7 ways to create a deeper connection with your class participants

There’s a big difference between delivering a workout and coaching an experience. The instructors people remember are the ones who are intentional and make participants feel seen and valued. A great instructor understands the difference between exercising to music and having a workout with music on in the background. They understand the difference between counting reps and creating connection and the difference between cueing and coaching layering.

Here’s what I’ve learned about coaching with intention, and how you can start building that deeper connection with every participant.

1. Start with your values

Before you can connect with anyone else, you need to know what you stand for as a coach. A question you can ask yourself, what are your top three coaching values? For me, they’re inclusion, connection, and empowerment.

Every cue I give, every playlist I build, every class I lead gets filtered through those three words. When your values are clear, your coaching stops being generic, it becomes more intentional and unmistakably you.

2. Program with purpose

A well-structured session gives every workout a clear purpose that leads to the goal. When you program with intention, you’re not just telling participants what to do, you’re teaching them the ‘why’ behind it.

That’s what encourages people come back to the class. It empowers them to stay consistent because they understand what they’re working toward, not just following along.

3. Build your coaching layers

I break coaching cues into three layers, and getting the order right keeps your class present, motivated, and out of autopilot:

• Instruction – introducing the move, format and technique, and offering regressions
• Progressions – using the imagination giving examples of what the move should look like, sharing options, and the “why” behind the movement
• Motivation – the challenge and final push they have built the confidence in what they are doing, here is where we remind them of their goal and keep them inspired

Layering coaching takes us out of autopilot and from repeating the same instructors, clichés or filler words. It keeps participants engaged and they are not just going through the motions, they know the ‘why’ of what they are doing, they are learning and feeling inspired.

4. Let the music do some of the talking

Music in a class isn’t the background music you get in a lift; it’s a big part of creating an unforgettable group exercise experience. There’s a real difference between exercising to music and delivering a workout with music.

When you engage with what’s playing, relating to the lyrics into your cues, matching your energy to the track, the whole session becomes more experiential. And don’t underestimate clarity: talking over the lyrics or losing mic clarity breaks the flow state you’re trying to build.

Get the music and the mic right and you have already created more connection.

5. Choose your language intentionally

The way you communicate shapes the energy of the room. Every word should have a purpose to guide, to inspire, or to educate. A few things I always come back to:

• Impactful intros and outros because first and last impressions count
• Embrace silence, less is more, and information needs room to land. Think of it like a sat nav, it doesn’t talk constantly, just when it’s need to know information
• Are you overusing cliché words like “guys,” “team,” “gang”
• Watch for filler words “so,” “as I said,” “amazing” that dilute your message
• Ask yourself if you actually need to repeat something, or if your coaching layers already covered it
• Keep it conversational, authentic, and intentional
• Pay attention to your voice, energy and intonation carry as much meaning as the words themselves. Our voice and delivery can either keep someone engaged or switch them off
• Explore the “why” what does it actually mean to engage your core?

6. Creating connection through body language

Body language and how we deliver speaks volumes so how can we create a deeper connection with our participant:

• Make eye contact
• Speak with intentional language
• Resist the urge to watch the clock
• Know your programming well enough that you’re not thinking about it or looking at a notebook on the floor!
• Share stories and experiences that connect on an emotional level
• Relate to the music and the flow state it creates
• Educate participants with fun facts along the way
• Ask questions, invite them into the room, don’t just talk at them
• Make the effort to learn names

7. Authenticity is the foundation

None of the above works if it isn’t genuine. The best person to be is yourself, unapologetically. Being authentic means being transparent and aligned with your values.

Naturally there may be things that get in the way of someone showing up authentically, fear of judgement, wanting validation or acceptance, expectations, comparison.

These are the things that pull coaches away from their own voice. But authenticity is worth pushing through them for. It builds trust, self belief, confidence, and strengthens your relationships with the people you coach.

To cultivate it, come back to the basics, know your values, embrace vulnerability, speak your truth, and act with integrity.

When you bring all of this together, your coaching does three things all at once:

Inspire – by leading by example, showing passion and purpose, having presence, and creating emotional connection.

Motivate – by encouraging growth, consistency, and self belief, using positive reinforcement, and showing support and compassion.

Educate – by making learning meaningful and practical, understanding that people learn differently (kinesthetic, visual, auditory), and always highlighting the why.

Final note

Creating a deeper connection with your class participants is about being more intentional. Know your values. Structure your language and coaching cues. Work with the music and show up as you are, because the best person to be is yourself.

That’s coaching with purpose.