Group exercises with friends

Trying a new activity is a great way to have fun and socialise - whether it's about hanging out with your mates, or making new ones. 

If it’s just the two of you or a whole bunch, these indoor and outdoor exercise ideas are fantastic for helping maintain your physical and mental health, while creating fun social occasions. 

1. Ideas for fun group exercises 

1. Beach frisbee 

2. Walking 

3. Cycling 

4. Yoga 

5. Lifting weights with a partner 

6. Rock climbing 

2. The benefits of group exercises with friends 

3. Safety considerations with group exercises 

Ideas for fun group exercises  

Beach frisbee 

Beach frisbee is an exciting workout that you can do with mates while enjoying the sunshine and water. Frisbeeing is fantastic for boosting your endurance, agility and mood. Use the opportunity to take your friends and your frisbee skills to the amazing beaches throughout Victoria. 

Remember to protect yourself from the sun before doing epic frisbee dives all day. Covering up, sunscreen and sunnies help protect you while having fun outdoors. The Cancer Council has a great guide and lots of useful information about being SunSmart. 

Walking 

Walking is a low impact activity that’s great for your body and mind. Just 30 minutes a day is fantastic to improve your overall health. Walking also provides a great opportunity for socialising and meeting new people, whether you’re hiking, joining in at ParkRun or taking a canine companion for a stroll. 

You can step up the intensity of walking to suit the desires and capabilities of your friends and yourself. Victoria is filled with walking trails that range from 30 minutes to multi-day camping and hiking adventures. Even a casual stroll through nature is filled with benefits, from physical exercise to the soothing sensation of being immersed in nature. Find out more about the benefits of enjoying time in nature. 

Cycling 

Cycling is a great activity to do with mates, whether you’re rocking the spandex or going for a more casual look. It’s a low impact, easy and fantastic workout that uses all major muscle groups while you pedal. 

Cycling with your friends is an easy, low cost and environmentally friendly way to travel around, whether you’re heading to an event, a cafe, the shops or want to tour around and see new places. Jump on the Visit Victoria website and the VicRoads website to discover a whole range of different cycling trails throughout Melbourne and Victoria. 

Yoga 

Looking for an activity where you can stretch, relax, build strength and quieten your mind, all at your own pace? Then yoga could be perfect for you and your friends. Modern yoga encompasses a range of techniques to improve physical fitness and flexibility, along with relaxation and stress-relief. Regular stretching is fantastic for your body, helping keep your muscles strong, flexible and healthy. 

Get yoga sessions that cater to your ability by searching on the web or asking around for yoga classes in your local area. These group sessions are generally by a one off or regular fee, or in some cases can be by donation. Lots of yoga videos exist throughout the web that could guide you and your friends on how to perform various yoga techniques. 

Lifting weights with a partner 

Get your motivational one-liners ready. Don’t wait, weight! 

Spotting for each other at a weight lifting sesh is a great way to build strength, keep motivated and push yourselves that bit further. Having someone spot for you also increases your safety as they can watch your form and help you avoid injuries. 

Weight lifting isn’t just about building huge muscles either, though it can help with that. Lifting weights can help with things like lower blood pressure, improve musculoskeletal health and enhance your daily function where lifting is concerned (those bags of groceries will stand no chance). 

Rock climbing 

Rock climbing is amazing for improving your strength, grip and balance while challenging yourself. Throw in an element of problem solving and sense of community while you traverse up walls and you’ve got an exciting outing on your hands. 

Indoor and outdoor rock-climbing facilities exist throughout Victoria that cater to different levels of experience. If you’re looking for something more hardcore or want to immerse yourself in nature while you climb, take a look at the various rock climbing options in Victoria’s parks.  

The benefits of group exercises with friends  

• Rewards of commitment. Committing to a regular physical activity with friends can drive you and others to actually do it. Your commitment to this routine with mates could be a great way to learn and hone a new skill, travel Victoria or just give you some regular wholesome downtime. 

• Motivate and challenge yourselves. With friends and others nearby you can motivate each other to go that step further and push yourselves more than you normally would if you were by yourself. This motivation could come in the form of cheering each other on or seeing each other persevere and then following suit. 

• A fun way to catch up and meet people. Exercising as a group is great for hanging out with your friends and seeing what they’re up to. You can meet people too by joining in a new group activity or encouraging friends to bring along other people. 

• Your body and head will appreciate it. Regular exercise can help with your physical and mental wellbeing, including your stress levels, mood and sleep. Socialising and connecting with people can be a good opportunity for yourself and others to talk about what’s going on and unwind. 

Check out this Better Health Channel article for more on how exercising with friends can benefit you, along with more group exercise ideas and examples. 

Safety considerations with group exercises 

Remember that everyone is different in terms of ability and physical fitness. Be considerate of your own limits and the limits of others around you. If you’re not sure how to perform a particular exercise technique, get guidance from a professional or someone more experienced that knows how to perform it correctly. 

If you feel unwell, have any injuries or health conditions, are pregnant or just had a baby, see your doctor or health professional for a check-up before jumping into any new exercise or fitness programs. 

Remember to keep hydrated, protect yourself from the sun, rain or cold and follow any safety guidelines that could be present in your area.