Going it alone: going solo to a new exercise class

Being the new person at a fitness class can be hard enough as you feel you’re joining an already established group. Going through the process alone can be even scarier.

But we want to reduce this fear. To celebrate the empowering feeling you can get from doing something you really want to do.

So, when our marketing and communications officer, Georgia, decided she wanted to start some new dance classes we asked her to share her experience.

My Story

Having finished university not too long ago, I found myself with friends spread all over the country. The friends I did have nearby weren’t interested in all the same things I was. This meant that when it came to wanting to start some new exercise classes I had little choice but to go it alone.

Feelings before going:

Before going to the class, I was a mixture of nerves and excitement. Excited as I love dancing and was thrilled to be getting to pick it up again. Nervous because I was going alone to somewhere new where I didn’t know anyone.

I also felt a little empowered that I was doing this for myself. It felt good to be doing something just for me. I was worried about going alone but happy to have something that was mine alone. I liked that I wouldn’t know anyone there so the people at the class had no ideas about me and my physical ability.

At the start of the class:

Once I got to the class, I immediately found out that I wasn’t the only new person. There was another new lady who I introduced myself to. This led to us quickly becoming comrades in getting through this new experience. I was still nervous, but it was comforting knowing I wasn’t the only one who was new.

The instructor came over to us introduced herself and made it clear there were no expectations for us to be doing everything perfectly. She explained that if we wanted to stand at the back and stay there that was fine and we need only do what we were comfortable with.

During the class:

I did struggle to keep up at some points. But it was clear that everyone else in the class was focusing on getting the moves right themselves and not on what I was doing. During some parts of the class, even the people who regularly attended the class were struggling. Everyone easily laughed off any mistakes they made.

The other people in the class were friendly and made a point of chatting to me. They were excited to have someone new there and encouraged me to come back again.

Overall experience:

I found that the experience was nowhere near as scary as I thought it would be. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. I didn’t stick out as the only person in the room who didn’t know what they were doing.

Things to remember:

• Everyone is at a different stage in their active journey: the class will likely be a mix of abilities and experiences. You might not be the only new person there.
• Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses: other people in the class will struggle with certain parts of it despite how long they’ve been attending the class.
•  Everyone is there to learn and most likely will be focused on how they are doing not judging you.
• You’re doing this for you and that’s amazing!