Tips from Angie | AFAA Blog

#1 Best Test to See if You're a Good Instructor!

How do you know if you’re a good instructor? Is it based on member feedback, if you have a great following, or how your director evaluates you? Even if you are an amazing instructor... READ MORE

Three Tips to Master the Art of Cueing

Have you ever taken a group fitness class from an instructor who has great choreography and a good personality, but they can’t cue? What might have been an amazing class... READ MORE

Why Do Some People Hate Group Fitness Classes?

I know it’s hard to imagine, but some people don’t like group fitness classes. As much as we love the energy and connection of groups moving together... READ MORE

Are You the Reason Your Members Are Mean?

Have you ever subbed for an instructor whose members didn’t show up, and the ones who did were less than kind and appreciative? As instructors... READ MORE

Five Fears and Five Truths About Yoga

Yoga, that place we go to bend, stretch, be one with our breath. It sounds so relaxing and inviting, so why is it so scary? The truth is, there are a lot... READ MORE

What Do We Do When We Get Injured?

As fitness professionals, we often struggle to take our own advice, to slow down, listen to our body, and admit that we aren’t invincible. But injuries... READ MORE

Creative Core Moves with Small Balls

Are you looking for some new tools and a few new tips to use them? Today Angie shares three core moves using small, soft, stability balls. Small balls are...READ MORE

Are You A Fitness Director’s Worst Nightmare?

Do you get a lot of subs, overshare with the members, or have the diva syndrome? You know what it’s like when members behave badly, but what...READ MORE

Motivation Matters! 50 Phrases to Make Your Participants Want to Move!

Are you running out of clever ways to cue using the same words and phrases you’ve said countless times? Word economy is critical in cueing because less is more and timing is everything. That means...READ MORE

We can lead, but can we listen? Why good listeners make great leaders!

Is there any better feeling than telling a story, knowing that the person you’re speaking to is authentically engaged? When people listen to what we have to say, we feel validated and understood.READ MORE

What Do You Do When It's More Serious Than Pre-Class Jitters?

The other week I filmed a video about nervous energy and all the ways we can use it to our advantage before we teach class. Nervous energy can inspire us to cultivate our skill set and deliver...READ MORE

How to Avoid Instructor Burnout

Are you getting burned out? Are you tired of teaching the same class and hearing yourself repeat the same cues? Are you craving inspiration, or dreaming about a vacation? This week, Angie talks to...READ MORE

Do you get nervous before you teach your fitness classes?

Whether you’re a novice or seasoned group fitness instructor, you’re not alone if you get nervous before you teach your fitness classes. Nervous energy can be a great motivator, and this week, Angie shares some ways that...READ MORE

Summer Motivation: How to Keep Members Coming to Class

Have you ever had a member tell you they're going to be on vacation for a week and you don't see them for a few months? This week, Angie talks about exercise relapse and how to help your members avoid the trap...READ MORE

Kettlebell Combination – Part II

Kettlebells are dynamic and challenging and they train the whole body. They’re also choreography free, and that’s something a lot of participants appreciate. Last month, Angie shared a kettlebell combination...READ MORE

How to Deal with a Disruptive Member

We’ve all been there. We’ve come to class prepared and eager to lead, only to discover that there’s that one person- the one who won’t stop talking to the people around them, who answers their cell during class...READ MORE

Four Assumptions We Never Want to Make

Do you let that one negative person get in your head, or take responsibility for everyone getting a great workout? Sometimes as group fitness instructors, we make assumptions that get in the way of best practices, cause us to take ...READ MORE

Kettlebell Combination for Group Fitness

Kettlebells are a great tool to use in small and large group fitness classes. You can use them in circuit or bootcamp style classes, or devote an entire class to kettlebell training. Grouping exercises into kettlebell sets that progress in intensity ...READ MORE

How to Sub like a Boss!

Subbing can be scary. When we step in to fill the shoes of someone who has already built a loyal community of followers, it’s not an easy task. But who says leadership is easy? Subbing takes us out of our comfort zone and that’s a great place...READ MORE

How To Care For Yourself So You Can Care For Others

As instructors, we’re social, energetic people, and our bucket feels full when we’re helping others; but it’s no secret that if we fail to nurture our own needs, we risk burnout, stress, frustration, fatigue, and even resentment...READ MORE

Part II - Are You Making These Mistakes? Six Ways to Spot a Bad Instructor!

