Category: Group Exercise Ideas & Tips

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It’s Good to Be Back!

Michelle gets married

Hi, I’m back!

After a year of getting married, honeymooning across Europe and getting a new job in San Francisco, I’m finally back to blogging! With all the excitement, I couldn’t keep up with a regular posting schedule, but I look forward to getting into the swing of things again this year.

Back up. What Have You Been Up To?

Well, I got married to my rock star husband Chris in October. The whole day was absolutely special with so many fond memories. I particularly enjoyed the ceremony where my husband (to my surprise) cried as I walked down the aisle, we snuck in a few Eminem song lyrics, and recited our vows in front of all of our friends and family. The reception was filled with dancing, margaritas, and so much love.

The day after the wedding, we jetsetted off to Europe for a three week vacation in Paris, London, Germany, Italy, and a handful of other spots. I am truly thankful for everyone that celebrated with us, planned with us, and helped us start our marriage bursting with happiness.

Finally, after more than four years at The Hoffman Agency, I found a new big girl job doing content strategy and creation for a startup in San Francisco. I started earlier this month, and am anxious to get the ball rolling to accomplish our goals.

Now what?

I’m hoping to post more regularly now that my life is starting fall back to normal. I have a few exciting ideas for 2018, as well. 

If you’d like to connect, please reach out on Twitter or Facebook.

Otherwise, I’ll see you back here for my next post. 🙂

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Here’s Recent Constructive Feedback from One of My Group X Participants

Group Exercise Instructor Implementing Feedback

It’s very rare for me to get feedback in my Group X classes. Usually most participants will leave with a smile and simply say, “thank you”. To tell if they like the class, I wait to see if they show up again, and most do! But, I never get to hear if they like the intervals or a certain song. Once you’ve taught the same group of folks for a while, you can start to recognize participants’ demeanor and get familiar with how they act when they like something, but other than that, specific, useful feedback is far and few between.

So, I was so appreciative when a participant came up to me after class one day to share a suggestion. Here was the feedback:

“Make sure the effort and pace match the beat of the song, especially at the very end of the song.”

I am guilty of listening to songs for just the first 30 seconds or so, and if I like the beat, I’ll add it to the queue. But, there have been numerous times where the song will end in a weird way, either by cutting out early, audience applause or just a slow, drawn out finish. In the past, I’ve told participants to, “go faster than the beat,” but this person explained that it wasn’t enjoyable to do that.

Lucky for me, there is such an easy fix. Now, I make sure to listen to the end of the song — each and every week — as a reminder of how it ends. Sometimes I’ll write notes to myself to point out when I should do the intervals to make sure I’m doing them when the beat is most intense and upbeat.

Something to think about in your classes, as well. If you think your participants don’t notice when you’re slacking off, think again. Also, it’s a good idea to ask for feedback every once in a while, especially if you’re first starting with a new class or have been teaching the same class for a while. And, of course, listen to all of the song at least once right before you teach it — always.

For more tips, check out the group exercise ideas page.

And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich.

 

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Gifts for Healthy Moms, 2017 Mother’s Day Edition

Gifts for Healthy Moms: Nike Shoes

There are so many cool trinkets and accessories out there, but when it comes time for Mother’s Day, it can be hard to find gifts for healthy moms. That’s why I put together a list of great gifts for fitness instructors, or any healthy mommas out there. I made a Mother’s Day gift guide last year that had a lot of great gift ideas in it, too. If you’ve never gifted your mom a Spotify gift card, a ClassPass subscription or cute workout pants, definitely check it out.

And, without further ado, here are some more great gifts for healthy moms for this Mother’s Day.

Gifts for Healthy Moms #1: Foam rollers

Gifts for Healthy Moms: Foam Rollers

Foam rollers have become increasingly popular as the industry has been giving greater focus to stretching, recovery and self-care. You can foam roll while you watch TV, and it’s been proven to help increase flexibility and decrease pain.

If you’re interested in purchasing a foam roller as a gift for your mom, check out The Sweet Home’s roundup of best foam rollers.

Gifts for Healthy Moms #2: New Shoes

Gifts for Healthy Moms: Nike Shoes

Especially if your fitness instructor mom wears the same pair of shoes day in and day out, it’s probably time to get her a new pair. There are so many fun pairs of shoes out there right now, like these Nike Free TR 6 AMP.

