Like it or loathe it, there are many benefits to Group Fitness sessions in Ascot. From the motivation boost of pushing yourself alongside others to it’s cost effectivness, Boot Camp is here to stay. The concept of group fitness is simple but what makes a successful Boot Camp? There are Boot Camps to suit all people, all with a different niche or twist, but some factors are a must for group fitness to be successful. Here, I take a look at the key considerations for Group Fitness sessions in Ascot that we offer.
Cover all Bases of Client Need
Go into any sports team and ask each athlete to give you there reason for taking part, and your likely to get a number of different responses. For some it will be about competition. Others will use it as a primary means of keeping fit and then for others it’s all about the social benefits of playing in a team. The same is true of any Boot Camp or Group Fitness sessions in Ascot. People come for different reasons, and these reasons may change over time too. Therefore, when planning and delivering a session it is important to cater to these different needs.
The structure of the session must cater for those who like to push themselves and burn loads of calories. This comes from ensuring the exercises are challenging enough and that the work to rest ratio’s provide a high metabolic stimulus. Mixing up short and long efforts with short breaks should see most get the aerobic and anaerobic work that they seek. Allowing people to work together also provides a motivational and social element. Sure, some people are going to enjoy a natter. Boot Camp provides an opportunity to catch up with friends whilst being active – so let them!
Keep it Really Simple
I can hold my hand up and say that I’ve designed my fair share of unsuccessful Group Fitness sessions in Ascot. Usually, these result from me over complicating things. I spend my days thinking about exercise and the many variations. The clients I work with do not! Just because I find an exercise too basic doesn’t mean that it isn’t just right for the class. Keeping exercises simple and relatively consistent (I only introduce 1-2 new variants at a time) helps sessions run smoothly. This is because individuals are not struggling to get to grips with a new technique or having to ask questions on how to perform it. Too many complex exercises require too long to explain and will slow the flow of your session (annoying the calorie counters!).
Whilst simplicity is important this does not mean that you don’t have scaled and progressive versions in your locker to give to certain individuals. Being able to adapt an exercise to suit the individual where the real value exists for the client. It’s often subtle too. Keeping the overall session simple in structure and content free’s me up to individualise the session. This hopefully keeps people coming back and keeps them away from needing local sports medicine professionals!