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Group Fitness Instructor
Fitness & WellnessYou teach classes — spin, yoga, HIIT, Zumba, whatever the gym schedule says — and your primary job is to make exercise feel less terrible through sheer force of personality. You're performing while working out, and the energy has to stay at a 10 even when your body is at a 3. The pay is per class, which means you're probably teaching at three different gyms to make rent.
Salary Range
Low
$20k
Median
$30k
High
$45k
10-Year Growth
14%
US Workers
310K
Education
Group fitness certification (ACE, AFAA, NASM-GFS)
Environment
indoor
Tools & Technical Skills
- ▸Group fitness certification (ACE, AFAA, NASM-GFS)
- ▸Music cueing & choreography
- ▸Microphone & audio equipment setup
- ▸Exercise modification techniques
- ▸CPR & first aid certification
- ▸Class format design (HIIT, spin, yoga, Zumba)
People & Mindset Skills
- ▸High energy & enthusiasm
- ▸Public performance
- ▸Motivation skills
- ▸Adaptability
- ▸Time management
- ▸Communication
- ▸Crowd reading
Learn the skills
Courses and certifications to get you job-ready
CPR & first aid certification
What you'll actually do
- 01Lead group fitness classes while projecting enthusiasm you may not feel at 6 AM
- 02Choreograph or plan class routines and playlists
- 03Set up and break down equipment before and after classes
- 04Modify exercises for different fitness levels without singling anyone out
- 05Build a following because your paycheck depends on class attendance
- 06Teach back-to-back classes and somehow make the second one as energetic as the first
Related Shifts
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