness!
Does this sound like your kind of place? Want to schedule a free no-sweat intro but don’t want pushy sales tactics?
You won’t experience a “hard-sell” attitude from us; our programs and people speak for themselves. We will listen to your goals, ways you've been successful in the past and ways that you've struggled. We'll then create a customized plan to get you started to ensure you find success. We believe that success begins with you, not us. Our job isn’t to convince you to start your journey to better health; it’s to support you along the way and celebrate your accomplishments! Visit us online or stop in for a visit. We look forward to meeting you!