As fitness instructors, the secret to keeping people coming back to your classes goes beyond coming up with cool choreography, orchestrating playlists that get everyone singing along, or your ability to deep dive into anything related to anatomy or exercise science.
Strengthening client connections and boosting class retention is all about understanding their needs, building trust, and fostering meaningful relationships. In this post, we’ll explore how relational mindfulness can enhance your classes and take your teaching to the next level!
The Mindful Approach to Client Engagement
Mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and aware in the moment, without judgment. When applied to class engagement, mindfulness can transform your interactions and create a more meaningful experience for both you and your clients. Here are some mindful strategies to deepen your client connections:
- Mindful Listening: When communicating with people before, during, and after class, practice active listening with your full presence. Listen not just to respond but to truly understand their needs, concerns, and goals. Mindful listening builds trust and shows your clients that you value their input.
- Empathy and Understanding: Cultivate empathy by putting yourself in the shoes of each person attending your class. Ask questions to better understand their challenges, motivations, and emotions. Approach each interaction with compassion and a genuine desire to help them succeed.
- Staying Present: During training sessions, stay fully present with your class. Minimize distractions and be attuned to how they are receiving and understanding your cues and their energy levels. Mindful presence is quite literally the secret sauce to setting your classes apart from the rest. It’s what gives you that it factor and enhances the quality of your instruction.
Understanding Relational Mindfulness
Relational mindfulness is the practice of being fully present and engaged in your interactions with others. It involves cultivating awareness, empathy, and authenticity in your relationships. For fitness instructors, relational mindfulness is about more than just instructing; it’s about understanding the whole person, building trust, and creating a supportive environment for growth.
The benefits of relational mindfulness for fitness instructors:
- Relational mindfulness cultivates empathy by encouraging you to see things from your clients’ perspective. By understanding their challenges, motivations, and goals, you can tailor your approach to meet their needs effectively.
- Mindful communication involves active listening, clear expression, and non-verbal cues that convey empathy and understanding.
- Relational mindfulness fosters trust and connection by creating a safe and supportive space for clients to express themselves authentically. When clients feel heard, understood, and valued, they are more likely to engage fully in their fitness journey.
Here are some ways to practice relational mindfulness as a fitness instructor:
- Practice deep listening: Go a step beyond active listening and make sure you’re really hearing your clients, not just waiting for what you can say in response to their concerns or questions. This includes reading body language and listening for not just the content but the feeling and emotion in what someone else is saying. Listen to your clients with full attention, being mindful of urges to interrupt and noticing judgements you might be making. Validate their experiences and leave room for pause and reflection. Not everything requires your response right away, you have time to think over your reply, and it’s okay not to have all the answers.
- Embrace Empathy: Put yourself in your clients’ shoes and consider their perspective as best you can. Try to understand their motivations and goals to tailor your guidance accordingly. You can likely remember what it was like to take your very first class or switch to a new gym, so keep an eye out for newbies and help them feel welcome in your class. Without making assumptions, you can get to know each of the people in your class so you can better empathize with their challenges and and celebrate their achievements.
- Create a Safe Space: Foster a safe and supportive environment where people feel comfortable expressing themselves and exploring their fitness journey. You have the ability to shape and create a non-judgmental environment where people feel comfortable sharing their thoughts, concerns, or asking questions. By using clear and concise cues, inclusive and compassionate language, and paying attention to your tone, body language, and non-verbal cues you can convey your warmth and genuine support of each person in your class. Consider how at some times students may only be able to hear you but not see you (i.e., online classes) or may only be able to see you but cannot hear you (i.e., your mic is off). Creating a safe space includes thinking of all the ways your students are “listening” to you, whether it’s with their ears or eyes. Pay attention to your non-verbal cues whenever you are interacting with the people in your class, even when class has yet to begin or you’re wrapping up before closing the studio. Be mindful of your body language, and consider what postures, level of eye contact, and facial expressions will convey warmth and encouragement. Effective communication around topics such as tactile cueing builds rapport and trust. Of course, you know to always respect client boundaries, but it’s also worth considering what makes you feel safe as the instructor.
- Provide Personalized Feedback: By practicing relational mindfulness techniques like deep listening and empathy, you’ll be better prepared to provide personalized support to the people in your class. Individual feedback is a delicate art, and it’s important to remember that people continue to do exercises they find fun and enjoyable. Your students are there to be encouraged, not be told everything they could correct. A good example for building empathy here to think how you learned to paint or draw in Kindergarten: did you prefer the art teacher that hovered and pointed out every time you made a mistake, or did you prefer the teacher highlighted what you did well and acknowledged your creativity. It’s your job to find a balance between guidance and shining a light on what your class is doing well. When appropriate mic up (i.e., feedback that focuses on strengths) or mic down (i.e., areas for improvement), as you give constructive feedback. Acknowledge your clients’ efforts and progress, by keeping an eye out for milestones (i.e., 50th class attended) and the steps class attendees are making towards their goals.
- Express Gratitude: Regularly show appreciation for your clients’ trust and commitment. Express gratitude for the opportunity to support them on their journey toward health and wellness. You can begin and end class not just by thanking everyone for their time and sharing how grateful you are to share a little bit of their day with them but also don’t forget to invite them back! Think about how a gracious hostess chats with everyone at the end of a party, or how you say goodbye to your best friend after a coffee date. You can show your appreciation and share your excitement over the thought of seeing them again, maybe even reminding them of the next time you’ll get together.
Embracing Relational Mindfulness
Your ability to connect deeply with your clients plays a pivotal role in their journey toward overall wellness and an even bigger role in your success as a fitness instructor. Beyond building confidence in your skills as an instructor, cueing with clarity, and your ability to plan epic classes, the secret to keeping people coming back again and again to your classes is fostering meaningful relationships that go beyond the surface. Beyond, “Hey class! So happy you’re here, let’s get started!” Your students will keep coming back time and again, crave your classes even, because of the connection and sense of belonging they feel when they attend. You can help each person in your class feel SEEN, and that makes all the difference.
Relational mindfulness lays the foundation for meaningful and lasting relationships between you and the people who attend your group fitness classes. Make relational mindfulness a core aspect of your teaching as a fitness instructor, and watch as your clients thrive and succeed not just in their fitness goals but also in their overall well-being.