Group Fitness and Science!

It's more than just a people job.

We came across this news release from Charles Sturt University. They are on a (scientific) mission to find out what kind of exercise class provided the best workout:

Tuesday, 6 November 2012

"CSU steps up fitness research

New research underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will precisely measure for the first time which group fitness classes give the best work-outs.

More than four million Australians regularly undertake aerobics, fitness or gym workouts, making group fitness the second most popular physical recreational activity after walking according to the Fitness Australia Industry Report 2012.

That popularity translates to an expected $1.2 billion in revenue this year, but gym-goers are still largely on their own when it comes to deciding which class gives the best bang for their buck.

Physiology lecturer Dr James Wickham from CSU’s School of Biomedical Sciences http://www.csu.edu.au/faculty/science/biomed hopes to change that by measuring the muscle response, heart-rate and caloric expenditure of ten volunteers as they each take a step class, stationary bike class and an aerobic weights class.

The electrodes, which are attached with double-sided tape, each relay 2,000 measurements per second for a total of about six million measurements per class.

Dr Wickham said group exercise classes are typically set to ‘tracks’ which gyms purchase from companies which design a routine and match it to music.

“The companies that sell the tracks design them to deliver an over-all work-out so they don’t over-tax a particular muscle more than any other,” he said.

“But I’m not aware of any research that has directly compared muscle activity and caloric expenditure between group exercise programs.

“This research will pinpoint the differences between the classes so participants know which class burns the most calories, or which class is most effective for working a particular muscle group.”

Body Training Solutions Australia national program director Garry Hart said his company welcomed Dr Wickham’s use of its ‘Group Step’, ‘Group Ride’ and ‘Group Power’ programs in the research.

“This research has tremendous potential, both in terms of helping us better communicate to consumers what each of our programs can offer and in terms of helping us ensure each of our workouts is targeting the major muscle groups in sequence,” he said. 

Participants between the ages of 18 and 40 are being sought to take part in the research, which is expected to be finalized by the March 2013."

Media note: Contact CSU Media to arrange interviews or photo opportunities with Dr James Wickham or Mr Gary Hart.

Further information: Mark O’Brien, CSU Media on phone (02) 6365 7813 or mobrien@csu.edu.au. Read CSU News www.csu.edu.au/news

 Stay posted! We will share the results of this study as soon as we get hold of them. The Group X Movement.