Group fitness clients are looking for an experience that is entertaining and challenging, so make sure you offer both elements to them at every opportunity possible. In this post, we'll be going over some tips on how to make your group fitness classes enjoyable for everyone involved.
Make Your Workout Fun
- Make Your Workout Fun
- Make Sure the Music is Fun
- Make Sure the Instructor Is Fun and Positive
- Provide a Fun Environment for Class, Such as a Theme or Decorations That Will Motivate Clients to Come Back Again and Again
Don't Let the Music Control You
The right music can make exercise fun and motivate your clients, but it can also be distracting. If your client is trying to focus on their form, the last thing they need is for you to be yelling over the music, "Keep going! You're doing great!"
When choosing songs for class, I recommend picking songs that are upbeat and have a good beat but aren't too distracting from working out. Some types of music work better than others: pop/top 40 hits tend to be popular among my clients because they're familiar with them and enjoy dancing along (which is fine as long as everyone feels comfortable). However, if you want something more mellow or low-key--perhaps classical piano pieces or soft rock ballads--then go ahead! Remember that whatever genre you choose will affect how much attention people pay during class; some genres may distract them more than others.
Set a Challenging Pace, but Not Too Challenging.
Pace is an important part of any exercise routine. You want to set a challenging pace, but not too challenging. If you push yourself too hard, it can be discouraging and make you want to quit. On the other hand, if you don't push yourself enough--or if the instructor doesn't push the class hard enough--it may not be as fun or effective as it could be.
The best way to find your sweet spot is by starting off slowly with lower-intensity workouts (such as walking) until your body gets used to moving more often and longer than usual. Then try adding in some more vigorous activities (like jogging). The key here is that there should always be room for improvement!
Determine What Kind of Workout You Want to Do Before You Begin- Determine what kind of workout you want to do before you begin. Know what type of exercise is best for your goals, and ensure it is achievable and realistic. For example, if you want to lose weight and tone up, there may be better choices than a high-intensity cardio class like cycling. If, instead, your goal is to increase flexibility or improve balance and coordination to prevent injury during exercise (or other reasons), yoga might be better suited for that purpose.*
Be Flexible with Your Group Fitness Plan
There are many ways to be flexible with your group fitness plan. You might have a particular routine in mind, but if it's not working for the participants or you, consider changing the program. One of your clients may have an injury that prevents her from doing certain moves, so she needs modifications. Another client may struggle with balance and coordination issues; he may need more time with each exercise to feel confident before moving on.
As we've discussed above, it's important to ensure that each participant has something they enjoy doing during the class time--and being flexible will help ensure this happens! If someone doesn't like jumping rope or jumping jacks (two exercises I often include), they could do push-ups instead or sit and listen while everyone else jumps around them (I've had this happen).
Avoid One-Size-Fits-All Training Programs (If You Can)
Here are a few examples of one-size-fits-all training programs:
- A group fitness instructor who has been teaching for 20 years has taught 500 classes. He's seen every possible combination of people in the room and knows how to get them all moving together. He rotates through different stations without regard for what skill level his class may be at that day because he knows everyone will be fine regardless of where they are on the continuum from beginner to advanced.
- A group fitness instructor who has never taught before but has taken some classes herself, so she feels qualified enough to teach other people how to exercise properly--because she can do it herself! She doesn't realize how much easier it is to have someone guiding you through movements rather than having no guidance at all (or worse yet--wrong guidance).
- Make sure the temperature is comfortable. A room that's too cold or hot isn't only uncomfortable for your clients but can also make them more likely to get injured and skip workouts in the future.
- Ensure the space is clean and well-lit (but not too bright). You want your clients to feel comfortable exercising in your studio or gym, so make sure there are no piles of clutter lying around and make sure you have plenty of lights available so that everyone can see what they're doing--but not so many lights that it feels like noon outside!
- Provide enough space for everyone to move around comfortably without bumping into each other; if possible, try setting up an area where people who want more privacy can do their own thing if they want some quiet time away from others working out nearby.
Offer Individualized Feedback on Their Efforts in the Classroom Setting.
One of the most important things you can do for your clients is to give them individualized feedback on their efforts in the classroom setting. It's not enough to say, "You did great!" or "You need to work harder." Instead, offer specific feedback to help each participant improve their performance and feel more confident about their actions.
For example:
- If a client does something well and improves their technique during class, let him know! Offer praise such as, "I noticed that when we were doing step-ups today, your form was noticeably better than last week."
- If a client has room for improvement on an exercise but isn't quite sure how she can improve yet (or even if she wants any more guidance at all), ask questions like these: How do I know if my squat form is correct? What kind of cues would help me improve my squat form?
Make it Personal, Not Just Professional.
It's important to make your clients feel that they can connect with you on a personal level. This will help them feel comfortable enough to open up about their struggles, ask questions and have fun in the process of working out or exercising. You might even find that some of your clients have similar interests as you!
Your group fitness clients want an entertaining and challenging experience, so make sure you offer both elements to them at every opportunity possible!
- Offer a variety of activities. A great way to keep your classes interesting is by offering different types of exercises and workouts. When you're leading a class full of people who are all doing the same thing over and over again, boredom can set in quickly. Try mixing up the routine with strength training circuits or cardio intervals so everyone feels like they're getting their money's worth out of each session.
- Use props whenever possible! Props help clients get more out of their workout because they increase focus & intensity levels while also making workouts more fun (who doesn't love being able to swing around a prop?!). If someone needs help using something like resistance bands or kettlebells during class, be sure to show them how and encourage them by saying things like, "You've got this!"
Conclusion
These tips will help you to create the perfect group fitness experience for your clients. Remember that they want an enjoyable workout and to feel like they are part of a community, so keep this in mind when planning your classes or coaching sessions.
