
Group X Appeal
Designed for the busy health and fitness enthusiast who wants to be encouraged to live their healthiest, happiest life, Group X Appeal is your go-to source for tips and inspiration on fitness, nutrition, and mindset as well as A LOT of laughs along the way. Tune in to let Kimberly and Terry help you feel fulfilled as the best version of YOU!
Group X Appeal
45: The Evolution of Group Exercise: It's Not Just Aerobics Anymore!
In this fascinating episode of Group X Appeal, Kimberly and Terry take you on an inspiring journey through the rich history of group exercise. Discover how it evolved from the aerobics revolution to today's technology-driven, community-focused fitness experiences. Understanding this evolution isn't just about nostalgia—it's about recognizing how far we've come and the important role instructors play as leaders continuing this powerful legacy of transformation and community building.
What You'll Discover:
- 📚 The Foundation Years - How Dr. Kenneth Cooper's aerobics concept launched a fitness revolution in 1968
- 🌟 Cultural Impact - Jane Fonda's role in making fitness accessible to millions through home workout tapes
- 🎯 Format Diversification - The 1980s explosion of group exercise variety and creativity
- 🏷️ The Branding Era - How the 2000s introduced branded fitness concepts and fusion programming
- 💻 Technology Integration - The 2010s shift toward boutique studios and tech-enhanced experiences
- 🧘 Recovery Revolution - Why recovery became a crucial component of modern fitness routines
- 🤝 Community Power - How group exercise creates accountability, connection, and belonging
- 👩🏫 Instructor Impact - Your vital role in shaping positive, transformative fitness environments
Perfect for fitness professionals and enthusiasts who want to understand their place in this incredible industry evolution. Learn how the past informs the future and why community builders and wellness leaders are more important than ever.
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- @kimberlyspreenglick on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
- email: kimberly@theinspiredlifeuniversity.com
- website: www.theinspiredlifeuniversity.com
Stay Connected with Terry:
- @terryshorter on Instagram & Facebook
- email: terry@rippedplanet.com
- website: www.rippedplanet.com
Before the playlist, before the mics, before TikTok choreography and My Zone belts, there was a room, some music, a passionate instructor and people moving together. In today's episode, we're taking you on a time travel journey through the history of group exercise. From its aerobic roots to today's immersive tech enhanced experiences. Yes, but this isn't just a nostalgia trip. We're also uncovering why Group X continues to be the beating heart of the fitness industry.
and the soul of any facility that offers it and how understanding where it all began can empower you to carry the legacy forward in a bold new way. Let's dive in.
Kimberly/terry (01:14)
Welcome back to Group X Appeal. Kimberly Spreen Glick here with Terry Shorter. We are so glad you're here because we are taking a walk down memory lane today. Yeah, a little history class. I I don't remember all of it. I haven't been doing it that long, but we are going to talk about kind of where group exercise began because it didn't begin as group exercise the way we know it today. So we're going to talk a bit about why group exercise took off, why it has stayed.
the kind of cultural and economic impact of Group X, as well as how it is now a wellness pillar, why it still works so beautifully today, and what we, you as instructors, can learn from the past. So let's go through a brief timeline, do you think? Yeah, let's go back in time. Should we go all the way back to the 70s, where it began? Way back. Where it all began. did you just bring on porn music?
That was weird. That was weird. That was a little 70s music to me. don't know. Sure. What were you watching in the 70s? Is what I want to know. I wasn't even born yet. You were so born. You were so born. But you are way too small to know that music, that is for sure. So, okay, let's take it back to the 70s because it really is where it all began. So once upon a time in a faraway land. No, it wasn't so far because it was in the 70s or actually just before the 70s. was 1968 when Dr. Kenneth Cooper coined the term
aerobics and associated that and lead leading that to movement and how movement can get the heart rate up and bring you into an aerobic state. So we have aerobics. Um, I, that was the first thing I taught. know about you, but no, I wasn't born yet. Yeah. You keep, you keep believing that. And then in, uh, 1982, the icon herself, Jane Fonda with her
With her leg warmers and her fabulous aqua knitted hair and all the things. Yes. She launched home fitness tapes, not streaming, not even DVDs, but tapes. And she really helped make aerobics a cultural phenomenon. Yeah. So you'll have to let us know in the comments, if you're watching this on YouTube or just, you know, anyway, let us know if
when you started we'd love to know that yeah we've had a couple of guests who actually started around that it's true it's true yeah absolutely so as we kind of go forward into the of the timeline back into history the 1980s
to the 90s, this is where group exercise really started to diversify. We started not just seeing aerobics, things started coming out like jazzercise. ⁓ What? My first class ever. Was it? It was. I still have not tried a jazzercise And the local armory. ⁓ you're missing out. All right. Well, it's never too late because jazzercise still is alive and kicking around the world.
