[MUSIC PLAYING]
I know it's hard to imagine.
But did you know that some people don't like group fitness
classes?
For as much as we love the energy and connection of groups
moving together for a common purpose,
from the outside looking in, it can seem pretty scary.
To those who've never tried it or those
who've had a bad experience, I'm Angie Miller.
And today I want to share some of the reasons
that people don't like group fitness classes
and what we can do to make it a better experience.
The number one reason I hear that people
don't like group fitness classes is they're
afraid they'll stand out.
A friend of mine stopped going to a kettlebell class
because it felt like the instructor was always
correcting her form.
And she hated feeling singled out.
Another friend doesn't go because she's
afraid she won't be able to keep up.
And she doesn't want everyone looking at her.
Fear of standing out is real.
Some people want to come in and test the waters.
But they don't want to be singled out in any way.
So what can we do?
First, we can let participants leave with their dignity.
Unless they're going to injure themselves or someone else,
we really should avoid singling them out.
Second, we could take time to talk to new participants
after class.
It's hard to catch them before class because usually they
sneak in at the last minute.
But it's really important to encourage them afterwards.
Compliment something they did well.
Answer questions and introduce them to other participants
so they feel connected.
No one likes to be new.
But everyone loves to feel like they belong.
The number two reason that men especially
don't like group fitness classes is they think it's all women.
We know that this isn't true.
But we also know that some classes can be female dominant.
For some men, that's inspiration.
And for others, it's intimidation.
But what adds to this stereotype is
what we cue is if we're only speaking to females.
So the solution is to remember that words matter.
When we cue, we want to avoid gender specific language,
phrases like, let's boost that booty,
or get rid of those muffin tops are female driven.
But what's worse is they perpetuate
exercise as something to make us look rather than feel good.
Instead of using cues that focus on body image,
wouldn't it be better if we use positive cues that focus
on form and motivate participants
to feel strong inside and out?
The number three reason that people say they don't go
is they're not coordinated.
We know that even with all the popularity
of non-choreography course classes,
there's still a lot of classes that require us
to move our feet to the beat.
So the solution is choreography free classes that
don't require coordination.
And we should make sure that our descriptions specify
to left feet welcome or choreography free
to emphasize that coordination is not
a requirement for success.
So I'm Angie Miller.
I'm really glad you joined me today.
I hope you'll continue connecting
with me on social media.
On Instagram, I'm AngieMillerFitness.
And on Facebook and Twitter, I'm AngieMillerFit.
Keep doing what you love and loving what you do.
I'll see you next week.