Fun + Collaborative Fitness
Photos by Andy Bowen, Above Alpine Photography
Let’s face it: Fitness isn’t always fun. Some days, it’s a challenge to trudge to the gym or a studio. But, when classes are paired with freshly made crepes, beer, crafts or when exercising is more like socializing, it’s a lot easier to suit up.
Successful fitness instructors recognize that accountability, community and extra incentives keep people engaged and coming back for more. Throughout Colorado, studios are enticing participants with yoga and beer pairings, barre classes combined with floral arranging, brunch or trunk shows and well-rounded hours that combine high-intensity training with partnered or group challenges.
Building Partnerships
Chris Lindley, owner of Endorphin in Eagle, motivates people through partnerships and packing in a whole lot of cardio and strength training into his hour-long spin and circuit classes.
“If you do the same thing over and over, your body stops changing and, eventually, you get bored with it,” Lindley says. “We keep progressing them.”
But, there is more to Endorphin’s success than adding new physical tasks. He not only weaves students’ playlists and moves into his ever-evolving routines, he also incorporates friendly competition through partner and group challenges.
“It’s not so much about the exercise we’re doing as it is about doing it together,” Lindley says. “We have engineered human interaction out of our lives. People aren’t touching each other, looking each other in the eyes, asking ‘how are you doing?’”
When regulars don’t show up at Endorphin, both the instructor and participants ask where they were. Students pair up with every person in class; partners may try to beat one another on bikes, or a group of up to five might work together to complete a task. During kettle bell drills, one person swings and the other catches. Participants complete planks facing one another while one partner’s left hand slaps the other’s right hand. They also work together by holding one end of a rubber tube and squatting together.
“The theme is always shared experience while they’re suffering,” Lindley says, a bit tongue-and-cheek. “It’s a tribal mentality. As they come in, they’re forced to make friends. After a few minutes with everyone in class, you’re bound to find someone you resonate with. Every day we see members exchanging numbers or going to coffee.”
Both Endorphin and Barrelosophy in Grand Junction deliberately keep their classes small to encourage interaction.
“Community is the most important thing at our studio,” says Barrelosophy owner Brittany Bowen. “With a maximum of 10 people, it opens up the opportunity for people to create relationships, not just with the instructors, but with the other people. A small space is the ticket. Sitting three feet away from someone creates talking and laughter.”
In fact, participants show up 10 to 15 minutes early at Barrelosophy just to socialize. Meanwhile, at Endorphin, members have posted 4x4 notecards with their written 2020 resolutions to support each other.
“We all have that accountability, that we want to do it together,” Lindley says. “We all want to succeed.”
Pairing Fitness and Fun
In Crested Butte, weekly yoga classes take place in the music venue below Public House’s saloon. At 5:30 p.m., yogis and beer lovers alike roll out their mats and grab a brew from the bar. The robust sound system and television screens provide an upbeat, funky-fresh flow session where participants can drink beer from Irwin Brewing Company throughout class.
“It really improves the experience by entertaining all of your senses,” says instructor Blair Jaros. “The community around beer is fun, supportive and encouraging, while at the same time very competitive [with] thousands of craft breweries. Beer yoga channels this beer culture into an approachable activity for any human. Each participant is unique, and that’s what we love about this gathering. You don’t have to be a yoga expert, an athlete or a health nut — just be you.”
Participants keep returning to beer yoga because it is welcoming, uplifting and unique, she says.
“It is great to see the peaceful, content smiles of the participants as they pack up after a class,” she adds. “A lot of them head up to the pub for food and drinks afterward, so they can get to know each other better. The after-class hang session is just as beneficial as the flow session.”
Barrelosophy backs its “stronger together” philosophy with weekly spring and summer “barre and brunch” classes, catered with organic food by Taproot, in Barrelosophy’s garden. At least once a month during fall and winter, Bowen partners with local companies to combine barre classes with trunk shows, spinning class with floral arrangement or wreath making classes and crepe lunches. The larger events, like crepes and crafts, last up to two and a half hours. “The events really wrap up the community aspect of it,” Bowen says. “We’re creating relationships outside of working out.”
In a day and age where texts and social media often overshadow personal interaction, encouraging community in fitness classes helps people stay energized.
“From what I’ve seen,” Lindley remarks, “it’s very rare that people will stick with fitness if they’re not doing it with someone else. Doing it together is the only way we’re going to keep moving.”