Group fitness instructors often make the mistake of recruiting anyone who is willing to participate in their class with little to no regard for their fitness levels or capabilities. This often leads to a large discrepancies in group exercise classes, where part of the class is struggling to keep up, while others are not being sufficiently challenged. The results are ineffective workouts for everyone, which ultimate leads to high attrition.

As instructors, we need to screen our participants prior to putting them into classes. Personal trainers often do a great job of conducting a battery of fitness tests prior to beginning one on one training programs, but sadly they rarely put in the time to conduct any fitness testing at all before recommending group exercise classes to individuals. Many people are simply not proficient enough with exercise to participate in these classes. That puts them at risk of feeling inadequate and ultimately discourages them from continuing with the class. Even worse, someone who is not physically ready for an intense exercise class is at a high risk of injury.

So how can we build a group exercise program to promote safety, decrease attrition and increase result? We need to use all available tools at our disposal to screen participants and assess their fitness levels. We can then develop classes taught specifically to varying abilities. We should put participants through quick, but effective testing such as simple gait analysis, squat testing, or general functional movement screenings. If more time is available fitness professionals can use more traditional muscular strength, endurance and flexibility testing. A battery of fitness tests can generally be conducted in less than 15 minutes, and that small investment in time may lead to a much better experience for your participants.

Technology can assist us in expediting this process. Apps such as Ability Fix offers simple screening questionnaires which can help identify areas of weakness and recommend appropriate water-based exercises for various fitness levels. Users can then feel confident that they are performing exercises that will help improve their fitness without fear that they will injure or overexert themselves. Options like can help clients and fitness class goers identify their own strength and weaknesses, which they can then report back to instructors.

If your group fitness classes are struggling, maybe it’s time to reflect: Are you assessing fitness levels prior to recruiting participants? Are the participants in your class at similar levels? And is your class content appropriate for the types of participants you’re recruiting? Remember, people get results when they feel challenged, but are confident in their abilities. Make sure you’re designing multiple classes for multiple fitness levels. It’ll pay off in the long run.

About Ability Fix

Regardless of your current physical ability level, Ability Fix offers customized water aerobics classes to help you reach your goals. The award-winning app is the ultimate companion for your water aerobics regimen and guides you through a series of aquatic exercises to help improve your balance, strength, flexibility, and cardio. Whether you’re seeking a low-impact way to help improve your mobility or need a high-intensity cardio burn, Ability Fix is for you. The app works with a variety of devices, including laptops, tablets, smartphones, and smart TVs. Optional waterproof Bluetooth headphones allow you to listen to instructions for the exercises. With 50 water aerobics exercises and three Ai Chi routines launching at the start of 2020, Ability Fix is ready to help you create the ideal water aerobics routine for your needs. 

For more information about Ability Fix, visit www.abilityfix.com