You might also want to check out the site 6pm.com which has a lot of name brand shoes, accessories and clothes on sale.

Gifts for Healthy Moms #3: Admission to a fitness conference

Gifts for Healthy Moms: Fitness Conference

 

There are so many great fitness conferences and expos coming up this year, and fitness instructors love to attend. If you’re looking at a gift that’s at least $100, check out the upcoming conferences to see if there’s anything in your mom’s area.

Gifts for Healthy Moms #4: Wireless Headphones

Gifts for Healthy Moms: Headphones

For our runner mothers, new, clean headphones are such a luxury, especially ones that will stay in your ears and avoid getting damaged by sweat. Amazon has two high-rated, affordable pairs of wireless headphones here and here.

Gifts for Healthy Moms #5: Yummy tea bags and honey

Gifts for Healthy Moms: DAVIDsTEA

Fitness instructor moms often come home with those sexy raspy voices (yes, I have one, too! :)). When the mic doesn’t work in the group fitness studio, it’s up to the instructor to yell cues for an hour. Help your mom soother her voice and throat by giving her fancy tea bags and honey. After a long day, I love to cuddle up with a cup of tea and honey.

DAVIDsTEA and Yogi tea have always been a big hit with my friends and family.

Gifts for Healthy Moms #6: Lush bath bombs

Gifts for Healthy Moms: Bath bombs

Make your mom’s next bubble bath a luxurious one with Lush bath bombs. They smell so good and really transform the bath experience. Lush even has some cute bath bombs that say “MOM”.

Hope all the fit and healthy moms out there have a fabulous Mother’s Day!

(Image Credit: Her Campus & Aaai-ismafitness) 

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April 2017 Links I Love for Fitness Professionals

April Links I Love for Fitness Instructors

It’s that time again! Another month has come and gone, along with a lot of great fitness and health articles and studies. For me, April was a blur, between celebrating friends’ birthdays, picking up my wedding dress (5 months to go!) and keeping up at work. I’m really looking forward to May — lots of planned family and friend time, and I’m hoping for good, sunshine-y weather. Before we jump into May, I want to take a second to look back at the top articles in fitness and health, so that other fitness professionals, like yourself, can keep up with the latest trends and happenings.

If your month was anything like mine, it was quite the challenge to stay in the loop on everything that happened in the fitness industry in April. There were a few important studies you’ll want to brush up on and viral articles you’ll want to make sure you read. That way, you can come to your next group exercise class armed with the most up-to-date knowledge to better their experience.

Here’s a look at my favorite fitness and wellness articles from April that fitness professionals should read.

  1. One study found that high-intensity intervals were the best for making our cells regenerate, so on a cellular level, interval training helps us look and feel younger (reported by Inc. magazine). I tried to explain this to my spin class, and as soon as I mentioned “mitochondria” their eyes glazed over. So, if you do share this information in your class, be sure to keep it simple.
  2. The 5 Most Common Excuses Holding You Back by Susie Moore via Greatist. Yes, I’m obsessed with Susie Moore — if you ever catch me reading one of her articles, you will see me nodding along in agreement the whole time, eyes affixed to the screen. She speaks to my soul.
  3. 10 reasons why you should be stretching by Jessica Matthews via ACE Fitness. If you’re already a fitness professional, chances are you already know the benefits of stretching, so this is a great tool to share with your classes to encourage them to stick around and do stretches after exercise.
  4. How to do a bodyweight split squat via New York Times Well blog. I love the angles and color of this post. Great exercise to add to your next group exercise class, too.
  5. 3 Lessons About Mental Toughness You Can Learn From Yoda via Tor Constantino for Entrepreneur magazine. We all know participants show up to your group exercise classes so you can motivate them and get them to work harder than they would on their own. These mental toughness tips are great to try in your next class.
  6. If your talk doesn’t do these three things, don’t give it, via Neil Pasricha for Fast Company. While we all know how important it is to provide participants with a safe, effective workout, it’s also just as important to entertain and educate. We need to think of ourselves as not only lesson planners, but also public speakers and teachers.
  7. 5 must-do exercise to do if you want a stronger core, via Lee Boyce for Muscle & Strength. Crunches are a thing of the past, yet many participants will still show up expecting to do “abs” for the last 10 minutes of class. Here are some great core exercises to try that will get away from crunches and sit-ups.
  8. Why Vanessa Hudgens never wears a shirt to the gym via Haley Goldberg for Self.com. Whether you teach in just a sports bra or not, this is a trend that seems to be getting attention right now.

