Methods of Group Exercise Instruction

In the constantly evolving world of fitness and exercise, it is challenging to become&;and remain&;an effective group exercise instructor. Methods of Group Exercise Instruction, Fourth Edition With Online Video, offers expert guidance in a variety of group exercise formats so current and aspiring instructors can hone their skills and create demand for their services. The authors&;who have dozens of years of experience&;thoroughly explain group exercise training principles, correction and progression techniques, and safety tips. They also have taught this course within a university setting. This research-based text will enhance the skills of group exercise leaders and prepare them to lead more dynamic, safe, and effective classes for clients of differing ages, abilities, and interests.

Methods of Group Exercise Instruction, Fourth Edition, goes beyond theory to help fitness instructors and managers understand the why behind class and program design, the proper way to cue participants, and the variety of modalities they can use in their teaching. Revised and reorganized based on current industry best practices, this edition includes the following:

• Over 100 minutes of online video demonstrating warm-ups, routines, drills, and 15 new class formats
• A new chapter dedicated specifically to instructing older adults
• New coverage of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)
• Two additional sample class plans for featured group exercise formats

The text also features a number of additional learning aids to help readers retain and apply the content. Pro Tips offer insights and expertise from industry veterans; boxes and sidebars highlight important topics, research findings, and technique and safety checks; practice drills offer opportunities to apply the information; and evaluation forms are provided to self-assess teaching success.

Methods of Group Exercise Instruction, Fourth Edition, will prepare any group fitness instructor for a successful career. Students will gain a strong foundation to earn their group fitness certification, and veteran instructors will be able to refine their skills to increase their marketability and success.

Mary Yoke, PhD, FACSM, is a full-time faculty member at both Indiana University&;Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) and Indiana University (IU) at Bloomington, teaching for the departments of kinesiology and applied health science. Prior to her current appointment, she was an adjunct professor at William Paterson University in New Jersey and a senior adjunct faculty member at Adelphi University in New York, where she authored numerous group exercise research studies.

Yoke has a PhD in health behavior, a master&;s degree in exercise physiology, and two degrees in music, and she has obtained 24 certifications in fitness. She has frequently served as a fitness video consultant and reviewer for Shape, Consumer Reports, and Good Housekeeping, and she has served as an expert witness in lawsuits involving injuries related to fitness videos. Yoke has worked in the areas of cardiac rehab, physical therapy, and corporate fitness and health promotion, and she has taught in the commercial health club setting for 25 years.

A fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Yoke is an associate research editor for ACSM&;s Health & Fitness Journal and has written the Research Bites column three times per year since 2013. She has served for over six years on ACSM&;s credentialing committee and more than three years on ACSM&;s summit programming committee. She was on the adjunct board of the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), was a master trainer and certification specialist for AFAA for 30 years, and is a frequent speaker at national and international fitness conferences. She has presented in 49 U.S. states and has led workshops in 18 countries.

Yoke is the author or coauthor of the books 101 Nice-to-Know Facts About Happiness (2015), AFAA&;s A Guide to Personal Fitness Training (1996, 2001), Functional Exercise Progressions (2004), Methods of Group Exercise Instruction (2003, 2009, 2014, 2020), and AFAA&;s Personal Fitness Training: Theory and Practice (2006, 2010). She is featured in six educational videos and numerous online courses.

Carol K. Armbruster, PhD, FACSM, is a senior lecturer in the department of kinesiology in the School of Public Health at Indiana University (IU) at Bloomington. During her more than 35 years of teaching college students and training fitness leaders, she has served on the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Council on Exercise (ACE) credentialing committees. She is also an ACSM-certified exercise physiologist, holds the level 2 Exercise Is Medicine credential, and has level 1 Functional Movement Screening certification.

She previously served as a program director of fitness and wellness for the IU Division of Recreational Sports, where she managed a program that offered more than 100 group exercise sessions per week. Prior to working at IU, Armbruster worked at the University of Illinois, Colorado State University, Rocky Mountain Health Club, the Loveland (Colorado) Parks and Recreation Department, and the Sheboygan (Wisconsin) School District.

Armbruster enjoys combining her interests of teaching, community engagement, and translational research. She is a senior editor for Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine and is on the board of directors for the ACSM Exercise Is Medicine initiative. Her doctoral work focused on translational research of active-duty military in the over-40 age population. She is especially interested in functional movement, worksite wellness outcomes, safe and effective movement instruction, and evaluating safe and effective outcome-based physical activity and movement program delivery methods in order to encourage healthy lifestyles and focus on improved quality of life and prevention of illness.