EMD UK has developed a Group Training CPD option designed to equip personal trainers with the skills and knowledge needed to run group exercise sessions
The UK fitness industry is the healthiest it’s ever been, according to the 2019 State of the UK Fitness Industry Report. With more gyms, more members and the largest market value to date, the industry is reaching more of the population than ever. The question now is, how do we keep these people engaged?
In our recent white paper , we showcased the many social, mental and physical benefits that group exercise has to offer. The white paper, entitled Sweating Your Assets: The Value of Group Exercise, also highlights some valuable business insight on the activity, including:
- Members that attend group exercise classes are 26% less likely to cancel their gym membership[1]
- Group exercise is more profitable per square metre than cardio or weights areas[2]
- Upskilling instructors has a direct impact on class occupancy and member retention[3]
It’s clear that group exercise is a smart business choice. Nearly five million people take part in group exercise every week, a growth of one million since 2016[4], and as this trend grows, there is one thing you can do to ensure you’re at the forefront; upskill your personal trainers.
The existing Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training is written for working 1-2-1 with clients in order to create bespoke programmes for individual fitness goals. The syllabus does not set out how to programme group exercise sessions, as personal trainers generally work with one person at a time; the clue’s in the name.
The recently launched Level 2 Group Training Qualification and revamped Level 2 Group Training to Music Qualification (formerly Exercise to Music), developed by EMD UK and ActiveIQ, are the base qualifications for teaching group exercise classes. They’re designed for programming exercise in group settings with key skills in how to use beats, phrasing and music, as well as a variety of training protocols.
Of course, it would be counterproductive to send a personal trainer on a full Level 2 Qualification. EMD UK know this and have developed a 16-hour Group Training CPD option, designed to equip PTs with the skills and knowledge needed to run group exercise sessions; a very different environment to 1-2-1 training. Coaching a group environment involves communicating information to different people, reading the group dynamic and being able to react and respond to differing group needs, all key to creating a safe, effective and inclusive group exercise classes. The CPD option has been tried and tested by EMD UK, ensuring course attendees leave with the correct skills, knowledge and confidence to lead their own classes. The course strips away the modules already covered by the course attendees’ previous qualifications and is worth 4 CIMSPA points and 2 REPs points.
Investing in your workforce is an incredibly valuable business opportunity. Only 42% of personal trainers say they feel secure in their job[5], making the chances of them being tempted away by other work quite high. Although your staff may not stay with you forever, it’s likely they’ll stay with your business a lot longer when they feel valued. Giving them the tools to instruct an increasingly popular trend is a step in the right direction.
The EMD UK Group Training CPD has dates running throughout 2020. To discuss the available opportunities, call EMD UK on 01403 266000. You can also email on training@emduk.org or visit the the group training CPD on our website here.
If you want to learn more about how group exercise is increasing the value of businesses, download your copy of Sweating Your Assets: The Value of Group Exercise here
[1] The Retention People, 2013
[2] Les Mills Insights 2019: raise revenue, reward instructors
[3] Les Mills Insights 2019: raise revenue, reward instructors
[4] EMD UK National Fitness Survey, 2018
[5] Insure4sport, 2018