If you liked this roundup, you may also like the fitness and wellness articles from March and February. You can also check out the group exercise ideas page.

And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich!

(Image Source: Vanessa Hudgens’ Instagram/Self.com) 

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What’s Your Group Exercise Instructor Uniform?

Group Exercise Instructor Uniform

As group exercise instructors, we put a lot of effort into our class presentation, including our motivational cues, voice and gestures. It’s important to note that even things like our appearance has an impact on what participants think of our class. If we come into class disheveled with our hair always in our face or constantly adjusting our clothes, participants are going to have a reaction. So, it is important to put some time and effort into your group exercise instructor uniform (your workout clothes, hair and overall hygiene) to make sure you’re giving the best impression to your clients.

Appearance is a very personal topic, and it is important to let your personality shine through when you’re teaching. Don’t feel like you have to follow the mold of what you think a “typical group exercise instructor” looks like. Participants truly value authenticity above all else. When it comes to what you wear, there are a couple common questions and dress codes I’ve seen group exercise instructors swear by. I wanted to share these with you today, and then you can decide for yourself if it’s a uniform that fits your style.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself when picking out your group exercise instructor uniform.

  1. Will I wear colorful clothes?

Bright colors are super popular right now, so it’s understandable that you want to wear bright colors as you teach. I do think it’s surprising that not all instructors wear colors. Some swear by sticking with neutrals, like black and grey. The argument here is that black is considered a professional, serious color. If you’re wearing all black, folks might look to you as a leader of the room. I do wear a lot of colors, but the one thing I admire about folks that only wear black workout clothes is they always look put together. There’s something about a monochromatic or very blended outfit that looks both effortless and stylish.

  1. Should I teach in just a sports bra?

This is a very touchy question: can you teach in just a sports bra? Nowadays, those high-waisted workout pants make it all the easier to teach in a sports bra and look professional. I would look at the dress code of the other instructors before stripping down, because some gyms are pretty modest. Showing a lot of skin might also make participants uncomfortable, so proceed with caution.

And, speaking of sports bras do your best to make sure your girls are supported during your workout. It’s distracting when an instructor has cleavage or starts jumping and moving in an unsupportive sports bra.

  1. How should I do my hair?

Some instructors will always have their hair falling down, and regularly fix their hair in class. Again, it’s distracting and takes away from the professionalism. I recommend securing your hair as best you can so that it stays put and doesn’t require your attention at all in class.

  1. Should I wear brand names?

Your participants are very impressionable, and the clothing choices you make will have an impact on them. I try to limit the brand names (e.g. Nike) that I wear, because I don’t want to use the power I hold to influence my participants’ consumer decisions. Especially in certain geographic areas I’ve taught in, like the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles, there are a lot of participants that come in expensive workout clothes (think: Lulu Lemon). I want participants to feel comfortable taking my class without needing expensive gear or equipment. I may wear a nice pair of Lulu’s one day, but always try to balance it with non-descript capri pants on other days, as well.

The group exercise instructor uniform is a very sensitive topic. You want to balance your own desire for self-expression with your responsibilities as a role model to your participants. When in doubt, I usually err on the side of caution. If you are ever uncertain about what to wear, I recommend talking to your group exercise director or a colleague you trust.

For more tips, check out the group exercise ideas page.

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What to Bring to a Fitness Convention

What to Bring to a Fitness Convention

If you’re looking for a fitness convention or health and fitness expo, there are a ton of great ones coming up this summer: IDEA World Fitness Convention (July 19-23), Zumba Instructor Convention (July 27-30) and SCW Mania Convention (July 29-30) to name a few. You can find an extensive list of upcoming events here. I attended SCW Mania in California earlier this year, and the experience was amazing — I get giddy just thinking about it! But leading up to the event, I always get nervous about what to bring to a fitness convention.

