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The lack of qualified group fitness instructors has now reached crisis levels with many gyms offering lucrative opportunities to the lucky few who hold a qualification from Ireland’s NTC. A number of the newer training providers have closed their doors while others had to significantly reduce the number of students per course due to COVID restrictions. Among the number of training providers operating in Ireland most are not producing instructors who have the full skillset to meet the needs of the health fitness industry making NTC a unique training provider and a first choice for those seeking a career in the health fitness arena, especially those that are looking for the complete package of skills and knowledge.
Employers and managers in the Irish fitness sector are currently experiencing a huge shortage of qualified skilled instructors who can offer the full range of services to their customers. Many gyms find that although they can recruit instructors who can work in a gym setting, many of these Instructors do not have the skillset to teach a range of group fitness activities or exercise classes. The role of a Group Fitness Instructor is very different to a gym instructor and requires specialist knowledge and skills in terms of planning and instructing groups of individuals in a safe, effective and organised manner.
Group fitness classes will have a range of individuals, all wanting to get the most from their workout, from the beginner to the advanced, a pre or post natal individual, elderly clients or people with reduced mobility or co-ordination issues. The Instructor must be trained to ensure that they can cope with a range of individuals and know how and when to progress, modify and adapt movements on the spot, correct poor performance all whilst keeping the class moving and ensuring that all of the components of the workout are achieved.
Of course, another essential element in a class setting is to ensure that the participants experience a fun, enjoyable and empowering experience and this can be achieved by using great music to motivate individuals which will help them to adhere to a group class activity. The group fitness instructor should know about musical phrasing, timing and how to change the tempo of various components of the class to motivate participants to dig deeper and push harder in workouts.
A good group instructor will not only show good movement technique, but make sure that everyone in the class is executing each exercise the correct way. Not only is correct technique important for your muscles to reap the most out of every exercise, but it also helps develop an innate sense of body alignment, movement quality and reduce the risk of potential injuries.
Ireland’s National Training Centre (NTC) have been delivering the highest quality industry recognised and respected qualifications since 1985 and are Ireland’s leading educator in health fitness and bodywork therapies. NTC graduates are highly sought after by employers in the health and fitness industry due to the fact that on completion of their training, they can teach a range of great fitness classes in addition to being able to prescribe gym based exercise and 1-2-1 personal training programmes. They also have an extensive knowledge of exercise science, general health and wellbeing and have the tools they need to inspire and help others achieve a healthy lifestyle and meet their fitness goals.
For more information on the full comprehensive training course – the National Qualification in Exercise, Health Studies and Personal Training visit www.ntc.ie
If you are already a qualified gym instructor and want to bridge the gap to qualify as a group fitness instructor you can apply for the National Qualification in Group Fitness & Exercise to Music.
