Despite what the weather may suggest, summer is in full swing, just minus the sunshine. Instead of spending another foggy morning scrolling on the couch, why not lean into one of the season’s biggest wellness trends, taking your workout outdoors?
A local group fitness class offers more than exercise; it delivers fresh air, a healthy dose of endorphins, and the kind of camaraderie that makes you actually look forward to breaking a sweat.
“We are lucky to live in a place where you can train outdoors year-round,” says Natalia Rivera-España, owner of GOAT Santa Cruz, a group outdoor training studio founded during the pandemic. “Humans are wired to be in nature with other people.”
GOAT, short for Group Outdoor Athletic Training, began when people were craving both movement and connection. Gyms were closed, routines were disrupted, and many of us were spending too much time indoors, isolated in front of screens. What started as a pandemic-era solution has since become part of a larger fitness trend: people want workouts that offer more than exercise.
“They gain the obvious physical benefits of exercise along with the unexpected benefit of stress reduction due to these innate responses to being outdoors,” says Rivera-España. “People train harder, longer, or with more intensity because they are with others.”
That may explain why experience-driven fitness is having such a moment. From pickleball and run clubs to dance classes, paddleboard yoga and outdoor boot camps, the hottest workouts are often the ones that don’t feel like workouts at all. They feel social, energized, and rooted in place.
In a time when loneliness has become a public health concern, that matters. “Providing a space like GOAT Santa Cruz where people can gather, connect and train is even more important than I originally anticipated,” Rivera-España says.
Over the years, she has watched friendships form between participants who might never have met otherwise. Those relationships become a powerful source of accountability. People return not only because they want to exercise, but because someone will notice if they don’t show up.
That shift reflects one of the biggest changes in fitness culture. For many people, exercise is no longer just about losing weight or sculpting the perfect body. It’s about managing stress, building strength, boosting mental health, and finding a sense of community.
Of course, there’s one obstacle that can keep people from ever walking through the door: the intimidation factor. That’s especially true if you’re over 50 or haven’t set foot in a gym in years. It’s one reason I avoid recommending anything I haven’t tried myself.
Which is why last year, I challenged myself to check out as many new classes as I could squeeze into a 2-week ClassPass. While I’m a regular exerciser, a steady yoga practice doesn’t necessarily prepare you for a high-energy group workout. So when I signed up for GOAT’s BodyCombat class, I’ll admit to feeling a little apprehensive.
On a Saturday morning, I rolled out my mat, found a spot in the back, and wondered what I’d gotten myself into. The martial arts-inspired choreography moved fast, and it took me a good 20 minutes to get with the program. Then something unexpected happened. I looked around to see where all the cheering was coming from.
The class was remarkably diverse, men and women, a wide range of ages and fitness levels, all encouraging one another through every combination and roundhouse kick. There was no judgment, no competition, just contagious enthusiasm. By the end of class, I felt like I’d earned a black belt for effort. I walked out energized, more accomplished than exhausted.
That’s exactly the environment Rivera-España set out to create. From the beginning, GOAT wasn’t designed around chasing a certain body type, it was built around helping people discover how good it feels to build a stronger one.
“There are no mirrors or scales at GOAT Santa Cruz,” she says. “The confidence boost and improvements in mental and physical health are what keep people coming back consistently.”
That alone feels radical in a culture where exercise has often been treated as a form of self-correction. Instead of focusing on what bodies look like, GOAT emphasizes what bodies can do, with a full range of class options, including for those of us who don’t like to overdo it.
Rivera-España describes the circuit classes as “a playground for grown-ups.” But it’s not always easy. In circuit training classes, participants move through stations that challenge strength, endurance, balance and coordination. But then comes the magic of looking around and realizing 20 other people are doing it too.
“You all push through the effort,” she says. “This is what makes the group workout more meaningful.”
That shared challenge may be one reason group fitness can feel so satisfying. It combines effort with belonging. Rivera-España sees that every week. “If a participant leaves a GOAT Santa Cruz workout feeling strong and enthusiastic about continuing their training, then we’ve done our job,” she says.
Elizabeth Borelli is a yoga sculpt teacher at Kula Connections, Mediterranean Diet and Lifestyle coach and therapist in training. Learn more about her work and events at ElizabethBorelli.com
