The Survival Guide to being a Group Exercise Instructor in the UK

I have been thinking about doing this type of blog for a while as I get asked a lot of questions by instructors and participants alike and to be honest, I thought it was would be great if there was a great big pool of information you can dip in and out of when you need to, so this page is a work in progress and you can check back for updates and I hope it will prove useful. It starts in a random order, with edits to come in time. This is what I have personally picked up over the last year and a bit of being a group exercise instructor and PT.

I want to become a Les Mills instructor, what do I do?

Know what you want to teach first and foremost, which program are you most passionate about. For me it was combat initially and the others followed from there. Be aware that fitpro/les mills are doing a very good job of churning as many instructors out of initial module training as they can. So if you’re looking for this as a full time job, make sure you work in the right area where there’s loads of classes available or need covering. Otherwise think of it as a nice part time hobby that you get paid for. Never take it too seriously no matter what happens! The actual process will be described below at some point:

If I’ve recently qualified as an instructor, what do I need to get started? You must have a PPL licence and public liability insurance, you shouldn’t really be working without it. Check you are covered by the clubs you teach for. A lot will expect and assume you have public liability insurance already when you go to teach with them.

How does all the self employment/tax etc work?

When you first start it can seem an absolute minefield sorting out being self employed and how much tax you earn. Generally some places will have you on payroll and they will sort the tax, albeit at basic rate, but then combine that in your tax return with the pay you get working freelance and it’ll all balance out come the end of the following financial year. Will give an example!

How do I get classes?

Luck, a lot of the time. It isn’t necessarily a testament of how good an instructor is as to who gets classes, it’s being in the right place at the right time when centres and clubs are looking for class instructors. The best way to start is being on the books for cover and then it’s a case of biding your time but also networking with other instructors where possible.

Can I make a career out of this?

Short answer – no. But that’s coming from the opinion of someone who has tried it. When you get a lot of cover it is great but this is very physically and mentally draining on the body. My advice is, yes, you’ll be busier but have a salaried job and do classes on the side if you want to be able to live comfortably. I’d advise if doing full time, get a salaried fitness instructor/PT post with classes and/or teach freestyle classes too as well as Les Mills to increase your employability.

How do I learn choreography?

I re-watch loads, I listen in the car, I give myself choreography deadlines to learn by, particularly as I have 4 programs to learn. Buy yourself a portable dvd player, best impulse buy I have ever bought. I take it and a DVD everywhere for me when I get a spare mo, saves me lugging my laptop around and getting distracted by the internet whilst watching. Write down choreography patterns, have rhyming words/cues you say with certain lyrics. Then listen to tracks and play choreography through in head and really do as much of it as physically as you can, as often as you can.

How do I develop confidence?

Time, experience and trying to not take feedback too personally, you have to develop a thicker skin with time. Take the constructive feedback, use it to make your class better but if it ain’t constructive, don’t think about it.

How do I deal with the downsides of instructing?

First of all it’s good to name some of the downsides. Coming soon, but I don’t want to look too negative!

What are the best ways of connecting with people in class?

For me its trying to be as approachable as I can be before class, then eye contact, facial expressions and I do like to go up to some people in class, even though I theoretically should always be at the front! Give lots of praise too and individualise where you can. Using names is really my top thing to do, when I can remember them