For example, I’d hate to be drenched in sweat at 8 a.m. only to realize I have to sit in my clothes for the rest of the day, since I forgot a back-up outfit. Now that I have quite a few conferences under my belt, I thought I’d share a few items that have been lifesavers for me when I attend conferences.

Here’s my list of what to bring to a fitness convention.

Outfit to pack for a fitness convention

  1. A back-up outfit (including an extra sports bra, shoes and hair ties)

Like I mentioned above, if you do attend a session with an intense workout, it can be nice to put on a clean outfit afterwards or around lunch time if your day is full of exercising. And, if you start to realize your shoes are uncomfortable or your hair tie breaks, it’s worth it to have back-ups with you at the fitness convention.

  1. A hardback notebook or clipboard

This is a lesser-known packing item that can be so helpful during the sessions. In every session I’ve attended, I sat in a chair or on the floor while the presenter went through their slides. Without a hard surface to use, your notes can easily end up illegible. So, I like to bring a sturdy notebook with me to write on or act as my “desk” if there’s a handout.

  1. Pens and highlighters

Make sure to bring pens to take notes. I always like to have a backup, because my pens never cease to run out at the wrong time. And, you might want to bring a highlighter, as well, if the presenter will be passing out worksheets or if you like to highlight your notes.

  1. Snacks

If you’re like me, hunger can strike at any time. That means being ready at a moment’s notice to grab a snack. I like to have a few snacks handy that I can eat whenever. I recommend packing snacks that you can eat pretty easily (and sneakily) during a workshop. I always start to turn red when I’m the girl in the back of class ripping open a bag of pretzels or shoveling trail mix in my face and spilling everywhere. My go-to snack is the granola bar, because it’s so easy to eat and so tasty.

What to pack for a fitness convention

  1. Lunch

Most conventions will have food options available to purchase at the convention. Since I’m on a budget (saving for my wedding!), I try to pack my own lunch. You can pretty easily pack a sandwich and stick a ice pack in the bag to keep it cool until lunch time. I’ve even brought microwaveable lunches in my bag with an ice pack and used the public microwave at the snack bar. This lets me eat a decent meal to make sure I have enough energy to power through the day. Consider calling the convention center ahead of time to see what the food options are.

  1. Deodorant, face wash/baby wipes

If you break out easily or feel yucky hanging out sweaty for too long, consider bringing toiletries to help freshen up at lunch time. Deodorant is a must, and also consider a face wash or toilet to keep you feeling fresh.

  1. The convention schedule, map and session handouts

These are the three items you’ll need to successfully navigate the convention. I always like to have the whole schedule in front of me, in case I decide last minute I want to switch sessions. And, you’ll want to make sure you have a map to figure out how to get around from session to session.

  1. Phone and extra charger

If you live tweet an event or use your phone to take notes and pictures, it’s always a good idea to bring a phone charger or portable battery charger.

  1. Sweatshirt

The rooms at a fitness convention are notorious for being cold, especially after you stop moving. Make sure to bring a sweatshirt or two to make sure you’re staying comfortable. Sometimes it’s nice to have two different long sleeve items, so that if one gets really sweaty you have another clean one for later.

If you’re going to a fitness convention this year, hope you have SO much fun! Please let me know if you have anything to add to this list, or other advice for convention attendees.

For more tips, check out the group exercise ideas page.

And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich.

 

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Why I have an ACE Group Fitness Certification to Teach Group X Classes

ACE Group Fitness Certification handbook

If you want to become a Group X instructor, you’ve likely started researching different fitness certifications that you can get to teach, including the ACE Group Fitness certification. You may have noticed that all you need is a Group X certification and CPR/AED to technically teach group fitness classes; however, some certifications are more impressive and widely-accepted than others.

If you have a specific gym in mind, you’ll want to make sure you ask the group exercise director that runs their program what fitness certifications they’ll accept. It might also be worth emailing the gyms nearby to see what fitness certifications they require in case you decide down the road you want to teach there. Otherwise, you’ll have to decide for yourself what certification to take.

Here’s why I chose the ACE Group Fitness Certification.

