Group Fitness Instructor

Apart from Technology, I also dabbled into the fitness industry for awhile. I worked at REVL Raffles Place, as a group fitness coach, as well as a studio manager. During my time here, I met people from different walks of life, and it was truly a very memorable time. 

A little background about myself - I don't think I look anything like your typical fitness trainer. I'm 153cm, and definitely on the smaller side. When I first took my certification and started out, many people asked me 'why did you decide to become a coach?'. For the first 23 years of my life, I led a rather unhealthy lifestyle. I was never overweight, so I never saw the need to exercise or eat healthy. However, I fell sick very easily, and was actually very weak physically. In 2022, a new group fitness gym opened beside my office and my colleague convinced me to sign up with her. After training there for a few months, I started noticing big changes in myself. I was generally in a better mood, had more energy during the day, and also felt a lot stronger. I couldn't believe that I looked forward to going to the gym, and the community there was so encouraging that it made every session enjoyable. A little cringey to say this, but I believed that fitness changed my life and I hoped to be able to bring that experience to other people.

So I took a personal training course, got certified, and began my journey as a fitness instructor! 

Coaching

Coaching has taught me so many things, and gave me an experience I think would be impossible to find elsewhere. It allowed me to meet people from different backgrounds, and learnt how fitness has played a part in their lives.

One of the biggest takeaways I gained is self confidence. Being an introvert, standing in front of a crowd and speaking up was not easy for me at the start. I initially felt awkward everytime I had to get the attention of a group of people. I had to practice many times to ensure that I could convey what I needed to effectively, and demonstrate the exercises clearly and accurately. After teaching a few classes and interacting with members, I realized how important I could be to them. Their safety in that moment was my responsibility, and I had to ensure that I had proper knowledge of the workouts and exercises, as well as ensure that everyone was acting in an orderly manner to avoid any clashes or injuries. This responsibility made me cast my fears aside and focus on my job. I gave each session my best, was genuine to each and every person that attended my classes, and slowly started to receive validation from my members which helped me to build my confidence. 

There were times that felt extremely tiring. Those were when I had to work back to back shifts in the evening even after a long day at work, or when I had to manage a class of 40 members all by myself. During these moments, it was the little things that gave me the satisfaction and encouragement to keep going. During one of my first few classes, a member came up to me and said 'Are you sure you can coach? You look so small though'. Although that comment did hurt, deep down I knew that I was prepared enough and I knew what I was doing. A few months later, that same member came to thank me for my coaching and said that he had achieved a new personal best on his lifts! Little moments like this kept me motivated to keep going. Seeing the community grow bigger and tighter everyday, and seeing people I've coached hit their goals, was really very rewarding. I also especially love it when members bring me food - be it at 6am classes when they know I haven't eaten, or at 8pm classes when they know I still have not eaten. ✌

As much as I am proud to say that I have inspired a few people, I believe they have inspired me even more. As we are in the CBD, most of our clients are working adults, many above 30 and with kids. They would share with me a little about their lives and family, and give me advice as I was still new to the corporate world. It was like we were one big family and I learnt so much and gained many different perspectives from them. I guess they kind of saw me as a younger sister. In the past, I always thought that by the time I'm 40 I'll be old and physically weak to the point of no return. But in this place, I saw so many people older than that, yet pushing themselves physically everyday to get stronger and stronger. It inspired me so much, and also taught me that fitness is a lifelong journey and important at every live stage. 

Overall, although it was very taxing, if given the choice, I would definitely choose to become a coach all over again. It was a very rewarding experience and I have gained so much through it.

Studio Management

I also helped out with managing the studio. This includes hiring new coaches, maintaining the coaches' schedule, stock taking, and organising events. Through this, I learnt a lot about team work, and the power of community. 

• Coaches' Management

I used to be terrified of interviews. But after being the interviewer myself, it gave me a new perspective and actually helped me to be less afraid and better at communicating! It was actually pretty fun to meet many different people in this industry and learn more about their motivations behind what they do. 

When it came to scheduling, there were a few times where I ran into conflicts with some of the staff. It was inevitable due to the number of classes we had, and of course everyone is also here to earn a stable income. I learnt how to manage conflict between others, as well as set expectations for everyone. 

The most important thing I learnt from this was that for any organization or company to succeed, the staff have to be happy at work, and proud of what they do. When coaches were unhappy with the management, they may subconsciously not give every member the best experience that they deserve. For everyone's performance to be at it's best which results in member satisfactions (and better sales), every coach needed to truly be passionate about their role in this space and feel validated as a part of our team. There were many times that I had to be a mediator between people, and my conflict resolution skills have definitely improved through this.

I handled more logistical issues as well, such as equipment repair and refilling of drinks etc. This helped me to pick up organisational skills.

• Community Building

While the gym might seem like just a place to get fit, it actually means a lot more to most people. For most people including myself, it is a place to temporarily escape life's other troubles. Hence, it is important to create a culture of no judgement, where everyone feels comfortable in. No matter what our fitness level is currently, we are all here to find a better version of ourselves. A community that encourages each other and celebrates each other's success is very important, and would make the gym a place that people look forward to going to everyday. This is something I noticed that sets group fitness apart from conventional gyms. 

It is important to build a space full of positive energy, where everyone can feel accepted and safe. I found that the best way to build a community, is to be as involved in it as possible. Whether it be working out with members when I'm not coaching, or going to support them at various competitions. In the spirit of community, I also organised many events. Some of which include CNY / Christmas / Halloween workouts, or even just a simple dinner gathering. 

i'm wearing the ghost mask! haha

Seeing everyone bond together really puts a smile on my face too ☺

This would probably be some of the best years of my youth, and I'm extremely glad that I managed to learn so much while (hopefully) giving so much to others as well.