The ubiquitous Class pass logo

What I’ve learned about myself and the fitness industry from joining Class pass

I get more than just sweat or muscle burn

1. It takes great courage for a (group)fitness coach to acknowledge how other coaches conduct their classes and approach them with praise, admitting to them (and even yourself) that you’ve enjoyed their class. If one is unaware, reactively it’s much easier to judge or covert their ideas in the effort to hide our fear for the feeling of our own incompetence as a coach.
2. It takes humility to recognize that that as a fitness coach your fitness level has its limits as well and admit that you haven’t mastered all aspect of fitness, or how you’ve discovered how your own body’s imbalances are affecting your performances (heck you might still be lacking more so than the average in some aspects).
3. A fitness coach should have more compassion for their students. He/She shall not get annoyed when they stop before the timer beeps or just can’t do a certain ‘basic’ movement because everybody is in their own journey of fitness and they have probably maxed out their capability that is most likely different from another (or ours in this case).
4. A fitness coach should have more awareness to watch out for new students that come for his/her classes and make them feel welcome in a new environment, even a smile and a ‘how are ya doing’ makes a huge difference in making them feel acknowledged and comfortable, thus enhancing their workout experience and overall outlook on fitness- especially for beginners.
5. A fitness coach should demo once and make the students do it once together before the start of the actual workout (we learn much better by doing), because the feeling of confusion during the actual workout can be frustrating; and nobody likes to stand out and call out that they don’t understand what to do even when the coach asks if anybody has any questions most of the time anyway.
6. A fitness coach should provide various options of a workout to cater to all levels so the beginners don't feel intimidated and the regulars can still feel challenged. He/She should always reassure that it’s gonna be a tough workout so one doesn’t feel bad If one wasn’t able to complete it, as long as one does their best every time.
7. A fitness coach should always start on time regardless of how many people are late; otherwise, try to get people to talk to each other (perhaps propose a question they can ask each other) or talk to them before the class starts as they wait around. Most people want to talk but they just don’t know how/afraid to start.

Each studio/ gym space has its strength and weaknesses, each has its own specialty and style of conducting their classes, no one better than the other.

We can all learn from each other.

We’re not competitors, we’re collaborators.

Ultimately, we should all be working together to encourage our community to live a healthier lifestyle by moving more.

We should have the best intention at heart to help people- especially beginners ease into the world of fitness; to keep people motivated by providing variety in fitness and allowing people to explore and understand their bodies better; hoping that they are then able to see consistent fitness as a priority that will contribute to their long-term happiness and growth.

With my free trial, I managed to join 6 classes without paying for extra credits so I’ve definitely only touched upon a tiny portion of all the various types of workout classes offered out there, hence I’m unable to speak for all. However, I’ll make do with sharing the experiences I’ve had with that for now, and the learnings I’ve concocted till then (can’t wait to try all the other fancy offerings on the app!).

Some of this might not resonate with you, some of this might, but it doesn’t matter.

This is for my own reflection, and my intention for this article is to spark an inspiration within you to reflect on your own experiences (not just with Class Pass but in everyday events and life); and how we can relate these events (that we often take for granted/overlooked) to understanding more about yourself and the nature of our society.

Anyway, thank you for reading!

Follow me at Instagram: @thesunyogii

Also sign up for Classpass, or actually, message me and I’ll send you a referral link so that we both get to not only workout more but also save some $ hehe.