When I was taking UCLA’s Fitness Leadership Program back in 2010, we were encouraged to take the ACE Fitness group exercise certification test, because it was one of the most accepted and respected options for Group X instructors. There were other choices, but this one was strongly encouraged. I didn’t think anything of it at the time and just selected the ACE Fitness test, but I was so glad I did.

Moving up to San Francisco Bay Area after college graduation, I started looking for gyms I could teach at, and every single one accepted the ACE Fitness certification. For reference, I’ve been on the group exercise instructor list at more than five gyms. A year in, one of the gyms I taught at ClubSport even changed its policy and required instructors to have either ACE or AFAA nationally-accredited certification. Many instructors were frustrated that they had to go out and get another certification. If you’re just starting out, you can avoid this scenario by choosing ACE or AFAA in the first place.

For more advice, check out the group exercise ideas and tips page.

(Image source: ACE Fitness) 

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March 2017 Links I Love for Group Fitness Instructors

One of the group fitness instructors leading a class

March was a month to remember, with the SCW Fitness convention in Burlingame and family trips to San Francisco. Once again, it feels like we’re flying right into the next month. I’m pretty excited about April. This next month will kick off the six-month countdown to my wedding in October, and it’s the one-year anniversary of starting this fitness blog with you all, my fellow group fitness instructors!

Before we dive into April, I want to take a minute to share my favorite article links from the past month that group fitness instructors should check out. This is a round-up of the top fitness and health studies, tips, exercises and stories. For anyone that had a busy month, now is your chance to catch up on all the major news happenings in the industry. For example, a recent study was published revealing the benefits of strength training (see bullet 4).

Here are my favorite March 2017 links I love for group fitness instructors.

If you liked this roundup, you’ll also like my “Links I Love” roundup from February and January. You can also check out the group exercise ideas and tips page for more posts.

And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich.

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Teaching a Spin Class with the Schwinn Cycling App “Class Tamer”

When I first started to teach a spin class, I wrote my lesson plan and notes in my notebook, then created the playlist for it in iTunes. At the time, iTunes would automatically add up the time of each song and share how long the entire playlist would last. This is critical in order to properly teach a spin class, because if a playlist is an hour and five minutes but the class is only an hour, you’re going to have problems.

But then, one of Apple’s software updates removed that feature, so it no longer automatically calculated the time length of the entire playlist. For a couple weeks, I would manually add up each song to estimate if the playlist would end on time. It was time consuming and inaccurate. After the class ran (slightly!) late one too many times, I decided to find a new way to do my spin class playlists.

I remembered my Schwinn certification instructor recommending the Schwinn cycling app, so I decided to give it a try.

Here’s my review of using the Schwinn Cycling App to teach a spin class.

The Pros

  1. The app will calculate the total time length of the playlist to help make sure you end the class on time. Schwinn Cycling app tracks total time for spin class playlist
  2. It shows how much time has passed and is left for each song in big numbers. This is nice, because I don’t have to squint to read the numbers. However, be careful to not confuse the two numbers — I’ve learned that the hard way!
  3. There’s a space to add notes for each song. This is nice when there’s no place to set your notebook, like in spin rooms that use Bluetooth stereos. I normally put my water bottle and notebook on top of the stereo next to me, but if it’s on the other side of the room, everything gets placed on my bike’s handlebars.

Add Notes to Schwinn Cycling App to Teach the Spin Class

The Cons

  1. It’s difficult to press the “next song” if you decide to skip a song during class. This can be good, since there are no accidental song changes, but it also means I’m stuck pressing the button a bunch of times in front of a class full of waiting spinners.
  2. You have to start at the beginning of your playlist, so you can’t jump to the middle very easily without clicking through each song.

Overall, I would recommend the Schwinn cycling to anyone teaching a spin class. It’s never let me down in the year I’ve used it. And, I love that it calculates the total ride time for me. Since I don’t have to press buttons all that often, it doesn’t bother me that it’s difficult. If you’re someone who bounces around your playlist, this may not be the right app for you.

For more tips and tricks, check out the group exercise ideas page. And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich.