Thank you Judy Shepard, it. Yeah, step aerobics. ⁓ yeah. Let me try to remember what that is. yes, I remember a little bit of step here and there. So and then tie. So Billy was my jam. I love type out. I used live right off of Ventura and and I would go literally I would drive to to his classes. Awesome. To a boulevard. was a
renovated bank So so you're willing to admit in the 90s that you were born at that point six years old. Yes Driving to take Tybo. Yes, of course His tricycle
So, and this is, you know, an era, I love this era. I can tell it was a lot of fun group. Yeah, it was really became a social and motivational outlet for millions of people. Us included. classes that I would take literally, we would have like Andre Agassi, tennis superstar. No way. Brooke Shields in the room and all these different, you know, musicians and people that are very well known would come and do Tae Bo. was fun. was a who's who. Yeah. So amazing time. Amazing.
Well, then we get into the two thousands and now more, you know, branded fitness and like fusion concepts started to surface things like, like Les Mills, if you're familiar with the formats, like body pump, body combat, and of course Zumba. Zumba has become a word synonymous with dance, Latin dance, spinning. And in fact, spinning has become kind of the Kleenex of indoor cycling, because everyone refers to indoor cycling as.
Spinning, even though spinning is actually a brand name, we refer to it as indoor cycling. It's kind of like instead of a tissue, you say, can I have a Kleenex? Well, it's not a Kleenex. It's a, it's a puffs, but yeah, go right ahead. Or it's not Jello. It's gelatin. We can go on and on with all of these, but we digress. Um, but these types of formats really started getting, is that your Google it? Yeah. Google it is now for me. Talk to text. Yeah. I don't do this anymore. It's just this.
So you Google it, now Google it. But those types of formats started to gain more global traction for sure. And then of course, yoga and Pilates began merging into mainstream group fitness programs and formats, which was really cool. We both love that coming into play. Yeah. So it wasn't just for the hippies or the granola folks from Berkeley like my mom and dad. gosh. I love it.
Yeah. And then we move into the 2010s. This is where mind body, uh, technology tech and boutique studios started to pop up everywhere. You know, formats like bar like hit high intensity interval training boot camps and training really entered the scene and started to flourish. Um, you started seeing more and more people wear like wearable tech, heart rate monitors.
and different app integration started also happening as well to enhance the experience. SoulCycle. yeah. Wootique. I love SoulCycle. It's a lot of fun. Orange Theory and other Wootique group training facilities started exploding all over the place in popularity. And as a result, it took us into the, what, the 2020s? 2020s. Oh my gosh, that's where we are now. Here we are. Here we are.
to the present now. So we're starting to see so much more focus on hybrid, so bringing different modalities and formats together, getting kind of the best of multiple worlds and getting more bang for our buck as well as holistic movement, like really gaining better body awareness and gaining a greater sense of well-being through movement that feels good in our body. so that was a result of the great
Oh yeah, well hybrid. Yeah. So hybrid, um, in that sense, so we have the hybrid types of formats, but then also a hybrid from the standpoint of, we do classes in person or do we do them virtually? And yes, with the, the great pause of 2020, we, we were kind already moving in that direction. They're there. It's not like Peloton didn't exist yet. I mean, things like that did exist. You could work out virtually, but
COVID, the pandemic really fast forwarded that in a big way. And thankfully when the world started opening up again, it's kind of swung back. And I think we're where and we're heading in the direction we need to head where both are viable. In-person classes are booming again. And a lot of people are getting healthy from, you know, the comfort of their own home with a virtual as well, which is fantastic to be able to have both options. So now we have virtual and live stream. They're both just.
They weren't just vital during the pandemic. think they're vital now just so that we have options for people and, we lower the barrier to entry. So more people can be involved. And then we've got the focus on, you know, community and connection, mental health, and a lot of focus on recovery. ⁓ recovery has gained a tremendous amount of emphasis because we've realized that we can train our bodies to recover more effectively, just like we can train our bodies to become stronger or have better balance. And so recoveries.
