Group fitness classes are for everyone. Why are more women participating in them than men?

Do you like hitting the gym on your own, or do you need a group class to keep you motivated? Your gender may have something to do with what you prefer — but exercising with others has benefits for everyone.

According to a 2024 trend report from Strava, an app that allows users to track their exercise activity, this year saw an 89% increase in women joining Strava clubs — aka virtual community groups where members can share workouts, compete in challenges and connect over shared fitness goals. That’s not the only thing that suggests women prefer exercising in a pack, virtually or otherwise: Strava’s report finds that 35% of women’s morning activities on the weekends involve groups — 20% more than men’s. A 2018 survey from the United Kingdom also found that 78.4% of the respondents who attended group exercise classes were women, while just 21.6% were men.

Why is this the case? Mia Lind, creator of Hot Girl Walks — aka monthly organized treks across cities like Miami, New York, Los Angeles and London — found that the women who show up for her events praise the social element of the group fitness activity.

“[Women] will say, ‘I'm struggling making friends. I need friends.’ And they'll go out and go find these kinds of [fitness] communities,” she tells Yahoo Life. Lind says she sees everyone from stay-at-home moms to remote workers to women working in “very male-dominated fields” joining her Hot Girl Walks.

Considering that research finds that they’re more effective at creating social support structures than men are, it makes sense that busy women — who may be especially overscheduled due to the burdens of caregiving roles — turn to group fitness as a way to both socialize and sneak in exercise. (Though women may get less exercise than men, they’re also more likely to understand the health benefits of it, according to a National Institutes of Health study.)

Carrie Minter Ebers, the founder of Carrie’s Pilates, tells Yahoo Life that “group workouts give the opportunity for women to build lifelong friendships and motivate each other to stay consistent in their fitness journeys.”

Adds Minter Ebers: “It’s not just about the workout; it’s about community and transformation, both physically and mentally. Women feel empowered when they feel supported, and group fitness makes that possible.”

Another factor? Safety. In a poll of 2,000 women by England Athletics, more than 50% said that they would feel safer running in a group than they would on their own.

But while women may dominate group workouts, there are reasons why everyone should try it. Here are the benefits of working out with others, regardless of your gender.

You're more likely to stick to a workout

A friend we meet up with for fitness fun can become our “accountability buddy": someone who supports and encourages you to stay committed to your goals. These pals can be virtual (like through a Strava club) or in person.

“You can share your progress, make plans to attend certain classes together and even potentially have a little friendly competition if that's your vibe,” CycleBar instructor and personal trainer Emma Belluomo tells Yahoo Life.

But even if you are not specifically designating that role to someone you’re working out with, you may be less likely to want to let down friends you commit to regularly exercising with.

“It's easy to bail on your workout if it's just you,” notes Belluomo, “but if you've made a plan to go with someone or signed up for a class, you're way more likely to show.”

You might make friends … or more

Data from the Strava report found that the biggest motivator for exercising in a group was “making social connections.” Meanwhile, 58% of survey respondents said they made friends via fitness groups — and nearly 1 in 5 Gen Z respondents said they went on a date with someone they met through exercise. (That’s not surprising, given that many singles are turning to run clubs as a way to meet potential partners.)

“The social connections formed during group exercise often extend beyond the workout, creating lasting friendships and a stronger support system for overall health and wellness,” health coach Elizabeth Katzman tells Yahoo Life.

You may work out even harder

Following the crowd can be a good thing — if that crowd encourages you to push yourself. Bob Corb, a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in sports psychology, previously told Men’s Health that people “work harder when they’re in a group setting because they are comparing themselves to each other and don’t want to look weak or lazy.”

The Strava report finds that there’s a 40% average increase in activity length when people are exercising in a group of 10 or more versus on their own.

You'll try new things

“Working out with others can expose you to new exercises, techniques and training styles, which can help keep your workouts fresh and prevent plateaus,” Cara D'Orazio, a personal trainer and owner of CGM Fitness, tells Yahoo Life.

Joining a run club, for example, may help you train for a marathon in a way you may not have considered before. Group fitness classes may allow you to try out new machines — like, say, a Pilates Reformer — that you wouldn’t have access to on your own.

You'll have fun!

Maria Vasquez, a personal trainer and head of training at Mywowfit, tells Yahoo Life that while “skipping the gym becomes way harder when you’ve got friends or a group waiting for you,” you may also be more likely to be excited about returning to a group workout than a solo one. “The energy of a group is contagious — everyone cheering on each other makes even the toughest workouts feel more doable and fun.”

There’s even a biological reason why you may find more joy in group workouts, says Michael Betts, personal trainer and director at Trainfitness. “Social interaction releases extra endorphins on top of the natural mood boost from exercise,” he tells Yahoo Life.