Group exercise instructors can make or break a class and your entire group exercise program. According to IDEA Health and Fitness Association, “A knowledgeable fitness instructor, who’s able to engage and motivate the students, determines the quality of the class. [A] good instructor realizes the focus of the class should be on exercising to improve or maintain [the participants'] health….” No matter how great or original a class is, if you don’t have a knowledgeable, motivational instructor with the right type of personality for the class, your members won’t attend a second time.
Knowledge. Knowing about safety and exercise is vital for all group exercise instructors. According to IDEA, instructors should know CPR, and in their classes, theyshouldexplain heart rate monitoring and perceived exertion, ask about and know how to handle certain medical conditions or injuries, know how to vary exercise for the fitness level of the group, and explain the benefits of each exercise, with a proper demonstration.
Knowledge about each particular type ofclass is also important. For example, yoga, group cycling, kickboxing and most specialty classes require special training, in addition to a basic group exercise instructor certification.
For any class, members always have questions. And sometimes those questions aren’t about the class, but about weight loss, diet, strength training and much more. An instructor who is able to answer these types of questions, or at least has the resources to be able to refer someone, can help keep your members happy.
Personality also involves being friendly, being willing and available to answer questions, creating a fun, non-competitive atmosphere, giving personal attention, providing feedback and motivation, and all of the other things (that members may not even notice) that make for a good instructor.