If you love teaching group fitness classes and helping your students get fit and healthy, then you want to be the best instructor you can be. Here are 7 secrets to success as a group fitness instructor! These tips will help you engage your students, motivate them, and ensure that your classes are enjoyable and effective. Follow these tips and you'll be well on your way to becoming a successful group fitness instructor.
1. Have a clear vision and purpose for your class.
People tend to engage less with a fitness class that lacks focus. If you're looking to start a fitness class, make sure you have a clear vision and purpose for your class. This will help keep your participants engaged and motivated.
Not all fitness classes are created equal. You need to choose the right format for your target audience and ensure that your planned class is full of engaging activities that will keep people motivated. This means keeping a tighter focus on whatever the activity is. Do you dance like in Zumba? Do you do calisthenics? Do your classes require equipment? Are the exercises geared for beginners, intermediate, or advanced participants?
All of this comes to bear in your ability to deliver. Trying to do too much can make you lose focus, and in doing so, eventually lose participants. Create a fun and challenging environment. If it's too easy or not challenging enough, participants will lose interest fast
2. Be passionate about fitness and helping others achieve their goals.
This is key. Your participants will feed off of your energy and enthusiasm, so it's important that you genuinely enjoy teaching fitness classes and helping others achieve their goals. If you're not passionate about fitness, it will be difficult to maintain your motivation and keep your class engaged.
Your students want to see that you are enjoying yourself. It is infectious. They also want to see that you are there for them and will work to help them reach their goals. Get to know your participants and create a personal connection with them.
Keeping your participants engaged in your class is as simple as establishing connections with them. You'll be able to keep them interested by getting to know them on a personal level. Let them see your passion for their success.
3. Be knowledgeable about the exercises you're teaching and how to cue them properly.
The most important part of any fitness professional's job is safety. Injuries in fitness classes can become long and debilitating in someone's life. As such, you must know your stuff as a group fitness instructor. You don't necessarily have to be an expert on anatomy or biomechanics, but you should at least be familiar with the exercises you're teaching and how to cue them properly.
Stay current on the latest research and trends in fitness. The fitness industry is constantly evolving, and as a group fitness instructor, it's important to keep this in mind. Also, knowing what's new can help ensure that your classes don't get boring or stale.
Be prepared. This goes hand in hand with staying current on trends. If you're not prepared for your classes, they'll be a mess. Make sure to have all of the necessary equipment ready to go and plan out your workouts in advance.
Take notice of the people in your class. A teacher must pay attention to their students to make sure there aren't safety issues and that everyone is getting the most out of the experience.
4. Stay motivated and positive throughout each class.
No one wants to work out with a Negative Nancy. It's important to stay positive and motivated throughout your entire class. This will help keep you and your clients focused, and it will set the tone for a productive workout. If you're feeling down, take a quick break to regroup and then jump back in with a smile on your face.
Use music if you can to help set the tone. Upbeat music can help you stay energized, while slower songs can provide a calming effect. Either way, make sure your playlist will help your class stay in the moment and focused on the workout.
5. Look for low-cost options, like public parks and recreational facilities.
Cost can be a big factor when looking for a space to teach in. Luckily, many public parks and recreational facilities offer affordable rates, or even free space, for groups and individuals. Do some research to find a space that meets your needs, and get moving!
Consider what your environmental needs are. When searching for the right spot, it's important to consider things like, do you need special equipment? Do you need something to play music? Speakers? Is the ground safe to move on? Might weather, like rain affect the situation? Think about these things when choosing.
6. Always be on the lookout for new clients.
No group fitness instructor is ever too busy to be recruiting new clients. It's important to always be on the lookout for new people who might be interested in your classes. You never know when someone might decide they want to give group fitness a try. But moreover, people are going to quit or move away. As such, you always need a plan.
There are many ways to find potential clients. Use your network to find people who are interested in fitness, and also to let them know that you provide these services. Remember that, with networking, it isn't always about getting the person you're talking with to become your client. Oftentimes, what you want to do is see if they will refer your classes to people they know. If they want to try your class, great! But even if they don't, you can become a resource for them to send their peers and colleagues to for fitness.
7. Don’t be afraid to step outside the box.
One of the best things about group fitness is that there are so many different types of classes to choose from. However, this can also be a bit of a challenge – how do you make your classes stand out from the rest?
Don’t be afraid to get creative and try new things. Maybe add in some unique exercises. Maybe try a unique time, like "happy hour" classes. Maybe you have a big social component where your clients all get together with you at a restaurant or for some other social gathering. There are so many group fitness classes out there that just do the bare minimum. You have to find a way to differentiate what you offer. That could be the workouts themselves, but it could also be your personality, your values, and even your approach to fitness.
Tying it All Together
If you're looking for a career in fitness, it's important to have a clear vision and purpose for your class. You need to be passionate about fitness and helping others achieve their goals. In addition, you must be knowledgeable about the exercises you're teaching and how to cue them properly. Modifications are also key — each student should be able to perform the exercises safely and effectively.
Finally, staying motivated and positive throughout each class is essential. If you're looking for a way to turn each client into a superstar, we offer a FREE course on Making EVERY Client A Success that will help get you started down this path. Are you excited? We are!
