Group fitness entails conducting exercise and fitness in a group setting. The classes help motivate people to be physically active and stick with it. The psychology behind group fitness can be attributed to a phenomenon called the Kohler effect. This phenomenon occurs when a person working together in a group setup expends more effort than they would have if they were alone. The less capable members tend to exert extra effort as they try to keep up with other members.
Group fitness motivates people to work together, which ensures they stick to the program for a longer period of time. Unlike personal training, group training requires a group fitness instructor (GFI) certification since you deal with participants at a go. Below we look at some of the services you offer and the benefits of GFI certification, see more to learn how to get the certification.
What Does a Group Exercise Trainer Do?
- Offers training and related information to participants in a group setting. You need to be fit enough to demonstrate what you are teaching and knowledgeable enough to answer common questions from clients.
- They ensure their client’s safety is guaranteed. As a trainer, you ensure the exercises are correctly done. This requires in-depth knowledge, which is offered during training. Stretching and machine use, for instance, are vital parts of exercise, and if not handled, can lead to injuries. Other types of training that prepares instructors when it comes to injuries include topics such as physiology, movement and safety and injury prevention.
- Group instructors motivate and engage participants: This requires excellent communication skills and training on people skills. This is prioritized during GFI training through units such as the science behind group exercise and how to instruct a group exercise for each level.
Benefits of Getting a Group Exercise Certification
You Become a Group Fitness Expert
This certification involves extra training besides what every other fitness trainer has received. A GFI certification legitimizes your skillset as an instructor. At the end of the training, you need to sit an accreditation exam which shows you have acquired the knowledge and necessary skill requirements for the certification.
To keep up with many developments in the industry, including new discoveries and technological advancement, you need to keep up to date. You can combine the GFI certification with other specialized certifications, workshops, seminars and online training to build upon your expertise. This improves your knowledge, skills and experience in group fitness, making you one of the most sought after experts in the industry.
Guaranteed Career Progression
A group exercise certification gives you more options compared to being a personal trainer. Most gyms prefer hiring an instructor with a certification since they fit many roles in one setting. A GFI certification gives you a variety of skills that makes you sell your skills on different platforms. You do not have to work in a gym since the extra skill offers you many career options. You want to be in a position to offer most of the services required in a group setting with no limitations. Compared to instructors with basic training, this certification places you way ahead of your peers in terms of career prospects.
You Learn People Skills
One of the key skills that you learn in a group certification class is people skills and communication skills. All these are incorporated in the GFI training to help you navigate the area of public speaking that most people avoid. Since you will be dealing with a sizable group, this gives you the tools that you need to command, lead and, at the same time, deliver results.
Demonstrates Your Commitment
The certification demonstrates to your potential employers that you are committed to the profession. With the GFI certificate, you have an added advantage compared to your peers in the industry. It also shows a commitment to become a better instructor to your clients and anyone else who would want to hire you. You will most likely be prioritized compared to those without personal qualifications only.
You Can Teach Any Class
With a GFI certification, you can teach different fitness classes as long as you offer these services skillfully. This means you can always take more classes if need be, making you a versatile and valuable employee in that you have a variety of skills that they can depend on.
Serving a Wide Range of Participants
In a group setting, you find different types of participants, pregnant women, those seeking to gain weight, others seeking to lose weight, those only interested in strength training and many other unique needs. GFI training ensures you receive skills to handle these special populations such as seniors, those with injuries and pregnant women.
You Can Become Business Owner
GFI certification gives you the skills to become a business owner. Since you are armed with all the necessary skills, you can start your own business and offer the services. This should not be complicated compared to an investor with no industry knowledge since you are conversant with the fitness industry. You may also opt to become a consul setting up. You can offer your services both online and offline on a part-time basis.
Increased Earnings and Extra Income
A GFI certification opens many avenues to earn an extra income. Besides working with gyms, communities and other organizations, you may come up with your own avenues to make an extra income. You can offer services online, come up with online courses on platforms such as Udemy, or come up with helpful videos on platforms such as YouTube where you offer value and get paid through endorsements or through their partner program.
You may also come up with podcasts where you educate the masses on the importance of group fitness and other aspects such as nutrition. With the knowledge and skills, you can also come up with a blog where you write on different topics. The blog can be monetized through various methods, such as endorsements by brands and partnerships. With a GFI certification, the avenues to bring extra income are limitless; you only need to explore the one that works for you.
Group fitness certification sets you apart from your peers and others with similar certification. As an expert, you are most likely to earn more and get more job opportunities since potential clients can see the commitment. It also gives you an opportunity to become a business owner since you understand the industry well. The certification sets you up for a great career progression too. Always remember this certification is mandatory in some gyms, so getting one will always be an added advantage.
