Tips to Take Fitness Virtual

We’re entering a new chapter in group fitness. More and more instructors are leaping toward virtual options to continue their classes, keep fresh, keep up with demand, and to keep from going insane without a work out. I know–because I’m one of them.

I’m not new to virtual fitness. My previous job in college admissions had me on the road – a lot. There was a time when I had to be gone for 20 straight days. At this point, I’d developed a nice following for group classes and I didn’t want to lose the momentum.This was in 2013 (which seems like a lifetime ago). I created a virtual fitness group.

It was awful. Mad props to those who were in that group and have STUCK BY ME to this day. How did you even deal? Before you go looking – I deleted that sucker. I should’ve kept it, I would really love to relive all of that. Groups were still relatively new for pages at this point so they were pretty simple. I did workouts in a park, next to my FAVORITE place in the world – the Flatirons, and the quality was beyond awful. This was before really good iPhone cameras. And I didn’t do anything with music because how was I going to do that while traveling? My most successful group classes are set to music, which is one of the elements that my clients love. So, I was pretty out of my league with that first group.

I tried to forget about it for a little while. I didn’t do like anything related to virtual challenges for at least two more years. When I finally did emerge from this brief period, I tried something different. I saw other fitness professionals create images with a workout to try at home. That was fun! I created several, and really enjoyed sharing the creative process on facebook.

But I wanted more. I started to create short instructional videos (with no sound) to go along with the written workout graphics. I liked this! It added a much-needed visual to show form and options.

Then, I started doing videos with video AND sound. Mind blown – it was so fun to walk through movements and share the videos with students. This proved especially helpful when we had snow days and forced class cancellations.

Some of my yogi mentors posted monthly challenges – I loved following them, sharing my challenge posture for the day, and then decided to create one, too. I created several monthly challenges – like Booty Blasters, All about those Abs, and special sessions like the 100 burpee challenge. that I posted on my fitness page, which were free and open to anyone. These were such a hit!

I created a hybrid monthly challenge/class special where anyone who participated in the challenge got to attend a final class free – this was the 31 Plank Challenge.

All of these events were done in stages, through trial and error. Each time I tried a new challenge, I learned more about offering virtual fitness.

I still wanted more. I wanted more community, more options, better options. I got over my fear of groups and started creating new virtual fitness groups. Each group has been bigger and better. At this point, I’m managing multiple groups at a time. Right now, I have a higher intensity and a lower impact group (register here) and a Buti group. I’m hosting LIVE videos in addition to recorded videos in these groups.

Hosting live video sessions, especially during a time when in-person classes aren’t possible, has been life changing. There’s such a great feeling of community when you’re working out with a group online. I have created tons of video workouts but there’s nothing like a live, go for it, workout.

I’m still working through the use of platforms like zoom – the sound is not the greatest, but I think I have a viable solution after hosting a couple of classes there.

I suspect many of my fitness friends are working through this idea of virtual fitness. So I’m here to share my best tips! I’ve created so many workouts and videos, and I feel like I’m all over this process. And I’m willing to share what I know!

FWA’s tips for taking fitness virtual

1. Keep it simple. No one can follow a ridiculous workout, hopping from here to there back to here… keep the workouts simple and easy-to follow. This tip also serves another purpose – don’t feel like you have to be everywhere, on every platform. If you’ve never done virtual fitness – try ONE platform. See how you like it. You can always do more.
2. Take the content seriously. There are definitely safety concerns when taking fitness virtual – you’re not there to check form, provide direct feedback, especially when you’re teaching a group virtual session. There are workarounds for this when doing 1:1, but that’s not something I currently offer. Here’s my charge to you – be super vigilant about creating good, smart, easy-to-follow content. It’s our job to provide top-notch content to our clients who trust us. This is also a good time to brush up with your insurance knowledge – contact your individual provider to determine if you can safely provide this feature.
3. Don’t take yourself seriously. Really, it’s ok. You can relax in front of the camera. Pretend that you’re with your class — this is one of the reasons I love live classes, because you can ask your students to comment, respond, as you’re going. I absolutely LOVE being in front of the camera, and I just act like my normal, goofy self. This might not be your thing, and that’s ok! See #7.
4. Start small. It might seem like you want to put ALL the things online. Start with one workout, or one type of workout. Focus on one medium. Start with a select group of clients who are your true blue crew. You can ALWAYS add. Related, I’ll share that I post and do live videos with my iPhone. That’s it, no fancy equipment. I did recently add a light ring and a tripod stand. And I use a bluetooth speaker. I also just purchased a podcast-worthy mic. But it was just me & my phone at first. When I figured out that I really love virtual fitness, I started adding on, building my equipment. If you try to do too much at once, you’ll never get started.
5. Be ready to fail. Just know it will happen. I had an awful first virtual group. I dusted myself off and got back into it when I was ready. I’ve gone live on broadcasts and had my computer fail me. It’s ok! You’re human. Make a joke about it and move to the next thing. The best thing you can do is get yourself super prepared for your first broadcast. Or, like #4, start small and share with just a few people if you’re super worried.
6. Keep going. If you really want this, keep going. Don’t give up, don’t stop. You got this, I believe in you!
7. It’s OK if it’s not for you. I cannot stress this enough — you’re not missing out or ‘missing the boat’ if you’re not offering what the next fit professional offers. You have to be true to yourself. It’s super easy to detect who wants to offer virtual and who is doing it because they think they have to do it. You don’t. But if you WANT to offer virtual fitness and just don’t know how, keep going! You will get there. I’m also super happy to lend a hand, just ask.

Best of luck to my fitness professional friends in this new chapter!