Kind of the name of the game. know for, I know for those of us of a certain age, obviously not you yet, but recovery has become more more important to me for sure. ⁓ and then of course, group fitness is just recognized at this point as more than just a workout. is a wellbeing experience for so many different reasons. Yeah. Well-being experience physically, mentally, spiritually, emotionally, all of it. Absolutely. For sure. So, ⁓ you know, all jokes aside,
When we talk about recovery, gaining a lot more momentum or just a greater focus and emphasis, think another part of the reason why, why do you think that would be, what's your take on why more more people are focusing more on better care, like recovery care? Couple things. One, reduced instance of injury is such an important thing and the ability to get back in.
You know, so often if you don't recover well, then you may work out and then three days go by before your body feels prepped and ready to do it again. But if you have a strong recovery program, they can get back to this thing that you love in a faster way. What else are you thinking? Well, I think in addition to that, think the what we all experienced in the 2010s. Yes. Right. Yes. With the emergence of programs like
high intensity interval training. People were really doing ⁓ high intensity interval training six, seven times I know, right? Ill advised, people. Ill advised. Right, but because it was such a thing, it such a fad, I think may have perhaps Very trendy. In realizing it now that.
they need to kind of go swing the pendulum in the opposite direction in order to feel better and perform at a much more optimum level. definitely. It's a really important part of your wellness routine is to recover. Got to recover. Absolutely. So in terms of the different types of group exercise classes that are out there. There's many now. There's so many.
We'll just kind of share the umbrella. How many, how many genres can you name in 20 seconds? Go 20 seconds. So we'll start with cardio. We'll start with some cardio and endurance. We'll do dance. We'll do strength. We'll do combat and we'll call the other one. Let's say mind body. How does that sound? Yeah, that's a pretty darn good list. You didn't need 20 seconds. I gave you way too much time. So those are the general, I think the, the, big headers and there's
Yeah, a lot falls under each category, Right, but which types of those modalities that I just mentioned do you currently teach today? I currently teach strength. teach cardio and strength, like hit type style. Definitely combat, my kickboxing. Cardio, because I teach cycle. And mind, body, I still teach yoga. don't teach at all. So, oh my. Except.
Dance, but that I do love to dance. I do like to dance. I did. I did. I went line dancing. I'm becoming a country girl. You'll see that's group exercise. Normally I say you can take the girl out of DC, but you can't take the DC out of the girl. Well, you might be able to squeeze in a little country a little bit. So yeah. So let us know which genres you're currently teaching or perhaps the genres that you enjoy taking.
that fit under any of those categories. Which ones are you teaching? I'm sorry, let me just scratch you. It's all good. Cardio and endurance, teach a cycling class, not spinning. Yeah, right. Not spinning people. Stop saying you're coming to our spinning classes. Combat style as well. Rumble is our program. Mind body. So I teach yoga, vinyasa, and some soul and some warrior skull.
strength as well. So I think you actually are teaching all the things. All the things right now. Yeah. It's nice to have balance. I love balance. I love the harmony that I've created. he brought it back to harmony. to double down on the question Terry asked, with your current schedule, do you feel like you have harmony? Do you feel like you have a good kind of
breakdown of what you're teaching or maybe teaching too much of one thing. I mean, how, how are you feeling as far as your ability to recover and feel good in your body on a day day basis? Cause I now 32 years in, um, teaching my favorite, most healthy schedule I've ever taught in my life, 10 classes a week, but broken down into so many different formats that I feel great. Little bit. Little bit. We grow wiser as we add on to.
Know better, do better. That's right. Absolutely. So I wish I would have known now. Right. You wish you would have known now. 10 years ago I would now when I was 16. I know, right? Oh my gosh. I would not have taught 15 high-low classes a week. I would have been like, oh, not a good idea. Right. Like, like sister, heel spurs are coming, but whatever. It's all good. You're still thriving, Still thriving. than ever.
