Program Management Articles

Group exercise directors face a variety of challenges and are often forced to make tough decisions. Case in point: choosing which instructor gets to teach a particular class. Many instructors do not have a clear understanding of the director’s decision-making process, and their confusion may lead to hurt feelings, animosity and tension among the team. This article will look at both ...

Group fitness instructors are key players in building a successful fitness center. They touch more members in 60 minutes or less than any of your other staff. This quality time can set a strong foundation for program growth, increased revenue, new-member attraction and, most important, member retention. When you consider an instructor’s impact on member experience, the need for a comprehensive ...

No new talent. A dearth of qualified instructors. Young people not interested in teaching. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone—many markets across the country lack qualified professionals to teach group fitness. How can we reverse this trend? By hand-picking our newest talent and molding them into the instructors we wish we had! Mentoring novice instructors can help revitalize a group fitne...

The job title “group exercise director” is becoming more clearly defined as facilities recognize the value in having a strong leader for their programs. Owners and managers know that without a focused principal who is passionate about group exercise, there may be little growth, organization or direction. The instructor team may lack cohesion and accountability. The importance ...

group exercise Group Fitness Takes Center Stage 10 TIPS FOR CREATING A SCHEDULING MASTERPIECE. By Maureen Hagan, PT G roup exercise has taken center stage in the fitness industry, and its momentum continues to grow. Connecting members to other members in a group fitness setting makes sense, not only for the members' overall fitness experience, but also--through enhanced retention-- for the fit...

money Pricing Mind-Body Programs TO HELP A MIND-BODY PROFIT CENTER SOAR, TAKE TIME TO RESEARCH YOUR PRICING THOROUGHLY. By Marci Clark costs, which will sustain your program. Consider the following categories as part of your cost of doing business and include them in your pricing. FRONT-END COSTS 1. Staff Education. Structure your budget to cover either some or all of the cost of instructor trai...

d discussion When are prepackaged programs effective? By Amanda Vogel, MA Ten years ago, group exercisers had the choice of either step or high-low. Today, most schedules offer a dozen or more diversified options, some of which involve sophisticated equipment. Many fitness professionals attribute this ever-broadening selection and sophistication to the influx of branded programs. But while some ...

T mid-1970s. he third year of this column commences in the midst of the most perplexing economic market in three "baby boomlet" is occurring, this influx of youngsters will not seriously affect the domestic economy for another 15 years. According to the Salomon Smith Barney Institutional Research Department, three-quarters of the accumulated net wealth of the country lies in the 50-plus sector. ...

industry watch: program trends PROGRAMMING FOR MEN Getting men into group fitness classes has always posed challenges for program managers. "The biggest challenge is that old-fashioned image of the gym where men are in the weight room and women are in the dance studio," says Yordi Arteaga, a fitness business consultant in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Fortunately, that image is slowly disappearing. Dan...