How do YOU stay motivated- Fitness Professionals? To Keep On….To be a Team Player….to be creative….to be more?
FITNESS INSTRUCTOR BURN OUT – it’s a real thing!
Being the one responsible for motivating others day after day requires a servant’s heart, cause we all know- their ain’t no big money in fitness j-o-b-s.
What I have found is fitness professionals get burned out when they feel unappreciated and “abused.” If they don’t feel respected, they won’t give respect.
This is where the director/manager role is critical. Recognizing this behavior, time of year, frustrations and more is a quality not all have/know.
First priority is making them feel valued. Not just fill them with fluff, but truly appreciate, acknowledge all the extra time, money, and the little details they do that is above and beyond the job description. (re-filling the towel basket, cleaning up tissues hanging on the floor, putting equipment away, taking care of the microphone, always turning volumes down on the stereo when done, Spending time after class chatting with members, promoting other instructor’s classes, etc).
If you are looking to help avoid fitness instructor burn out, as a manager, YOU have more control that you may think!
Here’s some ideas that will carry more weight than any dumbbell:
-Share positive comments or feedback you have received about them in an email.
-Hand write a thank you/appreciation card and surprise them by dropping it in their bag
-Help them finding subs
-Provide plenty opportunity for them to get further education at reasonable costs or even free
-Run specialty feature classes at different days/times featuring them and offer them double time pay
-Share free equipment, music, choreography
-Work to get new equipment and fix broken items ASAP
-Always have back up microphones, windscreens, batteries, bandaids, and tune belts.
-Don’t bog them down with admin troubles, budgets, or gripes
-Instructor of the week/month promo- video screens/signs
-Give them $5 starbucks GC each quarter they never miss a class
-Invite them to an open door policy where every idea is welcomed and considered
-Give them freedom to be creative with themed classes, promotion for their classes, and new ideas for formatting/classes
These are just some ideas – can you share any more? Please comment below and share this post if this has given you some great ideas to increase the value of your instructors and gym! Fitness Instructor burn out can easily happen and you can lose some pretty amazing instructors!
Being a fitness professional is insanely rewarding, heck I wouldn’t keep doing it for 25 years! BUT you do give A LOT A LOT A LOT for not much in return.
Fitness professionals have a shelf life and many don’t have a plan B for continuing this passion after their body, voice, and situation just can’t do it anymore. I really hope you will consider adding Beachbody Coaching in your gym bag of tricks as it has turned many fitness instructors into 6- 7 figure earners just doing what they continue to do.
Reach out to me if you want to use your influence and impact you have now to lay the foundation for your plan b- so that plan b is rolling full steam ahead when you are ready. email contactchristined@gmail.com or go to http://www.livefitoutloud.com to watch a video about coaching