Live and learn. Should we cover some stats? Oh, she loves stats. I do. I'm such a nerd for stats. We are. Yeah. And you've got to hear these stats because we're going to prove why the power of group exercise is so, so important. Yeah, it's so incredibly important. So from the members perspective, who the ones that come and participate, 95 % of members who participate in group X classes, they stay longer. So if you joined a facility to create
a lifestyle change. That means you are in this for the long game, the long haul. You want to live healthier for the rest of your life, not for a month or two. Well, when you come into our group fitness classes and people come into your group fitness classes, they stay longer. encourage your members to take classes because you know, it's got that stickiness, that stick to it. That helps them stay with us longer as members. And then of course, group exercisers tend to go to the club more often. And the stat is
three times more often than just solo gym goers working out on their own. That's a huge difference. It's huge. Three times more often. mean, we know consistency is key. So if you want to be consistent, we got to encourage people into our classes. And then of course, studies show that group X enthusiasts, they have a much greater chance of achieving and maintaining the results. Why? Because there's an enhanced level of motivation.
there's accountability, there's this like built in community that you're now exercising with who will miss you if you're not there. They'll call you and they'll be like, where are you? And then just the overall enjoyment of being able to move and the energy, you know, I always say in classes, we're stronger together. Yes. And so when we come together, it's like a shared pool of energy where everybody contributes. It's huge. Absolutely. About that accountability, that built in accountability. Just this morning, I taught a yoga class.
said, um, so and so was supposed to meet me here for class. I text her this morning at 5 30 AM to make sure she was coming. And she said she should be here in a few minutes and sure enough, she, I love it.
So love it. Accountability is definitely there. So good. Sure. So for clubs and studios, here's some stats for clubs and studio owners or managers or for the powers that be Group X drives retention. That's what every facility wants. They want retention again, like the stickiness. ⁓ It also drives revenue. And of course, like Kimberly said, the community. And that retention is such a big piece because any business owner knows
it costs more to get a new customer than to maintain an existing customer and Group exercise is the number one retention tool that clubs and studios have for making members stay Absolutely huge and for those facilities or studios that are offering multiple group formats they absolutely see a higher member satisfaction score as well, right because they
get their providing their members with variety. The spice of life. just talked about what we teach. teach variety of classes and Kimberly just said she has never felt better. ⁓
ever in her entire career than right now where she's got a variety of different kinds of classes. Absolutely. Right. It's huge. So, and that really, you know, leads to a greater lifetime value of a member, that retention piece that, uh, Kimberly just mentioned. Um, also members who attend group fitness classes are 26 % less likely to cancel their memberships. That is huge. That is absolutely. So those of you group exercise leaders out there,
Know your value. Right. Absolutely. Speaking of instructors, for you, leaders, this is for you. Did you know that 85 % of instructors report higher job satisfaction? And it's because of the community connection. Like we don't just go sit at a desk. We get to go be in a room filled with, you know, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 people sharing, as I mentioned before, this kind of energy, which is incredible.
And teaching GroupX helps instructors build their personal brands and even create multiple revenue streams. mean, so many instructors are doing everything from things that are fitness adjacent, that they're maybe selling ⁓ apparel, fitness apparel. Or obviously, I work with a lot of instructors who have become coaches for the community that they serve. So it just puts you in a place where you're able to build upon what you're here to do.
who you are, what your core values are, who you feel called to serve, how you feel you can serve them. And so it really opens up opportunity and you get to become as an instructor and ambassador for the gym, the studio, the facility where you teach, which is going to increase visibility and trust and can lead to even further opportunities. career advancement in so many different ways for an instructor when you are part of a group exercise community. It's huge for sure. So it's all in all.
It's not just a category on a schedule. It truly is a movement. That's what group fitness is all about. And it's truly been the backbone of transformation for decades now, as you just heard from the seventies, actually as early as 1968. That's right. Right. And ⁓ like we said earlier, not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, spiritually, socially. And now it's your turn to carry that torch.
So, you know, as a group X leader, you're not just teaching reps or poses. No, you are truly shaping legacies. Definitely building communities. And at the end of the day, you're inspiring change. Yeah. Long term change, lifestyle change that really impacts people in a positive way. Well, if this episode inspired you, I know it inspired me probably because all those stats.
We encourage you and invite you to share it with a fellow instructor who needs to hear it, who needs to be reminded of how much value they bring to the table. Please do leave a review so we can keep building momentum for GroupX appeal and to get ready because in our next episode, we are diving into the instructor mindset that commands the room and creates lasting impact. But until then, we encourage you to keep showing up, keep shining, keep uplifting others. And remember,
You are not just leading a class, you're leading a movement. Yes, you are. And just make sure that you ask yourself, what are you doing this week to enhance and up, you know, basically up your game. Yeah. Got to keep up in your game. And if you need fuel for that, just remember your why. You just got to remember your why for doing what you do. It's important. So that's it for us today. Terry Shorter here with. Kimberly Spreen Glick
And as always, we encourage you to make it a great day and why? Because it's a great day to have. Yes, it is. Take care. Much love.