New research underway at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange will precisely measure which group fitness classes give the best workouts.

 

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.

 

Anatomy and Physiology lecturer Dr James Wickham from CSU’s School of Biomedical Sciences hopes to change that by measuring the muscle response, heart-rate and caloric expenditure of 10 volunteers as they each take a step class, stationary bike class and an aerobic weights class.

 

The research will use 16 wireless surface electrodes which are attached with double-sided tape and 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 workout 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 Mr 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, with data collection expected to be finished by April 2013.