The activity improved mental quality of life by 13 percent, physical quality by 25 percent and emotional quality by 26 percent.
Group exercise lowers stress by 26 percent, while working out alone does not reduce stress.
The study also found that group fitness classes improved people’s quality of life, while working out alone did not.
Dr Dayna Yorks, the study’s first author, said:
“The communal benefits of coming together with friends and colleagues, and doing something difficult, while encouraging one another, pays dividends beyond exercising alone.
The findings support the concept of a mental, physical and emotional approach to health that is necessary for student doctors and physicians.”
The research was carried out on 69 medical students, who are known for their high-stress, low-satisfaction lifestyles.
For 12 weeks, some of the students did an exercise program either in groups or on their own.
Both were compared to a control group who did no extra exercise.
The results showed that those working out in a group saw all sorts of benefits the other groups did not.
Group exercise improved mental quality of life by 13 percent, physical quality by 25 percent and emotional quality by 26 percent.
Stress was also reduced by 26 percent.
In comparison, those exercising alone — despite exercising for twice as long — only saw an 11 percent boost to their mental quality of life and no increases in other areas.
Naturally, the control group (who did nothing different) saw no changes.
Dr Yorks said:
“Medical schools understand their programs are demanding and stressful.
Given this data on the positive impact group fitness can have, schools should consider offering group fitness opportunities.
Giving students an outlet to help them manage stress and feel better mentally and physically can potentially alleviate some of the burnout and anxiety in the profession.”
The study was published in the The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (Yorks et al., 2017).
