Let’s talk about an elephant in the room.

The big one with its backside in your face.

The one that you can’t miss, but trying to avoid looking at.

Group Exercise Instructor Mental Health.

It is an interesting situation because as an instructor, you are not physically alone, but often you may feel that there is no one in sight. No one who understands the challenges of teaching, dealing with participants and the effort required to be upbeat and positive every single day. I saw this quote online and it is certainly how I have felt in the past.

Emotionally: I’m done.
Mentally: I’m drained.
Spiritually: I’m dead.
Physically: I smile.

We work in an industry where the job description literally asks us to be a whole bunch of things, and there is an expectation (rightly so) that you are: Positive, Energetic, Loving, Optimistic, Intelligent, Confident, Happy, Relaxed, Fantastic, Cheerful, Masterful, Beautiful, Fun, Creative, Wonderful… and the list goes on and on. Yes, there are days that you are all these things and more, but what happens on the days when life goes sideways and conjuring up these aspects of your personality seems impossible? If you don’t have any strategies to get you back on track, this can be a downward spiral that can end up in burn out, leaving the industry or just coping, but not doing your best work.

4 Strategies that I would recommend

1. Seek an industry colleague that you trust
2. Find a mentor
3. Connect more regularly with other instructors – live workshops are the best opportunity to refuel and refill
4. Get counselling

There are also many practical strategies for looking after yourself as an instructor; one you won’t want to miss is MGM’s upcoming workshop, Longevity By Design with Carolina Arias. Saturday 8th November 2025 2 pm – 5 pm AEDT

REGISTER HERE

In this honest and energising session, Carolina draws on nearly 30 years in fitness, from high-performance burnout to embodied balance, to unpack what it really takes to build a long, fulfilling, and physically sustainable group-fitness career.

She’ll guide you through five key areas that influence how well you age, adapt, and perform, both inside and outside the studio: strength, mobility, recovery, internal health, and environment.

Making your mental and physical health a priority isn’t a luxury; it’s the foundation that allows you to keep teaching what you love for years to come. Don’t wait until “crash and burn” sets in; take steps now to protect the body and mind that make your career possible.