The “Missing Link” in Group Exercise

With over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, I’ve seen different fads and formats come and go over the years. As fitness professionals, we are constantly trying to recreate the wheel in an effort to excite both ourselves and our students often at the expense of our bodies. What if one small principle could help us achieve classes that were both popular and improved our students’ ability to function. The answer lies in the linking of exercises which simply strings two or more separate exercises together. Many benefits arise when we use linking in our classes regardless of the format such as improved coordination, cognition, cardiovascular endurance, and muscular endurance. The best benefit of all, however, is that it enhances our choreography without making it so complicated. Let’s take a deeper dive into each of these benefits.

Coordination is the ability to use different parts of your body together smoothly and efficiently. This requires the use of the cerebellum which is responsible for how fast we process motor output (Perea, 2018). Exercises that require our brain to process information quickly, like when we link exercises together, improve our processing abilities and subsequently our coordination. If we take this one step further and link exercises that involve both the upper and lower body, we get even more bang for our buck. Exercise formats such as Pumped Up Strength accomplishes this task and results in a fun and engaging workout.

Improved cognition is another benefit derived from using this principle. There is a great deal of research, specifically performed by Gomez-Pinilla and Hillman in 2013, where they investigated exercise and cognition. Their findings point to the benefits of exercise and improved cognition as a result of increased blood flow to the brain during exercise. An additional mental challenge emerges when we engage in exercises that require us to link movements. If the student learns move A, B, and C separately and then has to link them together, this requires a different level of processing than when performing each exercise separately. It is akin to the brain puzzles recommended to decrease the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. In my opinion, it’s even better because we have accomplished two goals at once: improved cognition and improved fitness.

Cardiovascular endurance is the body’s ability to perform an exercise at a “moderate to high intensity over an extended period of time” (Drennan, 2021). Linking exercises without stopping provides a great way in which to improve our cardiovascular endurance. Allowing our students to take breaks from time to time is important, but a benefit exists with continuous movement as well.  Balletone provides a prime example of this benefit. This class provides a non-stop, variable intensity workout that links exercises together thereby creating not only a mental challenge, but a cardiovascular challenge as well.

Muscular endurance requires repeated muscular contractions over an extended period of time. Linking exercises challenges muscular endurance much in the same way that combining exercises challenges cardiovascular endurance. The linking of exercises results in a prolonged effort by the participant. Barre formats, in particular, specialize in the ability to train muscular endurance. Additionally, barre programs, like Barre Above, link exercises in ways that enhance function and decrease the likelihood of overuse injuries because of the lack of engagement in repetitive movement patterns. When both the principles of muscular endurance and linking exercises are used in tandem, they create a synergistic effect thereby enhancing the benefits of muscular endurance.

The previously mentioned advantages benefit everyone in the class, students and instructors alike. The last and, arguably the best, benefit empowers the instructor to create more effective routines without adding complexity through this linking. Instructors teach students the moves separately, then string them together to create a rhythmic pattern. Students can master one section of the class before moving on to the next, thereby improving the students' chances of feeling successful. This also allows the instructor to create less choreography while still keeping the class challenging and fun! The linking of exercises enhances your classes regardless of the format you teach. In my book that is a win-win for both the instructor and the student.

Riley Shaia M.S.P.T is a Program Specialist for Savvier Fitness in Barre Above, Balletone, Tabata Bootcamp, and Extreme Chaos. She lives in Richmond, VA with her husband and three children and teaches group exercise at the Tuckahoe YMCA.