You're leading a group functional training class. How do you keep clients engaged and motivated?

I always start classes with a smile. Having good music that is appropriate for the age group and facility is key. Being prepared with an organized lesson plan helps the class flow and holds the group interest. Telling a few jokes and personal stories helps the group engage and relate. Spend time before and after class with participants to answer questions and help them feel comfortable.

Get to know those who are in your class, ask for feedback, and share something about yourself, a funny story, or a joke. Challenge them to get more out of the class by increasing weights, getting, more reps in, and working towards a goal.

While it may be a group setting, being able to suit everyone's individual fitness needs is crucial. Take some time before the class to get to know about the participants etc. At my weekly class, I check in with all new participants to see if there is anything I should know (injuries/limitations/experience working out.) This helps me offer proper modifications for each exercise, helps prevent injury and gives everyone the opportunity to participate. This not only gives everyone the ability to participate but also keeps everyone motivated. People will feel like the class is personal even though it's a group setting.

One thing I find helpful is to get acquainted with your clients before,during and after each session. Communication is important as you want to be able to express to them the importance of specific modifications that work according to their needs . Teaching your clients to develop that awareness of listening to their bodies should something feel uncomfortable or painful . Also giving the advanced individual those challenging movements so they don't feel held back will keep a functional class flowing smoothly

I think the one thing I have found is just bring the fun, turn up the music, sell the energy and inspire connection! Connecting those in class to each other helps builds long lasting relationships with commonalities bringing them back time and time again.

El cambio es necesario y hace que la persona se motive aún más. La rutina es buena y necesaria solo para las cosas que debemos hacer de forma automática.

It’s a tough task to ask anyone to think about two things at the same time or for any person to feel two emotions at the same time. One will drive out the other as we zoom in on the other. So what I’ve found to work is giving clients a focus point by introducing a goal like achieving a certain intensity and reinforcing this throughout the class. This helps with driving out any distractions that may occur keeping them engaged and focused.