Posted on November 22, 2013 by Jenny Cromack

I’m a firm believer that there are Group Exercise Classes for everyone, it’s just that we’re not always brave enough to try them! As an Instructor I know that you will think that I’m biased on this subject, but every year I go to fitness events so that I can be a participant – just like you!

When I was at FitCamp this weekend I sat down with the timetable to choose which fitness classes I wanted to try. I always know at these events that there will be some classes that I enjoy and some classes I won’t – that’s the whole point! I always get over excited with these events. I circle around 50 things and realise that most of them clash and then have to start the selection all over again. And then even after I had made my final selection, there were some classes that I just wasn’t that sure of.

Gyms and fitness studios also generally have a wide selection of fitness classes on their timetables. So how do we pick and choose which is the right fitness class for us?

1.       It’s all in the Name... Class Names are pivotal to their success. The class can be the best workout in the world, but you need to get people in it to experience it! The name of a class can make people instantly steer away from it or on the other hand, really keen to take part. I went to StompFX expecting an old school step workout. It was actually a HIIT workout with a step – AMAZING! But not at all what I expected. As a different example, I instantly steered away from “Bunny Bootcamp”. I had all kinds of imagery as to what this could be. But as it happened, I watched this class on Sunday and it was an AWESOME workout!

2.       …And the Class Description. As Studio Managers, Group Exercise Managers or Programme Writers, we want to sell our classes. We want people to come and take part. But as we’ve seen, names are often misleading, and as such our descriptions of the classes need to be bang on. We often forget this and refer to classes as toning and calorie burning, but this gives no indication of what is actually involved!

 3.      Instructors. We shouldn’t do it, but we do. We all have favourite instructors. And let’s be honest, it doesn’t matter what they teach, we will try it and we will recommend them to our friends. It’s a credit to the instructors, but we really need to be brave and give some new guys a go!

 4.       Class Sizes. This is very much down to the individual, but I personally hate being crammed into a room and be then expected to move left and right and forward and back. If classes are too busy it can absolutely ruin the enjoyment of the class. Gyms or Studios which have booking systems and class limits (and ensure control of these) have got this right.

 5.       Gimmicks Sometimes Work. Weight gloves, ceiling suspended metal hoops, glow sticks, swiss balls, resistance bands, spin bikes for water, weighted hula hoops, kangoo jumps and so on and so on. All fitness accessories which can be used in fitness classes. They won’t all make the workout harder but they may make it more fun! But beware, they don’t all work that well, and in some cases you would need to purchase the kit to take with you to the class.

 6.      Our reason for being there. Are you a hardcore fitness fanatic who is in the gym to beast that body to give it the best work out you possibly can? Are you the kind of person who can follow choreography and like the challenge of piecing blocks together? Do you have two left feet but are happy to go with the flow and have a giggle? Are you there to have a laugh with your fitness friends because you’re then off for lunch? All different types of people and attitudes and therefore will suit different types of classes.

 7.      Not going it alone. Going to a class for the first time is daunting; I’m not going to lie. I dragged my best friend into the first class I ever did! The worry that everyone else will know what they are doing is overwhelming and people don’t want to face it alone, and who can blame them?