Conduct Group Exercise Sessions

Developing group exercise session plans is vital and a major requirement for every service provider. Benefits of session planning are:

• It provides a clear guideline for your session and helps a substitute instructor to conduct a session.

• It helps you organise your session.

• It gives you the foresight to prepare for anything that may arise at the session.

• It helps keep you in the right direction and not waste time.

• It helps you manage your session time from start to finish.

Things to consider, include:

Variations to group exercise sessions can be used to maintain needs, preferences, variety and interests of different groups. These variations include;

• Choreographed to music - The process of designing a range of steps that are conducted in time with the music.

• With or without music - Group exercise can be conducted with or without music in order to allow for different types of activities that may require more or less instruction, concentration, motivation or excitement.

• With or without equipment - Classes conducted with equipment such as spin and step classes or circuit training, or without in the case of aerobics or stretch classes.

• Circuit style - Centers around the premise that a series of exercise stations will be set up and exercises will be conducted on them in a rotating manner with rest periods in-between.

• Freestyle - May include a range of activities, exercises and actions that are made up of different styles. Freestyle fitness classes can use a number of other class formats within its makeup.

Potentially harmful practices to avoid:

• Hyperextension of joints - This occurs when a joint is extended beyond its range of normal movement or in a direction in which it is not designed to do.

• Exercising while sick - When a client is sick, they should not be undertaking exercise this will put extra stress on the body and can result in other clients getting sick, overextension, overheating, fainting or injury.

• Exercising in extremes of temperature - Ensure that reasonable and conformable environmental conditions such as temperature and airflow are maintained throughout the session. 

• Ballistic movements - Movements that incorporate extreme and high impact strength or stretch training. Examples of this are the jump squats or ballistic weight lifting, jumping with or throwing weights, There is a greater risk involved with these types of exercise requiring greater supervision or monitoring by the instructor and therefore are not suitable for inclusion in group fitness training. 

• High impact movements for clients with incontinence or musculoskeletal conditions - When working with clients that are suffering from incontinence of musculoskeletal conditions, it is recommended that high impact movements will be avoided and this may include high-intensity aerobics training and jumping exercises.  This is because high impact exercises can: Weaken and put stress on the pubic floor, can cause impact fractures. and put major pressure on muscles and bones.

When selecting the safe and effective exercises and combinations of exercises to suit the needs of beginners, intermediate and advanced participants in the group, it is important to consider:

• Level of difficulty of choreography.

• Speed. 

• Logical sequencing.

• Allowing different add-ons for particular participants. 

• Combinations of exercises that have safe and easy transitions.

For example, look at this strength training workout detailed in a New York Times article. The nine exercises are broken into three sets of three.

• Beginner Workout - Do each exercise as hard as you can for one minute, followed by the next until you complete the first set. Then, take a one-minute break before moving onto set 2, in which the exercises should also be performed for one minute each.

• Intermediate and Advanced Workout - Once the 9-Minute Strength Training Workout starts to feel a little bit easy, start to increase the amount of time you do each exercise. Keep resting one minute between each set and you can tack on a 20-30 minute cardio warm-up as well.

Within the fitness industry, there are a range of recommended exercises, timing and frequencies in order to reach cardiovascular, strength, conditioning and flexibility goals. Such as:

• The recommended maximum frequency for cardiorespiratory training is five or six sessions a week with a minimum of three.

• The recommended frequency for resistance training is 3-4 days a week with a day’s rest between areas worked.

• Flexibility training can be conducted daily.

• Intensity levels and timeframes for exercises will be dependent on the needs and situation of the client including the desired outcomes of the program.

This video demonstrates an instructor conducting a group aerobics class effectively.

Being a good group exercise instructor means being a master of preparation and improvisation. The ability to adjust class session plans on the spot is a necessary skill to ensure that all participants have a safe and effective workout.

Some considerations prior to running a group exercise session:

• Resources required - Venue reserved and ready for your session and having access to any instructions and equipment or personnel required.

• Preparation of the area - All of the resources are set up in the exercise area in a safe and appropriate manner. Allowing enough space for safe, practical and logical use according to the sequence planned. Conduct a risk assessment of the area and also check ventilation and air temperature.

