Behind the Scenes: What It’s Like to Be a Group Fitness Instructor

Being a group fitness instructor is a rewarding job that allows you to connect with your clients, stay in shape, and do a job that you love. Many people attend group fitness classes and consider starting a career in this field, but few know what it takes to be a good group fitness instructor. From class preparation to relationship building, this is what it is like behind the scenes of group fitness teaching.

The Preparation Before Class

Depending on your schedule, you could have early morning classes for people who want to get a workout in before they start their work day. This means that you need to be up early and energized before classes at the crack of dawn. It also means that you must have your classes prepared days in advance so that you can wake up and head straight to the studio. 

Before switching on the music and getting the participants excited to be there, a group class instructor has already spent at least a few hours choreographing and planning each session. This can be a fun process and allows the instructor to be creative in their craft. It is important to remember that being an instructor means much more than just showing up and being a hype man.  

The Physical and Mental Demands

To be a good instructor, you have to be able to put yourself through the physical and mental demands of the activity you teach. This can be difficult for instructors as they have to always be on their A game. If you are interested in getting into this field, it is important to note that you will have to spend a lot of your time staying in shape and taking care of yourself so that you can show up and be the best version of yourself for your clients. It is also important for group fitness instructors to take care of themselves by getting insurance just in case of personal injuries that can happen on the job. This ensures they have financial protection and peace of mind while focusing on helping their clients. Being a group fitness instructor is like a performance and your clients expect you to have high energy so that they too can achieve their fitness goals. 

The Connection with Participants

When teaching a regular class, group fitness instructors get the opportunity to connect with their participants and develop relationships with them. Sharing a personal fitness goal is a great way for people to come together and being the leader of that movement can be rewarding as you watch your participants reach milestones and grow more confident in their abilities. As a group instructor, you can build a community at your studio and you may even make friendships that transcend the four walls. 

The Challenges Behind the Job

Although this job is very rewarding, there are also many challenges that you may face as you teach people about fitness. Unpredictable schedules, class cancellations, and keeping up with demand can all make the job stressful at times. Despite this, the experience of working with people who want to be there to better themselves is a part of the job that makes the hectic work environment worth it.

Being a group fitness instructor isn’t just about standing in front of a group and yelling out commands, it is a career with many benefits including relationship-building, maintaining good health, and learning how to plan and organize a variety of different classes.