Motivation Tips for Group Fitness Instructors
For today’s post, I wanted to talk about motivation tips for group fitness instructors: what I’ve found works in my years of teaching, what only works for some people, and what fails no matter what. I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences as group fitness participants or fellow instructors! Whether you lead through a screen, as many instructors do after Rona, or in person, motivational strategies are very important. You want to transmit energy and inspire individuals and participants in group exercises in an effective and authentic way.
What works (almost) always:
Use good music with a diverse playlist.
This is one of my favorite things to do! Include a mix of music in your playlists, because someone in class will love the *weird song* you chose. For example, I’ll throw in a random oldie or country song just to keep it fun, and I’ll also try to mix 40’s music with more alternative and instrumental styles. If you create an entire playlist based on a genre (like EDM or top 40), one person in the class will love every song, but another person will hate every song and may never come back.
Call participants by their names.
I think it’s much more meaningful this way and shows participants that you care about them.
Recognize their hard work and encourage them to perform it within a safe level.
I talk more about this here! It is VERY important to encourage participants to listen to their bodies, modify as needed, and be proud of them for showing up!!!
Demonstrate proper form and ways to modify or progress an exercise.
When participants are confident in the movements and know they are not setting themselves up for injury, it is more motivating. 😉
Emphasizing the muscle group that is working..
Explain why it is important (“a strong core helps protect our lower back and supports everyday movements”) and help them put their mind to the muscle.
Be quiet.
Sometimes it is motivating and powerful to be silent for a moment and let the energy and music speak for you.
What works sometimes, depending on the environment and your personality:
The more attractive side of things, like visualizations.
During a spin class, I sometimes say something like, “Imagine the people you love standing on the side of the road right now holding a sign for inspiration. What does the sign say? Or “For our sprint, we will compete against your biggest competition. Maybe it’s someone from work, or maybe it’s someone who doesn’t even know who you are.”
Practical settings.
Some people love them and some hate them, so it’s good to ask at the beginning of class if there are any injuries or if anyone is uncomfortable with the adjustments to let them know. Naturally, things tend to be more hands-on in the fitness industry, but it’s not for everyone. (When you arrive early, you can introduce yourself to participants individually to get their name and sign in. It’s easier for someone to say they don’t want to be accommodated during class during a one-on-one conversation rather than up front.) of a large group.)
What fails:
What I call empty applause.
“COURT!” It is my biggest cause for concern. It doesn’t mean anything, it doesn’t do anything.
Tell lots of personal stories during class.
Usually no one cares and just wants to get on with the training.
Constantly make participants feel that they are doing everything wrong..
No one wants to feel like a failure, especially when striving toward a fitness goal. Whether you’re a personal trainer or leading a group exercise class, it’s important that you lift up your class members, not put them down.
A lack of direction.
When you get the feeling that the instructor doesn’t know what he or she is going to do next, or if It is obvious that they are improvising. It’s motivating to feel like you have a solid plan for what you’re going to do during training.
Saying the same thing over and over again.
An example is constantly saying, “Good job!” among everything else. (“Good job. Okay, let’s do burpees now! Good job, now we’re going to hold the board, good job, keep your core tight, good job.” It’s a distraction.) Plus, I think it’s nice. to change the way you express things. There are MANY ways to say the same thing, so it helps eliminate redundant sentiment. (For example, there are many ways to say: “Power up through your legs, activate your glutes as you jump off the floor, jump toward the ceiling, use the strength of your legs to explode, jump vertically as high as you can. “)
(GIF source. Bonus points if you have Moira Rose’s vocabulary)
So tell me friends: what does your FAVORITE fitness instructor do to motivate you? Have they said or done anything that was especially memorable to you?
Fellow fitness instructor friends: what are your favorite ways to motivate your classes and clients, especially in the world of online fitness? Things are TOUGH right now, especially when we’re used to feeding off the lively energy of classes, so I’d love to hear your thoughts and what you’re doing!
hugs and kisses
gina
Further:
let’s connect social media!
Something a group fitness certification won’t teach you
Confessions of a group fitness instructor
Getting a Fitness Instructor Job
For classes taught by extremely motivating and knowledgeable instructors, use my link for 30 days of Les Mills On Demand
