WELLNESS

For fitness buffs, variety of exercise programs grows

By Silas Allen, Staff writer, sallen@oklahoman.com
A core fusion class works out on March 8 at the Main Street YMCA. [Doug Hoke/The Oklahoman]

Not so many years ago, for most people, going to the gym meant getting on a treadmill or an elliptical and zoning out for a half hour or 45 minutes.

To be sure, that's how plenty of people still choose to get their exercise. But over the past decade or so, a growing number of people have begun turning to a variety of fitness programs to help them stay in shape.

Some do Pilates. Others do Zumba or CrossFit.

"Now there's just more information, more access to programming," said Sara Robinson-Holmes, associate executive director of the downtown district YMCA in Oklahoma City.

Over the past 10 years, the YMCA has seen greater demand for fitness classes and programs than they did in decades past, Robinson-Holmes said. Although fitness classes have existed for decades, they're becoming increasingly trendy, she said. More people want programs that involve strength training and aerobic exercise, but might take place in a group setting rather than individually, she said.

One factor that could be driving growth in the fitness business, and particularly interest in classes, is social media, Robinson-Holmes said. When people see their friends post photos of themselves at Zumba or Pilates classes on Facebook or Instagram and write about the results they've seen, they get interested and want to try those classes themselves, she said.

As interest has grown, the YMCA has found new ways of presenting classes, Robinson-Holmes said. For example, when the YMCA first began offering Zumba about 10 years ago, the program was built around big, party-style classes with 50 participants or more, she said. While some participants are still looking for those large-group classes, a growing number of people have told organizers that they prefer smaller groups of people who are training at about the same level, she said, so the YMCA began offering smaller classes, as well.

Over the next five to 10 years, Robinson-Holmes said she expects to see demand continue to grow for functional exercise programs that involve a lot of movement but don't necessarily involve stationary equipment, such as treadmills and exercise bikes. Mostly, she said, people seem to be interested in anything that can keep them running, jumping and moving longer.