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Equipment – Group Fitness

Trainer packing fitness class essentials
Class Essentials

What “go-to” items and class essentials do you keep in your backpack or duffle bag? What’s in your professional instructor “kit” and why?

Woman performing Pilates training on a reformer.
Pilates Training Is a Game-Changer

Strong evidence shows that Pilates training is an effective conditioning method for healthy individuals, particularly those wanting to increase core stability. Furthermore, Pilates can be a game-changer for athletes. Benefits…

Group photo at 2022 IDEA World Convention
A New Meeting of Mind, Body and Soul

Here’s a peek into that world where the mind can explore new ways of approaching classic formats; where your imagination can stretch along with your body; and where your spirit can soar through pure and powerful inspiration that nourishes the soul.

Fitness class
Creating a Fitness Class Family

As group exercise instructors, we can get wrapped up in creating
choreography, choosing music, cuing effectively and teaching proper
technique. While all these aspects are important, we sometimes lose
sight of the overall picture and miss the opportunity to connect with
participants.

Fitness classes for the masses
Fitness Classes for Everyone

Fitness classes abound and it has never been easier for movement-hungry people to find a workout experience that appeals to them.

Diverse group workout
How To Create a Workout Community

As we return to the group exercise studio, it’s good to remember how a workout community not only brings us together, but helps us thrive.

Physical Activity and Competition
Add Competition to Boost Benefits of Wearables

If you use wearables with clients, consider adding competitive challenges to improve results. University of Pennsylvania and Deloitte Consulting LLP researchers found that simply giving wearables to people in the workplace did not increase physical activity; the key was to add fun and competition.

Cycling and virtual reality
Virtual Reality and Indoor Cycling

Indoor cyclists who wore virtual-reality headsets experienced less leg-muscle pain during brief, high-intensity intervals than cyclists who wore headsets showing static images, according to a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise (2019; 51 [10], 2088–97).

Exercise and equipment trends
January 2020 Question of the Month: Equipment and Activity Trends

What activities or equipment-based program trends are you seeing in the new year? Are you boosting promotion of any particular programs like high-intensity interval training, indoor cycling, yoga or barre? Or are you offering shorter class times or opportunities for virtual training? Please share your success stories.

High-Cadence Cycling and Recreational Cyclists

A recent study supports indoor cycling instructors who urge students not to pedal at a cadence above 90 revolutions per minute. Researchers found that at 90 rpm and beyond, pedal forces exerted by recreational cyclists decreased, heart rate increased by 15%, and exercise efficiency and skeletal muscle oxygenation declined.

The study appeared in the International Journal of Sports Medicine (2019; 40 [5], 305–11).