As group fitness instructors, we know that mistakes are part of the job. The key is to recognize and learn from them so they don't become bad habits. The other week Angie shared three mistakes we want to avoid making, and...READ MORE

Are you making these mistakes? Six Ways to Spot a Bad Instructor!

Instructors are like magicians. We can make unbelievable things happen, keep our audience captivated, and trick them into thinking it’s effortless, but we do make “mistakes." It’s part of the job and...READ MORE

Body Language: It’s What You’re Not Saying That Matters Most

Group fitness instructors who are true leaders command presence. These leaders know that words matter, but more importantly, they understand that their body sends signals that speaks a language...READ MORE

What if we passed the mic to a member? Four lessons (we hope) they’d learn

Have you ever fantasized about handing the mic to someone in class to show them what it’s like to get a room full of people to do the same thing at the same time...READ MORE

How to Build Body Confidence

As group fitness instructors we're all about building body confidence in others, but what about us? Body confidence, in a body conscious industry, can be hard to hold on to...READ MORE

Three Tips to Take Stress in Stride

How do you manage stress? Stress affects all of us, but what sets us apart is our ability to rise to the occasion. If we adopt critical coping techniques, we can learn to take stress in stride...READ MORE

Three Great Gifts to Give to Your Members

As group fitness instructors we have the opportunity to give gifts that don’t cost anything, but make a big impact on how others feel, especially during the holidays. Whether our members and fellow...READ MORE

Motivate Members to Make Positive Change- Focus on Solutions (Part II)

Legs, Shoulders & Biceps – Oh My! Total Body Resistance Exercises

Today Angie shows you a movement series that you can implement into your strength training classes or other fusion formats. You’ll see how easy it is to layer exercises, and to make them more dynamic and...READ MORE

Motivate Members to Make Positive Change- Focus on Solutions (Part II)

As the new year approaches so do new year’s resolutions and the challenge of change. This week, Angie shares three questions that can help members see change as something positive they’re...READ MORE

Motivate Members to Make Positive Change- Focus on Solutions

As the new year approaches so do new year’s resolutions and all the ways that our members want to make change. Change is much more motivating if we shift our focus from the problem...READ MORE

Winning Warm Ups: Mental Strategies to Maximize Participant Performance

Quality effective warm ups physically prepare participants for what lies ahead. More importantly, they mentally empower them to make the... READ MORE

Ball Blast- Stability Ball Exercises for Group Fitness

Stability ball exercises are fun and challenging and they’re a great way to bring dynamic balance challenges and glute targeted exercises to group... READ MORE

How to Increase Your Value as an Instructor

This week, Angie shares some ways that you can increase your value as an instructor. She can’t guarantee that these tips will put more money in your... READ MORE

Meditation, Self-Care, and World Mental Health Day

Today is World Mental Health Day so it's the perfect day to talk about improving our own mental wellness, and in turn passing this along to our participants. READ MORE

Cool Tips for a Cool Down- Add Meaning to Movement

The cool down is the perfect time to add meaning to movement and make the experience personal to each participant. By adding visualization and... READ MORE

How to Build Momentum, Boost Your Class Numbers and Grow Your Following

As group fitness instructors we know that the only way to keep our classes is to fill our classes! That means that we need strategies to build momentum and motivate... READ MORE

Words Matter! Positive Cues to Coach Your Participants to the Next Level!

Words matter, and the words we use impact mindset of our participants. While our intentions are good, sometimes words meant to motivate... READ MORE

Partner Exercises

Are you looking for ways to build motivation and create better connection among participants? Two people can make one exercise twice as fun, and... READ MORE

Mistakes, Challenges and Embarrassing Moments as an Instructor

As group fitness instructors we teach potentially hundreds of participants every week, and that means that things can and will go wrong... READ MORE

The Power Of Group Fitness: Why Group Classes Are One Of The Best Ways To Build A Love For Exercise

We all want to inspire others to exercise, but more importantly we want them to love the experience. This week Angie shares four pivotal reasons... READ MORE

How to Use Your CEU's to Grow Your Mind And Your Business

As AFAA certified group fitness instructors we're always in pursuit of continuing education so that we can renew our certification every two years. This week... READ MORE

Indoor Cycling Inspiration

What group exercise format gives you a great cardiovascular workout with no impact and gives new meaning to spinning your wheels? Here at AFAA... READ MORE

