27 January 2012
Back to the Basics
Posted by Jody under: Fitness .
Nevertheless, to make these (or any) programs a success, you have to go back to the basics.
1) Hire quality instructors. Seek out people who are certified or accredited to teach their programs. Years of teaching experience with a client following is also a good barometer.
2) Reexamine your scheduling. Tai chi has been practiced for centuries in Asia in the early hours of the morning. Tai chi will get more participation if you offer it as a “before work” program.
3) Environment. Tai chi and other “softer” programs are done in relative silence with slower moves and more attention to breathing. The space should be quiet, away from rooms with music blasting or weights dropping.
Instructors
Instructors with a strong following will help draw interest and add credibility to your program. Consider a cross-promotion arrangement where you offer the program free to members, and open the class to outside participants for a fee. The instructor receives revenue from outsiders and you offer a great class to your members. The fee to outsiders should be high enough so that membership is an attractive option, but not so high that they are scared away.
Finding a local instructor. There are several places you can begin your search. Initially, you will want to see who is teaching and attracting students at other recreation or fitness facilities. Then check with the certifying bodies and get lists of local instructors who have been certified in the type of program you want to include. Look in your telephone directory for the local school. If no such school exists, try the national schools.
There are national organizations, such as the American Council on Exercise and the NIA Technique, that now offer a mind/body specialization. The American Massage Therapy Association certifies massage practitioners and can tell you who is certified in your area if you are seeking massage therapists.
Advertisements in these magazines include certification and instruction programs. You might even advertise for an instructor. These magazines are also good for ideas about what you could be offering and where the public’s interest lies.
And finally, the “bible” of resources (for me anyway) is The Holistic Health Directory and Resource Guide, published by New Age Journal Publications. This is an annual publication that lists instructors, programs and more by location and topic, as well as alphabetically. You can’t imagine how many types of programs there are for you to offer (and earn revenue from) until you look through this directory.
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