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Top Presenters Return for the 2017 SCW Fitness Pro Convention

The California SCW Fitness Pro Convention is around the corner! I was a staff assistant in 2015, but last year the convention didn’t make a stop in San Francisco, so I had to watch from afar. Now, I’m a staff assistant again this year, and can’t wait for some non-stop fitness fun. Although it has been a while, I can still remember most of my favorite sessions of the weekend. And, many of those presenters are coming back to SF for the 2017 convention. As I started planning out my schedule this year, I’ve noted the returning presenters I’d like to check out again this year.

These SCW Fitness presenters have contagious, through-the-roof energy and lots of great ideas to bring back to your fitness classes. If this is your first year at the convention, you’ll want to attend some of the sessions taught by these experts.

Abbie Appel

Abbie Appel

Abbie is an international fitness expert and educator who has written the SCW Barre Certification and updated the SCW Pilates Matwork Certification. She is a Rykä® Ambassador and a Master Trainer and Consultant for Activmotion Bar™, Body Bar® and Schwinn®.

I took one of Abbie’s Barre presentations in 2015, and loved her down-to-earth approach to teaching. Her presentation was genuine and had a bunch of new moves I’d never done before.

Mindy Mylrea

Mindy Mylrea

Mindy is the 2015 PFP Trainer of the Year, 2013 CanFitPro Specialty Presenter of the Year, 2008 Fitness Presenter of the Year, 2004 Can Fit Pro International Presenter of the Year, 1999 International Fitness Instructor of the Year, a National and World Aerobic Champion, and a five star presenter. Mindy is an advisory board member for Oxygen Magazine, an international presenter, author, motivational speaker, video personality, and CEC provider for SCW, ACE and AFAA.

Mindy led the very first presentation I attended back in 2015, and it was such a great way to kick off the weekend. She has so much energy and enthusiasm, plus a one-of-a-kind presentation style. I was inspired by the way she entertained and motivated the participants — something you’ll want to emulate yourself once you take her session.

Jeffrey Scott

Jeffrey Scott

Jeffrey is an International Fitness Presenter, Schwinn® Lead Master Trainer, Reebok Master Trainer and an Area Group Fitness Manager for Equinox Fitness Clubs. With more than 20 years of experience in the Health and Fitness industry, Jeffrey has conducted training workshops in over 15 countries around the world and is recognized as a top fitness educator, instructor and personal trainer who is known for his creative choreography and motivational teaching.

I attended the, “Schwinn Cycling: Rock Stars, Preachers and Party People,” session two years ago with Jeffrey, Doris Thews and Skip Jennings, and it was one of my favorite of the entire weekend. Unfortunately, Skip Jennings won’t be at the convention this year, but I’m thrilled I’ll get to take another session (or two :)) from Jeffrey and Doris.

Doris Thews

Doris Thews

Doris has 30+ years in the fitness industry. She started as a college athlete, worked as a Divisional Director for a large club chain and now owns a fitness consulting business. Doris represents several International fitness brands including her role as Program Director for Indo-Row® and ShockWave, Senior Master Trainer and Global Mentor for Schwinn®, International Development Master Trainer team member for BOSU® and Hedstrom® Fitness, Power Music® Advisory Board Member and Lead RYKA® Fit-Pro Ambassador.

Manuel Velazquez

Manuel Velazquez

Manuel is a proud faculty member for SCW Fitness Education, while being a valued trainer for Hydro-Fit, Bosu, Tabata Bootcamp and Barre Above. He is a WATERinMOTION® National Trainer and a recipient ECA-NYC OBOW All-Around International Presenter of the Year award and has been presenting at fitness conferences worldwide for over two decades. Manuel is a continuing education faculty for SCW, ACE, AFAA, ACSM, AEA, and WATERinMOTION®, and stars in over 50 Fitness Instructor Training Videos.

I was part of the staff assistant team for Manuel, and he was so nice! He has a really unique teaching and fitness style that I can only describes as “flowing”. If you’re looking to mix up your workout routines and add something different, I’d recommend checking out one of Manuel’s sessions.

This is only a partial list – there are many great presenters from 2015 that won’t be back this year, and a bunch of new faces I’m excited to meet. If there are other presenters you’re excited about, please let me know.

To see the complete list of presenters, click here. If you’re interested in attending other fitness conventions this year, check out my 2017 events list.

And, let’s connect on Twitter @GroupXMich!