Group Fitness Articles

You’ve spent a lot of time and energy working on your class, and you’re ready to wow your students with another great workout. But wait: How much effort did you really put into that warm-up? Not only does the warm-up set the stage for what’s to come; it also ensures a safe and effective environment for students. Don’t skim over this crucial opportunity to make a lasting impression.

Have you ever wondered how much foot traffic your group exercise programming brings into your facility? Global fitness company Les Mills has released survey data from the world’s top fitness facilities, centered on measuring accurate group fitness attendance: Of the clubs that participated in the survey, the average club had 676 group fitness attendances per week. The top 20 clubs had an average of 3,880 attendances. The top 10 attracted on average 4,656 weekly attendances.

Any physical activity includes the risk of injury. The benefits of being active, however, make it worth taking this chance.This article reviews basic injury-prevention tips for small-group Pilates classes.newsletter_teaser: Any physical activity includes the risk of injury. The benefits of being active, however, make it worth taking this chance.This article reviews basic injury-prevention tips for small-group Pilates classes.

How many times has one of your class participants complained of low-back pain? It’s a common problem—and one you probably hear about whether you teach indoor cycling, step, strength fusion, yoga or hip-hop. As an instructor, you’re in a unique position to help participants reduce and prevent discomfort in the lumbar spine and hip musculature. Use a few basic tools to bring the body into balance. The cool-down is the perfect time to do it because the body is warm. Stretchesnewsletter_teaser: How many times has one of your class participants complained of low-back pain? It’s a common problem—and one you probably hear about whether you teach indoor cycling, step, strength fusion, yoga or hip-hop. As an instructor, you’re in a unique position to help participants reduce and prevent discomfort in the lumbar spine and hip musculature. Use a few basic tools to bring the body into balance. The cool-down is the perfect time to do it because the body is warm.

Inspiring sedentary and obese people to adopt healthy lifestyle changes can be a challenge. Even if you don’t teach water classes, here’s an opportunity for you to inspire others in a water environment. Lazy rivers—“streams” with slow-moving currents—are becoming popular at many recreation facilities across the country. Fitness instructors can take advantage of these unique water settings to teach morbidly obese, deconditioned, physically challenged or sedentary adults movements that they can perform successfully. newsletter_teaser: Check out this great sample class from the IDEA Online Library. Lead participants through a comfortable stroll that will boost confidence and function. As an IDEA member, all of the sample classes in our library are free to you.

Fitness centers invest a significant amount of their budgets in maintaining the pool, but they do not necessarily receive an adequate return on this investment. In some cases, the pool is viewed as merely a value-added amenity to reinforce a positive member experience. Other than for occasional lap swimming and water classes for older adults, most gym pools are not being used to their full potential. It’s time to focus on the profit-generating power of the pool and increase pool usage.newsletter_teaser: It’s time to focus on the profit-generating power of the pool and increase pool usage. Implementing and marketing innovative aquatics programming can generate substantial revenue and minimize pool costs overall.

The RDV Sportsplex Athletic Club in Orlando, Florida, focuses on inspiring members and helping them reach their goals with NEWtrition and The Biggest Mover Contest. The first offering complements the group fitness program and educates members about sound nutrition and how to combine it with exercise. The second idea is a contest that “involves active participation by members in any group fitness class.” Participants attend a class three times and submit a punch card for a weekly drawing. Extra points and chances for winning are given if someone brings a guest.

Group exercise participants love core training, so it’s no wonder that TRX® Suspension Training® has become a favorite in fitness and wellness facilities. What is this type of body leverage training, and how does it work? By suspending either your hands or feet, while the opposite end of the body is in contact with the ground, you displace your center of gravity, activating your core muscles during every exercise. So even a biceps curl becomes a core move!

Think back to when you first learned how to teach step. It was exciting and there were so many different moves. Then the novelty wore off, and you started searching for the latest choreography. Unless you were diligent about keeping up with your continuing education and spent a lot of time learning new moves on websites like Turnstep.com and YouTube, you may have added plyometrics or propulsion moves to ramp up the intensity of your step class. This is, of course, far from ideal since the recommended step cadence is 118–128 beats per minute (bpm) (Olson & Miller 1997).

Alternating strength sets with time on cardiovascular equipment is a popular way to train clients. When designed and executed correctly, this strategy can very effectively overload muscles, producing maximum results in minimum time. p class="subhead">Designing Strength and Cardio Supersetsnewsletter_teaser: Alternating strength sets with time on cardiovascular equipment is a popular way to train clients. When designed and executed correctly, this strategy can very effectively overload muscles, producing maximum results in minimum time. Strength and cardio supersets are a hybrid form of exhaustion supersets. A typical exhaustion superset alternates an isolated exercise (which involves only one joint and a specific muscle group) with a compound exercise (which involves one or more joints or muscle groups) for the same muscle group.