Group Fitness Instructor or Group Fitness Imposter?
A growing number of personal trainers are expanding there scope and teaching group fitness classes to supplement income and help keep group fitness programs running while instructors are out. I recently witness a nail biting tragedy where a personal trainer was covering a sculpting class a argument broke out in the middle of the class, there were people in the back of the room doing there own thing, no cueing, modifications, or class instruction for that matter. We all know that personal trainers are not group fitness instructors… But, would you let a personal trainer teach classes if you did not have an instructor?
As a personal trainer AND a group fitness instructor, this situation
and any fitness professional involved deserve to be evaluated on a case by case basis. I train one on one, small group and teach small and large groups. While a different skill set is required to effectively execute each, don’t count the trainers out for being able to handle more than one at a time! The best gift you can give someone who’s been through something like you described (and it is definitely harrowing when you are out of your comfort zone in front of a group of rabid exercisers!) is to offer a little guidance and mentoring. Any skilled fitness professional can adapt with the right mindset, tools and a little help. One on one may be our bread and butter, but teaching group forces one to rise to a whole new set of challenges and it is really worth making the leap. In a club setting, your worth increases DRAMATICALLY when you can step in to any situation and sub. Just my 2 cents!