Reaping the health benefits of group fitness

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and Mental Health Awareness month -- a reminder that even a little exercise can make a big difference in your body and mind.

The owners of a boutique studio in Kakaako say group fitness activities are effective for overall wellness.

“Our mission is to make people feel great, to get stronger to feel healthier. It’s not always about changing the body. Although we kind of joked that’s the side effect, right? If you come in, if you find something you love, if you do it, if it makes you happy, the body is the side effect. But the benefit is the joy,” said Kashmira Gandhi, co-owner of Body Balance. “You can’t have healthy mental health without moving your body. And really, you can’t, you can’t go the other way either. Like if you’re struggling, when you move, you’re going to change the balance inside your body, right. And so and that changes your brain. And that changes how you feel.”

“We were all kind of stuck trying to do it on our own. And there’s a reason why group fitness is what it is. It’s because you could do it on your own. But the results are better because of the joy you feel from the connections. Right? It’s from the friendships you make, and it’s the accountability,” she added.

Body Balance offers Pilates, barre, HIIT, strength training and indoor cycling classes. BodyCycle isn’t your typical spin class. it’s a high intensity workout with dance-inspired choreography. Like biking in a club with your girlfriends.

Body Balance was one of the first boutique studios in Hawaii to offer Pilates reformer classes and now it’s boasting another first.

“It is the Lagree Microformer. So it’s a very core intensive exercise. It’s high intensity, but it’s no impact. Right? So it’s based off the Pilates Reformer, but the workout is different. So the difference is, the exercises are done super slow. So that way, you’re what they call time under tension is super high,” Gandhi explained.

Studies show physical activity helps reduce risk for many chronic diseases, and ease symptoms of anxiety and depression.

And it’s even better when you’re part of a group -- through fitness classes or sports.

After all, the road to better health is lot more fun when you’ve got support along the way.

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