• Maintenance requirements for equipment - Check any equipment for damage or faults and review maintenance schedules if applicable. Document any issues and notify appropriate personnel for fixing.

• Personal introduction - Welcome participants, introduce self, provide an opportunity for group members to approach instructor individually, gain trust and ease any nerves. Engage the group with strong body language, good articulation and eye contact.

• Verbal pre-screen - Perform a verbal pre-screen for confirmation that you assessed clients for their capacity to independently participate in the session, and modify the session as required to suit the specific and individual needs of participants.

• Instructions provided to the participants - Including: emergency procedures, safety and precautions, appropriate and safe footwear and clothing, housekeeping rules.

• Equipment use - Demonstrate equipment set up, correct use including safe mounting and dismounting, and emergency stop procedures. 

• Explanation of each exercise - Tell the participants what the exercise or activity is trying to achieve and what they should feel happening in their muscles and body. Explain briefly the reasons why and how the exercise produces the desired effect. Give a verbal description of how to do the activity. Make sure the instructions on how to do the exercise or activity are clear and unambiguous. Don't give long-winded explanations. Ask for any questions and answer them with only the required information. Again don't give long-winded explanations.

• Demonstration of each exercise - Provide a visual display of how to do the activity. Either perform it in front of the participants slowly with verbal instructions or use a visual display. Follow this with a demonstration in real-time at a normal to slow pace. Remember beginners may not be able to keep up with your more experienced and therefore rapid execution of a particular exercise. Break the total activity down into manageable sized steps. Talk through what you are showing, giving the main teaching points and indicate places where errors may occur.

This video demonstrates a trainer instructing a group circuit training session.

Direct participants to their starting area or equipment, individually or in groups. Place participants in the correct position to start the exercise. This may involve placing hands or feet in a correct position or aligning the body correctly.

Provide verbal cues on what to do. Tell the clients what, when, where, and how they need to do each exercise. Provide visual cues on what to do. Give hand signs when an activity is about to change. Demonstrate the next actions while participants are continuing with the current action. Cues need to be clear, precise instructions and should be timely - just before the action is to be performed.

Use appropriate motivational techniques to encourage exercise adherence. Understand the participant's motivation and align the program with their needs and goals.

This may include: 

• Setting short term goals (ie. one session length or one month's time) and setting goals that are achievable. 

• Varying the exercise to ensure it is fun.

• Providing encouragement and support to the group. 

• Monitor and celebrate positive outcomes. 

• Communicating effectively. 

• Tracking progress.

• Involve the clients in fitness plan decision making.

Use appropriate techniques to encourage group cohesion throughout the session. Such as:

• Group praising.

• Praising of individual effort and achievement to the group.

• Encouragement of intergroup communication and comradery.

• Managing conflicts appropriately as they arise. Conflicts can be managed through mediation and negotiation.

Monitor the participation, performance and exercise intensity of each participant. Monitor correct exercise techniques and breathing. As required throughout the session, respond appropriately to any participants experiencing difficulties and answer any questions raised.

Provide feedback by communicating to participant's when they perform a move correctly, or where changes or adjustments need to be made. But don’t inundate them with too much feedback, keep focused on the most important corrections, especially when it comes to safety. As a participant becomes more proficient at the movement, external feedback should be offered less frequently.

Modify the activity to cater for a multi-level group. This may mean:

• Providing alternative exercises such as advanced and beginner versions so that participants are both suitably challenged and not intimidated.

• Reducing load or volume.

• Reducing intensity.

• Removing part of the session.

• Altering choreography.

Intervention strategies should be implemented if exercise is found to be unsafe or a contra-indicator to healthy fitness training. Intervention can be stopping and assessing the exercise before continuing or modifying the exercise, slowing the pace, or moving on to a different exercise altogether. Equipment can also be modified or used in a different way to suite a need. For example, removing weights or reducing speed or tension, moving on to different exercises conducted on the same equipment, or placing safety guards or emergency releases on. Any modifications must be added to the session plan for future sessions with the group.

Evaluation is the structured interpretation and giving of meaning to predicted or actual impacts of proposals or results. It looks at original objectives, and at what is either predicted or what was accomplished and how it was accomplished.

The process of evaluating a group exercise session includes: