Let me introduce myself...my name is Laura Rogers and I am a Group Fitness Director. Also known as a Group Fitness Manager and more commonly known as the good ol' Aerobics Coordinator. Ever since I began teaching "aerobics" in 1997, I've always had my eye on the coordinator's position. I wanted to be the director of the show, not just one of it's actors. After several years I had my opportunity to show management what I had, and now I coordinate the land and aquatic group fitness programs at two gyms. There are many joys and privileges of being a Group Fitness Manager (GFM, my preferred term) and there are just as many challenges (aka: headaches!). In these blogs I will share with you both.

Since I'm introducing myself, I'll start with a challenge:

I would like to see the aerobics program viewed as the group fitness program. Why this play on semantics? Close your eyes and think Aerobics Instructor... Are you envisioning a woman instructor with a high ponytail bopping all around the room? If you're old enough, maybe even a thong leotard might have entered your mind. Well, many gym members have that same stereotype too, and that may market to some women....but what about our men? When polled 90% of all gym members prefer to exercise in a group. This will be my only blog where you'll hear me use the term Aerobics Instructor. I prefer Group Fitness Instructor because it's more accurate and it's not girlie.

I'll close on a funny note on this. When visiting a well known gym to market some workshop materials, I asked the front desk for their group fitness manager. They responded they didn't have one. I asked "Don't you have a group fitness program?" and they replied "no". Then I picked up a schedule and said "How about an aerobics coordinator?" to which they replied "Oh yeah, we have one of those!" (oy vey!)