If you’re an aqua instructor, you’ve probably had one of those days.

You’re walking onto pool deck, quickly checking your notes (or relying on memory), trying to pull together a class for a group you haven’t even met yet.

Will you have a full pool or just one lane?

Will it be your regular participants or a group of first-timers?

Will everyone be ready for a challenging workout, or will half the class need lower-impact options?

Planning can sometimes feel harder than actually teaching.

Unlike many land-based programs, we don’t work with the same group of people progressing together week after week. Every class is different, which means we need to be flexible while still delivering a session that’s safe, engaging and purposeful.

The challenge is finding a planning system that supports that flexibility without spending hours creating new classes every week.

That’s exactly why one of the most popular sessions inside Aqua Instructor Edge focuses on class planning.

Creating a Planning System That Works

This session isn’t about writing the “perfect” lesson plan. It’s about creating a system that makes planning easier, quicker and far less stressful.

Together we explore how to:

• reduce the time you spend planning each week
• build classes that are easy to adapt when numbers, equipment or pool space change
• organise your ideas so you’re not constantly reinventing the wheel
• feel confident walking onto pool deck, knowing you have options ready to go.

Because when your planning becomes simpler, your teaching becomes more enjoyable too.

Working With the Reality of Aqua

One week you have the whole pool… Next week, you’re sharing a lane.

Some classes are high energy. Others include participants returning from injury, managing arthritis, or those just wanting to stay active.

The challenge is finding a planning system that supports that flexibility without spending hours creating new classes every week.

One of the biggest mindset shifts I encourage instructors to make is to stop thinking about planning an entire 45 or 60-minute class from beginning to end. Instead, think in building blocks.

Create a warm-up, a cardio block, a strength block, a balance or mobility section, and a recovery component that each stands on its own. Then, depending on your participants, pool space or available equipment, you can swap sections in and out without having to start planning from scratch every week.

Rather than creating completely new programs every week, we build flexible class structures that can easily be adjusted for the people standing in front of you.

That means less stress, better organisation and more confidence.

Planning Beyond One Week at a Time

We also look at how to think beyond next Tuesday’s class.

Instead of trying to create complicated progressions for participants who may or may not return next week, we explore simple ways to:

• rotate training focuses throughout the year
• keep classes feeling fresh without creating everything from scratch
• reuse great ideas in different ways
• develop your own library of exercises and class plans that keeps growing over time.

It’s a practical approach that works in the real world.

Another idea I encourage instructors to try is planning around a theme rather than a list of exercises.

For example, you might decide this month’s focus is balance, power, mobility or core stability. Once you’ve chosen a theme, selecting exercises becomes much easier because every movement has a purpose. Participants may not attend every class, but they’ll still experience a well-planned session that feels fresh and intentional whenever they do.

Small Systems Save Big Time

Whether you love folders, spreadsheets, Google Drive, laminated plans or handwritten notes, the system itself isn’t the important part.

The important part is having a system you’ll actually use.

Inside the session, I share practical ideas that instructors have adopted to make planning quicker, organise their resources and spend less time sitting behind a computer.

Is This Something You Need?

If you’ve ever…

• taught the same warm-up more times than you’d like to admit…
• struggled to plan for different pools or participant abilities…
• wished planning didn’t take so much of your week…
• wanted to feel more organised without making things complicated…

…then you’ll probably get a lot from this session. It’s waiting for you inside Aqua Instructor Edge

This planning workshop is just one of the many recorded mentoring sessions available inside Aqua Instructor Edge.

As a member you’ll also receive:

• weekly live mentoring with me
• an extensive library of recorded education sessions
• practical coaching ideas you can use immediately
• support through our private WhatsApp group
• 20% member discounts on workshops and events
• access to one-to-one mentoring with me whenever you need extra guidance.

Whether you’re new to teaching or you’ve been on pool deck for years, my goal is simple: to help you teach with more knowledge, more confidence and more purpose.

You can explore Aqua Instructor Edge with a 30-day free trial, giving you plenty of time to watch this planning session and discover everything else inside.

Because planning your classes shouldn’t be the hardest part of your week. It should give you the confidence to step onto pool deck ready for whatever walks through the door.

START YOUR FREE 30-DAY TRIAL HERE

Let’s make your planning lighter, your delivery smoother, and your teaching more sustainable