Three Reasons To Teach Yoga

Have you thought about teaching yoga? As group fitness instructors we thrive when we're leading large groups. Most of us teach multiple formats... READ MORE

The Art of Designing Choreography Part 2

Creating choreography is not as complex as it seems. In her last video, Angie showed you a simple method to design choreography and teach 32-count sequences. READ MORE

The Art Of Designing Choreography

Do you struggle to create choreography for your classes? This week, Angie teaches you a simple method to design choreography and teach 32 count sequences... READ MORE

Cardio Modifications

Dance, step, cardio kickboxing, and other cardio based classes are a great way to get our members moving, and modifications make all the difference when... READ MORE

The Exerciser Continuum

One of the greatest challenges that group fitness instructors face is teaching to exercisers of all ages and abilities. We are charged with the task of designing... READ MORE

Floor to Standing Transfer For Older Adults

If you teach older adult fitness classes, you'll want to check out this week's video. Last week Angie shared tips on neuromotor training and... READ MORE

Neuromotor Training for Older Adults

Do you teach older adult fitness classes? If so, you know that motivation for exercise often changes as we age, with more emphasis on feeling better... READ MORE

Summer Motivation

We just celebrated Memorial Day and that means summer is on its way! It's three months of pure bliss where we get to enjoy the sunshine, warm weather, beaches... READ MORE

Help Class Participants Make the Most of Every Moment

As global group fitness leaders, we can give our participants more than the gift of sweat. When we share mindset strategies and motivational messages, we create a positive climate in our classes... READ MORE

Constructive Criticism vs. Destructive Criticism

We love when our participants appreciate our workouts and share their positive thoughts. As amazing as this feels, we also hear feedback in the form of criticism and that can... READ MORE

Three Tips For Instructor Self Care

As group fitness instructors, we put a lot of time into taking care of our participants. Sometimes we get so caught up in pleasing others that we put our personal needs aside... READ MORE

How Travel Can Transform Teaching

This week Angie joins us from New Zealand to show us that traveling and teaching have a lot in common. Check out her video for five travel lessons that have... READ MORE

How To Keep Class Participants Engaged

Have you ever had to deal with difficult participant behavior? Though participants don’t set out to create difficulty for others, when they text, talk, or even answer... READ MORE

Five Ways To Improve As An Instructor

Do you ever wonder if participants have pet peeves about instructors? Last week we talked about difficult participant behavior, and this week we asked what... READ MORE

Angie's One Favorite Move

Do you have a favorite exercise you love to teach in your group fitness classes? Sometimes we love our favorite exercise so much that we wonder if our members tire of doing... READ MORE

The Power Of Resilience - Part 2

How flexible are you? Physical flexibility is important, but mental flexibility is what matters most when we're challenged by unexpected circumstances... READ MORE

The Power Of Resilience

Are you resilient? Resilience is what we call upon when faced with big life changes and unexpected circumstances. Resilience helps us bounce back... READ MORE

Cueing Tips for Group Fitness Instruction

Whether you teach yoga, step, or strength classes, cue before you do is the golden rule in group fitness instruction. As leaders of large groups we know that we're only as effective as the quality of instruction we provide. No matter how creative our choreography or how energetic our personality, efficient... READ MORE

Tips to Tackle Names

Tips to Tackle Names Do you struggle to remember the names of your participants? It can be a real challenge when you teach multiple classes at more than one club. But we all know how amaz... READ MORE

Successfully Starting Over

When we move, whether it’s across the country or to city nearby, we have to start fresh in group fitness. Being the new instructor comes with its challenges, but it’s a great testament to our skills to excel in different environments. This week, Angie shares some tips to help you start over successfully. Like... READ MORE

Group Fitness: Substitute Teaching Do’s and Don’ts

Have you ever said yes to subbing, then have second thoughts? Subbing can be scary, but it's a great opportunity to strengthen your leadership skills and build your reputation. The challenge of teaching... READ MORE

Core Focused, Yoga Inspired Exercise

Movement inspires movement, and sometimes it just takes one exercise to spark our creativity. This week, Angie Miller shares a core focused, yoga inspired exercise that challenges the mind and body. This smooth, rhythmic exercise is all about weight distribution and quality movement. Whether you teach body weig... READ MORE

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