Instructor Skills Articles

Cues: Your Verbal Arsenal Say it right, and your class will follow. by Jackie Camborde P Picture this. You're about to take your first-ever step class. You've never even seen a step class before--let alone tried one. The instructor comes in and says,"Hi, my name is Jackie, and my class is really hard. So if you get lost, just march in place or do a basic step. Ready? Let's go!" The next hour pro...

master class meet a visionary veteran Mighty Motivation 2006 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year Maureen Hagan reflects on industry changes and offers strategies for success. Maureen "Mo" Hagan's style, finesse and professionalism linger with you long after you've taken a workshop or a session from her. The fitness industry is intuitive with her, and she truly enjoys sharing her knowledge. In ad...

MASTER CLASS It Starts With You Helen Vanderburg shares her thoughts on inspiration and on why learning never ends. from. The best way I can describe the change is that we now offer "smart fitness" programs. We base our classes on individual goals and needs. Rather than thinking of exercises as "good" or "bad," we look at what is appropriate for each person. The selection and design are based on...

Training for Growth By Sherri McMillan, MSc, and Alex McMillan Ready, Set, Present! To ensure success, follow these guidelines before each presentation. Become Familiar With the Environment Ask how the room will be set up. Will there be tables and chairs? Will the presentation be lecture style or "in the round"? Find out about any potential problems, such as distractions or poor acoustics, that ...

INSTRUCTOR FORUM Calling All Role Models Three instructors talk about experiencing the industry in a larger body. Since the days of leg warmers and LPs, group fitness instructors have lived with a stereotype that hasn't always been easy to measure up to. In all kinds of settings, from sitcoms to television advertisements to movies, the typical instructor has been portrayed as lean, mean and regi...

Create a Class From Within By Alexandra Williams, MA R ecent articles have focused on the benefits of teaching new, specialized classes, such as hybrids that combine several complementary elements into one group session. Perhaps you are toying with the idea of creating your own new class but are unsure how to start. How do in- structors come up with innovative concepts and titles like "Indoor/O...

Upping the Fun Factor By April Durrett A s amazing as it now seems, back in the 1970s we had to prove that aerobic dance could actually increase your heart rate. "Yes, cardio activity is effective," our new and growing industry asserted. Once this effectiveness was established, researchers began publishing studies that detailed injuries sustained during aerobics classes. So in the 1980s and 19...

Think Beyond the Walls By Shirley Archer, JD, MA D id you know that innumerable teaching opportunities exist beyond the conventional health club setting, which caters mostly to the already fit? The truth is that moneymaking options for group fitness leaders are plentiful-- if you are motivated to move beyond the comfortable limits of traditional facilities and if you widen your clientele to enc...

movement By Susan M. Tendy, EdD Dial-A-Combo: Creating Choreography B rand-new or laden with experience, group fitness instructors all around the globe face a common challenge: creating fresh choreography. This need may be fueled by our personal expectations and preferences or the sense that our participants are ready to move on. Regardless, we strive for something exciting that will inspire u...

problem solver Q: A: How Do I Handle an Injured Participant? that the instructor stay with the injured person and have a reliable person call 911. Following any incident, you must complete an incident report form. Such a form should include the signatures of witnesses to the event, the full name and contact information of the injured person and a factual explanation of the events. Record objecti...