The last 18 months have been a series of firsts, from teaching virtually and getting a handle on the technology to editing videos, creating accessible education platforms and building new websites. The impetus to do all these new things may have been due to reasons...
Marietta Mehanni
Blog
Which stage of the 4-step Group Ex journey are you in?
I have always enjoyed passing on things that I have learnt. I’m hardwired for it. I remember in school that I would often help other students understand homework and provide assistance during recess and lunchtime in the library. It gave me purpose, and sharing what I...
That big ball of air – The Swiss Ball
You see some interesting trends and fads come and go when you've been a group fitness instructor for over 33 years. I remember seeing the step in 1991 and thinking, 'What's this rubbish? You cannot make this interesting enough for a whole class.' But here I am in...
Group Fitness Instructor: ARE YOU READY TO TAKE CENTRE STAGE?
Do you love being part of a group exercise experience, moving to music and setting your heart rate and happiness levels soaring? Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be on stage leading a class? Becoming a group fitness instructor You know that feeling...
Do you body weight train?
For the last 15 years, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) have conducted surveys with thousands of professionals around the world, to determine health and fitness trends for the following year. The survey for 2021 experienced a 40% increase in responses,...
The mentoring connection
Discovering My Passion From a young age at school, I enjoyed helping other children struggling with schoolwork. It was a way that I felt accepted. However, growing up in a community with little ethnic diversity, I didn't fit in. My parents were not comfortable with me...
The social media rabbit hole
Unveiling the Impact of Lockdown on Fitness Professionals Changes in our operations during lockdown have exposed many fitness professionals to social media-induced self-doubt. You’re worth so much more than fleeting clicks, writes group fitness guru Marietta Mehanni....
Why I hated resistance bands and what changed my mind
Resistance bands were not my thing I was first introduced to resistance bands early in my teaching career in the 1990s. This long piece of elastic was recommended as a portable and effective form of resistance training. Having only used weights for resistance...
Self Care
Take care of yourself - no one else will do a better job. Reflecting on 2020's Impact For the majority of people on this planet, the world went sideways in 2020. The new normal became a concept, and words like pivoting and virtual became popular business words. Even...
The elephant in the room
Let’s talk about the 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 conundrum because, as an instructor, you are not physically...
Have you moved to online classes?
The COVID-19 pandemic has been the only global conversation in 2020, and the big question is whether you have pivoted. The Evolution of Online Group Fitness During the Pandemic If you are in the group fitness industry, your gym most likely has closed or has reopened...
The Art of the Start
'The best way to predict the future is to create it' a quote by Peter Drucker, whom is one of the best-known and most widely influential thinkers and writers on the subject of management theory and practice. His quote is something that struck a powerful chord with me...