What does a group exercise instructor do?
A group exercise instructor is responsible for leading fitness training and programs for different class groups. Group exercise instructors develop correct conditioning techniques, as well as observing the proper form of the student from their movements and exercises. A group exercise instructor also recommends nutritional foods and beverages that would help the students maintain a healthy lifestyle and development. They identify each student's strengths and weaknesses and develop comprehensive training programs to address their needs.
Group exercise instructor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real group exercise instructor resumes:
- Manage general fitness center cleanliness and coordinate group fitness instructor schedules
- Create classes base on high intensity cardio and strength training using a wide array of fitness equipment.
- Instruct a group of up to 50 people in exercises ranging from strength training to Zumba.
- Maintain up keep and cleanliness of the facility, restocking cleaning supplies, cleaning fitness equipment, and re-racking weights.
- Instruct classes and individuals in mat Pilates as well as on equipment including reformer, barrel, chair, and cadillac.
- Group equipment classes including springboard.
- Incorporate HIIT and Tabata training in fitness classes
- Hold personal trainer and group exercise certifications with ACSM and AFAA.
- Develop syllabus and overall course structure for both youth and staff.
- Develop and coordinate all programs that involve fitness, testing, group exercise and kids.
- Implement HiiT, RBT, and Tabata exercise to individuals and in a small group setting.
- Operate Pilates equipment including reformer, barrel, cadillac, power circles, bars and straps.
- Provide safe and effective group exercise classes including step aerobics, and Pilates for health club members.
- Teach group exercise classes in zumba, club strength, circuit, boot camp, and kickboxing classes.
- Help members to meet their fitness needs by teaching a variety of cardio and strength muscle conditioning classes.
Group exercise instructor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 36% of Group Exercise Instructors are proficient in CPR, Yoga, and Kids. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Communication skills, and Listening skills.
We break down the percentage of Group Exercise Instructors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- CPR, 36%
Maintain current CPR & other certifications through qualified continuing education.
- Yoga, 14%
Developed and instructed yoga program.
- Kids, 8%
Developed and coordinated all programs that involved fitness, testing, group exercise and kids.
- Customer Service, 7%
Deliver excellent customer service while aiding in member acquisition, participation, and satisfaction.
- AFAA, 6%
Certified Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) instructor that develops unique choreography for multiple styles of classes.
- Zumba, 4%
Lead participants through a variety of group exercise classes such as ZUMBA Fitness, and Les Mills: Body Combat.
Common skills that a group exercise instructor uses to do their job include "cpr," "yoga," and "kids." You can find details on the most important group exercise instructor responsibilities below.
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a group exercise instructor to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "many fitness trainers and instructors sell their services, motivating clients to hire them as personal trainers or to sign up for the classes they lead." Group exercise instructors often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "provide fitness assessments, customized programs, and personal training for guests of the lodge. "
Communication skills. Another essential skill to perform group exercise instructor duties is communication skills. Group exercise instructors responsibilities require that "fitness trainers and instructors must be able to clearly explain exercises that they demonstrate to clients." Group exercise instructors also use communication skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "thisentailed marketing, strong communication skills and customer service, as well as book- keeping and accounting. "
Listening skills. This is an important skill for group exercise instructors to perform their duties. For an example of how group exercise instructor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "fitness trainers and instructors must listen carefully to what clients tell them in order to determine the clients’ fitness levels and desired fitness goals." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a group exercise instructor: "communicated with the parents about any concerns or issues regarding their child enriching my customer service and conflict management skills. ".
