There’s no doubt that the ‘group effect’ is a thing – a well-recognized, science-backed approach to amplifying exercise experiences. Physical activity enjoyed alongside others is shown to spark higher levels of individual enjoyment, exertion, and satisfaction. What’s more, the increased feel-good factor means you’re more likely to keep coming back for more.
Knowing how beneficial group workouts can be for adults, researchers recently set out to explore how the group effect could help young people fall in love with movement and grow future generations who are fitter and healthier.
Using Les Mills’ BORN TO MOVE™, the globally available movement to music program for kids, researchers surveyed a group of 8 to 10-year-olds as they experienced different variations of the programming. There were 3 x 45-minute classes done in a live setting – these were led by 9 to 13-year-olds who had been part of the BORN TO MOVE leadership program. There were also 3x 45-minute video sessions that could be done at home – these videos were led by a mix of adults and youth leaders. After children had experienced the two different variations, the researchers delved into perceived effort, intensity, fun levels, and whether the children felt at all self-conscious.
The energy of others is hard to beat – kids feel less tired when they move alongside their peers.
Surprisingly, kids rated both home video and live sessions equally in terms of effort, intensity, and fun. The main difference: the kids felt more tired when they did the classes at home. This suggests that the energy of others is hard to beat – kids feel less tired when they move alongside their peers. This is a concept backed up by previous research into THE TRIP™ cycle workout, where the additional stimulation of an immersive setting made participants forget how hard they were working.
What’s also interesting is that the children teaching the sessions (who were very new to leading others) were competing against high-quality video created by Les Mills (one of the world’s leading fitness content providers), yet the live participants delivered the same degree of motivation. This shows how powerful peer-led sessions in a group environment can be.
“The fact that fellow young people led the classes was key to creating an experience that really resonated with the kids,” says Bryce Hastings, Les Mills Head of Research. “However this is just part of the picture. The opportunity for peer-to-peer coaching is also helping shape the leaders of tomorrow.”
In education circles, past studies have shown that students teaching and leading their peers can be a powerful pedagogical tool, resulting in positive impacts for the leaders involved. Now, researchers have highlighted the same effect when it comes to physical activity.
Exploring the perceptions of youth leaders participating in peer-led BORN TO MOVE classes, they found the youth leaders viewed the experience positively, despite the physical challenges involved. Not only did it help increase fitness or physical activity levels, the task of coaching their peers placed the leaders in a supportive yet anxiety-provoking environment, which presented valuable opportunities to teach them resilience-building skills.
THE FINDINGS
All the young people involved in leading BORN TO MOVE classes enjoy the experience – with 89% saying they ‘really enjoy it’. They say their enjoyment is driven by leading and helping others, working in teams, and having fun.
- 97% say it helped increase their fitness or physical activity
- 92% believe it is a cool way for kids to be active
- 95% would recommend that others try leading BORN TO MOVE.
Parents of the young people involved in the coaching noticed growing confidence in their children. “It’s given her a different set of skills to be able to be confident,” said one parent. Another said, “She uses a stronger voice … she’s okay to be present, she’s not trying to hide who she is.”
Lead Researcher, Dr Peggy Lockyer (PhD) says the BORN TO MOVE leadership program is a double banger. “It offers both fitness and leadership opportunities at the same time. It is amazing to see children as young as nine years old leading fitness classes for their school peers and teachers.”
BORN TO MOVE programming is available for no charge, and is part of Les Mills' commitment to nurturing physically active kids for future generations. If you'd like to learn more about offering BORN TO MOVE at your school, get in touch.
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