Group fitness can offer shared rhythm, social reinforcement, and belonging.

Shared movement enables co-regulation, signaling safety and easing emotional distress.

Inclusive movement spaces help people participate with less self-protection.

On Getting Better With Jonathan Van Ness, I talked about why group fitness can feel so emotionally different from working out alone. The short answer is that movement is more than a physical process; it is a psychological and relational one, too. When we move near other people, we are relating, sensing, responding, and regulating.

Humans are wired for connection. We create community through shared experiences, and movement is one of the most powerful shared experiences we have. Fitness classes, team sports, dance, walking groups, yoga, pickleball leagues, and recreational sports can all become deeply relational because they ask us to be present in our bodies around other people.

That can be energizing, vulnerable, healing, or scary, depending on what our bodies have learned to expect. At its best, group fitness is about expanding our sense of connection, capability, and belonging.

Movement Is Not a Punishment

One of the most common and painful ways people talk about exercise is as punishment.

“I ate dessert, so I have to work out.”

“I went out last night, so I need to make up for it.”

“I don’t like my body, so I need to fix it.”

That mindset turns movement into shame. It frames the body as a problem to solve rather than a body to inhabit, listen to, and care for.

Movement should not be punishment for living our lives. It can be a platform for connection, curiosity, enjoyment, and meaning-making. It can help us release stress, reconnect with ourselves, build confidence, and spend meaningful time with other people.

When movement feels like care instead of correction, people are more likely to return to it. They are also more likely to........

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