Do LOUD Fitness Classes NEED to Take a Toll on Instructors’ VOICES?

January 13, 2020

Do LOUD Fitness Classes NEED to Take a Toll on Instructors’ VOICES? … The answer is NO. And my mission & passion is to help you learn why. BIG THANK you to @nytimes, @gerrenliles, & @fitnesscareermastery for spreading awareness about this topic so VERY near and dear to my heart & central to the mission of @voxfit_.

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Motivating, inspiring, coaching, & guiding clients through a fitness journey they cannot do alone does not require you as the instructor to shout OR damage your vocal folds (your INSTRUMENT). It DOES require you to prepare your instrument for use (optimal vocal health, realistic vocal schedule, consistent vocal exercises), use it efficiently (in & outside of the studio) & use it dynamically while teaching (see my post about “vocal spice” & stay tuned for more info! There are MANY more ways to motivate & inspire than being loud). It requires you to empower yourself with education, learning, & awareness about your beautiful “motivator” inside your neck (& how to protect it) & it requires you to be an ADVOCATE for yourself (& your fellow fitpros)! It does NOT require you to turn down your music (yasss!).

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I remember awhile back when a private client of mine mentioned she had gone to voice therapy once before but was told to simply turn down her music. This #fitpro felt annoyed & disconnected because the medical world did not seem to understand the monumental IMPORTANCE of MUSIC within a group fitness class. Herein lies my #mission again—merging the medical & fitness worlds to improve awareness, education, advocacy, health, efficiency, & dynamics related to the VOICES of occupational voice users, especially fitness professionals. Music truly gives MEANING to movement, & MOVEMENT IS MEDICINE. Clients need to FEEL the music & allow it to EMPOWER them to push past self-imposed limits & get outside their minds. Simply turning down the music will almost immediately change the whole energy & vibe within the room as well as possibly pull clients away from the zone you created for them that had them en route to achievement of their goals. MUSIC, VOICE, & the CONNECTION between the two are incredibly important to the success of a fitness class as well as the engagement between instructor & client. The MAGIC is in how to successfully balance, vary, & SPICE up these huge components of your class. Stay tuned for more as we dive deeper into this topic.