SoulCycle and November Project didn’t become cult-level popular just by making us sweat. There’s something else: an electricity pulsating between the candlelit bikes, a knowing glance between two runners in the same neon tee. People who join these groups become devotees because they’ve found a community, a club that turns its members into an army, a movement, a “fempire,” and keeps them coming back. Research has shown that motivation comes a bit easier when you’re part of a team, and social media puts your fitness family just a hashtag away. Ahead, find five squads that are harnessing the power of the pack—one sweaty group selfie at a time.

Vixen Workout

Vixen Workout is not your average dance cardio. Founder Janet Jones started the Miami-based dance class for women who don’t get to express their sensual side when they are busy taking care of the kids or getting held up at work. Now there are certified #VixenArmy instructors across the U.S. and in Canada, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Chile. Says Selly Feliz, 31, a Vixen fan in Miami: “When you leave after an hour, you don’t just feel like you worked out; you feel powerful.”

GirlTrek

Equal parts social justice movement and self-care revolution, GirlTrek is an organization that encourages black women to reclaim their neighborhoods and their health through one simple exercise—walking. The GirlTrek pledge is simple: to get together with other women to decompress and move for 30 minutes every day. That ­mission has resonated deeply with its more than 125,000 members. “The sense of community is unlike any other group or club that I’ve been in,” says ­Deborah McGlawn, 48, a GirlTrek leader in Atlanta. “It’s a real sisterhood.”

Fitness Blender

Seattle trainers Kelli Segars, 34, and her husband, Daniel, 37, started Fitness Blender, a collection of free online workout videos, with the belief that sound fitness and nutrition advice should be available to everyone. Now their community is 4.9 million–plus strong on YouTube (and check out the #WorkoutComplete selfies on their Instagram). “It’s so great seeing real people huffing and puffing and getting tired too,” says Tia Alcini, 32, of Oakland, California. “When I saw their dog Loki make an appearance, I knew these were my people.”

Kick It by Eliza

This kickboxing and dance fusion class was founded by former dancer Eliza Shirazi in Boston, and women who do her 50-minute circuits call themselves The Fempire. Why? The music-driven punch combos are all about female empowerment, and each workout includes pairing up with a buddy, which forms bonds in and outside the gym. “It’s about always having someone there to celebrate the exciting moments and have your back on rough days,” says Lily Timlin, 26, a certified teacher in Boston.

Fat Girls Hiking

Summer, a 39-year-old photographer and writer, noticed she wasn’t seeing people like her when she hit the trails around Portland, Oregon, in 2015. “I’m fat, I have a lot of tattoos, and I often wear dresses while I hike,” she says. “So I started Fat Girls Hiking.” She announces twice-monthly group hikes on Instagram, using #TrailsNot­Scales, making sure some are ADA accessible. Now there are groups in Minneapolis–St. Paul­, Seattle, and Knoxville, Tennessee. “The message,” says Veronica, 38, a regular in Portland, “is anyone can do this.”

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