Take Control of Group Fitness

by Cathy Spencer-Browning

For many clubs, group fitness is the way of the future. When people join a club, many soon realize that what keeps them coming back is no the solidarity of the equipment and the television, but the relationships that they develop and the “experience” that they have. Your group fitness program can be a main source of this social experience and, if properly managed, it can increase retention and profitability.

Take Control
Often, group fitness programs suffer because of a lack of quality control, which results in a decreased quality of product. This causes decreased participation and leads to struggling group fitness programs that often can’t attract quality instructors. However, group fitness programs can be successful and profitable if they are given the same organization and intensity of effort as you give your other departments. However, this may involve a paradigm shift for some club owners and group fitness managers, and a more “take control” attitude.

A model of a success is Les Mills World of Fitness in Auckland, New Zealand, which has 20,000 square feet allocated to group fitness (approximately 33% of its club space) and 11,500 members paying monthly dues of $85. Les Mills serves more than 8,000 visits per week through its group fitness program, conducting 140 classes with up to 300 participants in some classes. Their secret, according to President Phillip Mills, is to “maintain quality control of your product. We treat group fitness classes as a club product.”

The following five points summarize the Les Mills model and what’s needed to create a successful group fitness program.

Keep the End in Mind
What is your group fitness Utopia? One goal is to fill your group fitness room to capacity at all peak time slots. Many club owners seem content with small numbers, but there is potential to do more. The first step is to want to change it, but nothing will change unless you have to drive to make changes and a goal to work toward.

Know What your Members Want
Walk in your members’ shoes. Too often, instructors make programming decisions based on insufficient information and research. Most group fitness programs have suffered severely because programming became too complex and too inconsistent, which has lead to a decline in member participation.

What members want from group fitness is quite simple. They assess two elements: the program and the instructor. They expect they the program to be consistent and want it to give results, to allow them to feel successful and to provide a memorable experience. When most members assess instructors, they want entertainment, not education. The instructor also needs to be consistent and reliable.

Your members will usually walk away from a group fitness experience and make a decision, “Will I do it again?” Members’ group fitness experience must be positive with both program and instructor to keep them coming back. How do you assess whether your member’s experiences are positive? One answer is in class numbers. When class numbers are down, it is usually one of two types of problems. It could be a fixed problem, which could include time slot or room design. Alternatively, it could be a variable problem, either the program or the instructor.

The most important members to interview about your group fitness program are the ones who no longer participate. They can give you valuable insight into your product and equally as important, your member’s perception of your product. Only listening to your most vocal participants can steer your program in the wrong direction.

Aim to Increase Class Numbers
With most programs or instructor issues, an important question to ask is, “Does it increase class numbers?” Group fitness should be treated as a business within a business, just as personal training is. One element that affects class numbers is scheduling. A good schedule is like a good restaurant menu. It has seven main courses and some specials that are interchangeable after the success and or failure of a main menu item. A good schedule also has the following characteristics:

Mass appeal. Does your schedule cater to most of the people most of the time? Do your programs match your members’ demographics?

Consistency. Your schedule should be consistent in times, programs and instructor delivery. If a member experiences two classes with the same name that are very different, that may confuse or disappoint them. This signals an instructor driven schedule and your class names or brands have little value.

Program driven. Instructor control is a difficult issue, but the more control you have over product delivery, the more control you have over your whole program. Many clubs have lost control of their product to instructors. An instructor driven schedule is one where people leave when a sub shows up. A program driven schedule is where the member decides what class to take based on the program, not just who is teaching.

Focus. Keep your group fitness schedule from becoming overwhelming. Are your members on the treadmills because they want to be or because they do not understand the classes and their benefits on your schedule?

Variable. Permanent schedules can create boredom. A schedule that moves and evolves (preferably by season) can keep your members involved and can make change positive. In addition, you will never know what the potential of a time slot or program is until you mix things up. For example, to see what the potential of an early morning time slot, you need to put your best instructor and your best program there.

Measure it or you Can't Manage It
In order to effectively manage your group fitness program you must measure it. Accurately tracking your group fitness participation is a must. You can't have instructors count their own class numbers. You must find a system to ensure this is done.
• Front desk can record what type of workout the member is going to do that day.
• Disk system. All members attending a class receive a disk that instructors collect before class. The instructor then matches the number of disks collected with the number the front desk handed out.
• Build responsibility or class count into front desk, general manager or floor personnel. Count should be done halfway through class.
• Camera system can be used to photograph class and then tally numbers.

Once you have measurements, you can start to assess all aspects of your program, including team members and classes. At least, you should determine the following:
• Total group fitness visits.
• Percentage of group fitness visits to total club visits.
• Total participation by program, i.e. step, cycling, yoga.
• Average class participation.
• Average class participation by program.
• Your top performing instructor.

Group Fitness as an Assett
Group fitness is one of the largest untapped resources within clubs. When group fitness is thriving, it is the pulse of a club. It contains an energy that can’t be replicated in any other part of the club. By taking control of your group fitness program, you’ll be able to service your members more cost effectively, increase referrals, increase retention and increase profits.

CATHY SPENCER-BROWNING, B.S. Human Movement

Australian Cathy Spencer-Browning is Body Training Systems’ National Training and Program Director for North America. Cathy is an International Master Trainer for Les Mills International and has served on the ACE Faculty Advisory Board. Cathy was nominated Australia’s top industry award, the 2001 Network Fitness Professional of the Year. Cathy holds a degree in exercise science and is an established presenter, trainer, lecturer and keynote speaker in 16 countries worldwide.

Magazine Main Page