If misery ever loved company, it's during exercise.
There are thousands of fitness nuts who bike, run, kayak, power walk or other activities alone and with no prompting.
Then there are the rest of us. The ones who need a leader or at least others in a class to help us stay motivated to work out. And the class has to be fun, something to look forward to, or we find reasons to skip. So we flock in groups and hope to collectively get fit.
The pain of buns burning in a spin class is more tolerable if the person next to you is also suffering.
Since Dr. Kenneth Cooper published his groundbreaking book "Aerobics" in 1968, people stopped using those machines with a belt that just jiggled their fat and learned to concentrate on the most important muscle in the body: the heart.
We've learned that it's not enough to maintain a healthful diet, but we also have to crank the ticker up at least 50 to 85 percent of the maximum heart rate and exercise at least three times a week.
And that's what people did for years. They went to generic "aerobics" classes taught in gyms by ex-cheerleaders who would lead the unfit to run in place and wave their arms for an hour.
But you'll be hard-pressed to find just an "aerobics" class anymore. Classes have evolved. Now you can sweat like a plow horse while holding 26 yoga poses at Bikram Yoga, get your Latin groove on in a Zumba class, kickbox, aerobox and climb up and off a step at gyms around the city.
There's Jazzercise, bootcamp, aerobics in the swimming pool, belly dancing, spinning and Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defense technique. There's Pilates, where a slight move here or there will leave you sore for days, and classes with catchy names like No Pain No Gain. Some classes use weights, rings or rubber balls the size of an ottoman.Through the years, the Cooper Institute and others who study fitness have rethought earlier recommendations on the level and amount of exercise needed to stay fit.Most agree that doing only one type of exercise doesn't cut it. Just like a well-rounded diet, exercisers need variety for overall fitness.Some classes help you lose weight through cardiovascular training, others tone or build muscles, some improve flexibility and endurance, said Scotty Esquibel, group exercise director for the Dallas-based Cooper Fitness Center, which is part of The Cooper Institute.New research by the institute shows that people who do 30 minutes of brisk exercise a day can cut their risk of heart attacks in half, Esquibel said."This could be a 10-minute brisk walk, three times a day," Esquibel said. "And brisk means breathing a little faster but still able to talk."He suggests beginners find classes that offer easier levels so you can build up. He said Jazzercise, which combines dance, cardio and weight training is still a good overall workout.
Or mix it up: Take a spin class or Zumba and add yoga or Pilates."Yoga helps with balance and tightening those core muscles that keep you balanced," Esquibel said. "You may not think that's important, but a fall usually precedes death in women as they get older."He said that before buying a pricey package of classes, people should sample different ones and find something they enjoy.Aileen Levitt, a dental hygienist, was hooked on spinning classes at the Jewish Community Center for about three years until back surgery made it difficult to do.She found another class there called No Pain No Gain, which uses equipment such as weighted bars, dumbbells, medicine balls, and heavy-duty rubber bands."It's never boring," Leavitt said. "I'm totally wiped out at the end of the hour, but I've gotten in my cardio, my strength training. I've noticed a huge difference in my inches and everyone tells me I look great"Lauren Carr, assistant wellness director and director of group classes for The Jewish Community Center, said the gym offers 30 to 40 classes a week. She advises people who are working out for the first time in their lives to only come a few days a week at first."They get gung ho and come every day and they burn out really fast," Carr said. "They get sore, they can't keep up, so they quit. We try to help them find something that is fun. We recommend yoga and Pilates to everybody in addition to a cardio workout. Yoga and Pilates strengthen your back and abs, which are core muscles." Those muscles carry your body through the day and help you perform other exercises better.
Millie Katzen began running in 1996 as a stress reliever. She tried adding aerobics and step aerobics, but found them boring."I was running six days a week but I wanted to do cross-training so I wouldn't have to run so much," Katzen said. "I'm not a swimmer. I'm not a biker."A friend recommended Bikram yoga, which is a 90-minute yoga session done in a room that's heated to 105 degrees with 50 to 60 percent humidity.She's been taking the class at least four times a week for four years. She noticed a change in the definition of her muscles. She also joined Weight Watchers and learned how to eat better."For me it's like flossing and brushing my teeth," Katzen said. "You have to find something you're willing to do and stay committed to. My body performs better. I run better because of the Bikram."
