phys ed: creating genuine community

tricks + tips to find your people and keep them around <3

Going to a group fitness class that doesn’t have genuine community embedded within the culture is kind of like having a one night stand. It does the job, but it’s not anything special.

Now flip it in reverse: picture a time when you’ve gone to a class that does have a genuine community. The synergy of the room can be felt in your bones. It doesn’t even matter if you understand everything that’s going on in the class. You feel like you’re a part of something bigger than yourself. You know that whatever they’ve built has a magnetic pull that reels you into coming back next week (or even the next day).

In a post pandemic world where community is needed more than ever, it seems that the industry is ever expanding and community is shrinking. There is a literal stat that the fitness industry is growing at an annual rate of 8.7%. (!!!) That’s insane. So, why does community continue to decline, when the industry keeps growing?

What can we do as instructors, staff members and management (and students for that matter) to help build genuine community, to create a better life? And to save the fitness industry becoming as stale as a SALTINE CRACKER?

We all know that we need genuine community to be well and functioning human beings. I know for some of us that is hard to admit (especially if you’re an introvert).

But hear me out: A study in JAMA Psychiatry found that people with low levels of social support were 2.5 times more likely to experience depression compared to those with higher levels of support (Cohen & Wills, 1985).

Not only that, research shows that people with big social networks have a lower risk of mortality. A study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that social relationships can influence longevity similarly to known risk factors like smoking and alcohol consumption. Community encourages healthier behaviors, like exercise, balanced nutrition, and adherence to medical advice. Those in supportive environments are more likely to engage in health-promoting behaviors. (!!!)

I mean, duh. That is pretty obvious sh*t, but it still needs to be underscored and highlighted.

So, this brings me to my point of giving you all that you need to know on how to build sustainable, genuine community at your studio and within your classes.

NEWS FLASH: it needs to go beyond instructors. Managers and staff need to be a part of creating community amongst studios. If you wanna take it up a notch, there are things that upper management can be doing to build community in a genuine way too. We will touch on how to build community from an instructor level, staff level, and corporate (or upper management, whatever applies) level.

(I won’t be talking about how students can help build community within the industry because a lot of that would basically be me just telling you to be open-minded and open-hearted.) <3

STAFF

Anyone who works the front desk and is in/around the studio helping with the production of class. You play a HUGE part in building community, you are the first person these people see when they walk into the door. You are essentially hosting the studio. It is important what kind of vibe you bring, because that can ultimately set the tone for the experience. Here are a few tips for you:

• Remember names. Truly! It makes a difference! If a student is a regular and takes class more than 2x a week, treat them like royalty.

• Treat everyone like royalty.

• If it is a student’s first time at the studio, don’t be afraid to overdo it. Show them where everything is. Imagine someone stepping foot into your home for the first time. It can be a little weird for them. Their confusion doesn’t mean they don’t want to be there, it just means they need your help on how to orient themselves in the space. :)

• If a student favors a certain instructor, get them to take their different time slots that attract certain crowds of people that are aligned with their energy. (Ex. Sunday morning they might like the crowd more because the instructor plays more alternative music compared to the Friday night class they frequent).

• Go above and beyond with service, no matter how bought into the experience a student is.

• Go above and beyond, even when you think that they will never come back again in their life.
  

INSTRUCTORS

This could be a whole post within itself, but here are all of the things that have worked for me when building community. I’ve switched markets three different times, so I have really had to fall back on these strategies to get people not only to become familiar with me, but to become familiar with each other. I’ve taken note of people who have done everything on this list and built MASSIVE loyal communities over time. Remember, that community is not an overnight thing. It takes time, patience and consistency.

• Acknowledge the people in your room.

  • Call them by their name in a genuine way, rather than just saying their name to say it. (Ex. “Hi Sarah, I am obsessed with your Lucy Dacus shirt today. [bonus tip: if Sarah is in class next week you better play Lucy Dacus] instead of, ‘Yeah Sarah!!! Woo!!’) Actually acknowledging a person’s presence by seeing them hits harder than just saying their name.

  • A call-out that feels like name shouting doesn’t hit as a hard as a genuine acknowledgement. Present a shout out as ‘Hey, you’re here and you showed up and I see you’. At the end of the day everyone just wants to be seen and heard.

  • Do a call back from something a student posted on social media when it’s relevant to the class, make the call out personable, give it a reason. This shows them you’re paying attention to their life.

  • You can also call out a student for genuinely doing something great in class (executing beautifully, great form, etc) - it shows the student you are actually paying attention to them and seeing their hard work. (This one is pretty obvious).

• Introduce people to each other.

  • Before class, if people are sitting next to each other silently, introduce them! Especially if you know they both have something in common. I like to even sprinkle in a little fact you know about one person to the other, giving them a reason to connect.

• Get to know your people, especially the ones that are becoming regulars.

  • What do they do outside of class?

  • Follow them on Insta and engage with them!!!

  • What are their hobbies? Ask their music taste? This will help you make shout outs in class and give you inspo for playlists.

  • Make yourself available to chat with your students before and after class, ask them how their week is, ask them to give you updates on their life, and if you don’t know them - ask them about themselves!! You will get the idea when someone doesn’t wanna talk, but most of the time people want to chat.

• Eye contact and body language!

  • Are you making eye contact with the people that are showing up in your room? I can’t tell you the amount of times ive seen instructors go onto the podium/front of the class and start to speak and their eyes are either closed or looking at the back of the wall. If I were to approach you and ask you to do something while I had my eyes closed, would you receive the message in the way I intended? Most likely you wouldn’t and you would wonder what is in my eye. Lol. It sounds cheesy, but remember that the eyes are the window to the soul.

  • If your body language is closed and your arms are crossed, it will be harder for your students to connect with the words you’re saying. Keep in mind that you are facilitating a room of people that came together to have a group experience.

    You play an important role in bringing together these individuals into a collective experience. If your body language is closed, it does not give permission for others to have an open body language whatsoever. Consider the way you hold yourself and how that gives permission for others to do the same. If your energy is closed, most likely your room will follow suit.

    • I see this a lot with yoga instructors specifically. Especially when they are giving adjustments. Get really clear as to why you’re adjusting the student. A drive-by adjustment is worse than not giving any adjustment at all. If you’re going to a touch a student, make sure it is intentional and helps build trust within you and the student. The more a student trust you, the more they will be inclined to come back to your class. 

UPPER MANAGEMENT

This qualifies as any managers, certain corporate roles and founders.

• Create incentive for people to come back, reward your students for coming to the studio, a little goes a long way.

• If it is their first time at the studio, gift them a free class for them to take another class with an opportunity to bring a friend (that way your community is expanding with likeminded people).

• New Student Incentives - make sure that people feel seen! Give them a discount code to a piece of retail, or a class package. Pro Tip: make it something that people will want to get a picture of. The more UGC for you, the better.

• Make them feel seen and heard. I understand that you guys have to deal with a lot of sh*t. At the end of the day people just want to know that their voice has been heard and acknowledged.

Now as I said before, most of this is just basic human interaction and genuinely giving a f*ck about your people. With every class, it’s important that you keep an open mind and an open heart. Most people respond to an open heart with an open heart.

Allow yourself to be seen in your magic and allow others to be seen in theirs. Know that building strong community is something that takes a lot of time and devotion. However, the consistency of showing up time and time again with all of these little tricks will do absolute wonders and will absolutely expedite the process.

Excited to see what you build. The people need you, this is what I do know. <3