Motivational skills. For certain group exercise instructor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "motivational skills." The day-to-day duties of a group exercise instructor rely on this skill, as "to keep clients coming back for more classes or to continue personal training, fitness trainers and instructors must keep their clients motivated." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what group exercise instructors do: "perform fitness assessments on clients monthly as a motivational tool and guide to plot their progress toward their goals. "
Physical fitness. A commonly-found skill in group exercise instructor job descriptions, "physical fitness" is essential to what group exercise instructors do. Group exercise instructor responsibilities rely on this skill because "fitness trainers and instructors must be able to lead classes and to demonstrate exercises to participants or their clients." You can also see how group exercise instructor duties rely on physical fitness in this resume example: "instructed group fitness classes including core conditioning, pilates, silver sneakers and water fitness. "
Problem-solving skills. Another skill commonly found on group exercise instructor job descriptions is "problem-solving skills." It can come up quite often in group exercise instructor duties, since "fitness trainers and instructors must evaluate members’ or client’s fitness levels and create appropriate fitness plans to meet their needs." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day group exercise instructor responsibilities: "establish new organizational memberships provided solution to members in the front desk established new clientele and delivered individualized personal fitness training"
The three companies that hire the most group exercise instructors are:
- Ymca Of Metropolitan Atlanta50 group exercise instructors jobs
- Gold's Gym35 group exercise instructors jobs
- THE MAX Challenge27 group exercise instructors jobs
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Compare different group exercise instructors
Group exercise instructor vs. Fitness coach
A fitness coach specializes in mentoring clients in their journey for a healthier lifestyle, assisting them in reaching their individual goals for physical fitness. Their responsibilities include developing training programs based on the clients' needs, facilitating physical fitness training sessions in an individual or group setting, learning the clients' medical histories for risk prevention, and monitoring the progress of clients, adjusting programs as needed. Furthermore, as a fitness coach, it is essential to build rapport with clients, motivating them to reach their goals.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, group exercise instructor responsibilities require skills like "yoga," "customer service," "afaa," and "zumba." Meanwhile a typical fitness coach has skills in areas such as "heart rate," "injury prevention," "team training," and "dumbbells." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Fitness coaches earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $39,656. On the other hand, group exercise instructors are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $41,459.On average, fitness coaches reach similar levels of education than group exercise instructors. Fitness coaches are 4.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Group exercise instructor vs. Life skills trainer
Life skills trainers are personal health professionals who provide training assistance and supervision to patients, such as personal care, financial management, and social integration. These trainers are required to assist their clients with disabilities with daily living activities while documenting their behaviors and personal hygiene. They can organize therapeutic activities for individuals or groups to maximize their quality of life. Life skills trainers must also assist in meal preparation as well as perform tasks that include glucose monitoring, insulin therapy, and diabetes management.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real group exercise instructor resumes. While group exercise instructor responsibilities can utilize skills like "yoga," "kids," "customer service," and "afaa," life skills trainers use skills like "medication administration," "therapeutic recreation," "medical appointments," and "direct support."
In general, life skills trainers achieve similar levels of education than group exercise instructors. They're 2.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Group exercise instructor vs. Fitness trainer
The job of a fitness trainer is to instruct and motivate individuals and groups in physical activities, including stretching, cardiovascular exercise, and strength training. The typical duties of a fitness trainer include demonstrating how to perform various exercises, guiding them during the exercise to improve fitness and minimize injuries, and monitoring their progress. As a fitness trainer, you are also responsible for explaining and enforcing safety rules on exercise equipment usage, recreational activities, and sports, and giving clients resources and information about weight control, lifestyle issues, and nutrition.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from group exercise instructor resumes include skills like "yoga," "kids," "afaa," and "zumba," whereas a fitness trainer is more likely to list skills in "group training," "program design," "fitness training," and "workout programs. "
Fitness trainers make a very good living in the hospitality industry with an average annual salary of $30,324. On the other hand, group exercise instructors are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $41,459.fitness trainers typically earn similar educational levels compared to group exercise instructors. Specifically, they're 3.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Group exercise instructor vs. Skills trainer
Skills Trainers are responsible for creating and teaching courses that are specialized for employees of an organization. Their duties include conducting initial analysis through questionnaires, surveys, and focus groups, create program budgeting, design training courses, organize the class schedule, produce study materials, and implement trial run. They track key performance metrics, create progress reports, and continuously improve training methodologies to deliver better results. Skills Trainers also work with outside vendors in using instructional technology to facilitate teaching.
Types of group exercise instructor
Updated January 8, 2025
