Do program providers offering on-demand home workouts devalue certified instructors?
Yes, I believe it does.
On-demand or Home workouts are nothing new. I hate to admit this but I remember at 8 years old following along to my mums Jane Fonda VHS aerobics workouts in the late 80’s.
So why are some companies now offering home or on-demand workouts as well as instructors courses? In my mind, that is a big ‘screw you’ to their already certified instructors and devalues their education and programming.
Firstly, let’s look at why? One obvious reason is a larger market and greater earning potential. With the popularity of streaming services like Netflix and Spotify, the profit margins are unquestionable. They are over 7.6 billion people in the world with 99.9% who are not fitness professionals - so from that perspective, it makes perfect sense. I also have no doubt these companies have compiled plenty of research, weighed up the pros and cons and decided that pivoting from their core business model would add extra value to their bottom line - but is going on demand or virtual the best thing for the fitness industry? Who loses out the most from this?
As an education and program provider, my concern is the impact and potentially lost of business it will have on all the amazing instructors and coaches out there who have spent 1000s of dollars and countless hours practising routines. Some instruct classes as a part-time job, some full time, some simply as a hobby. But it’s their passion, enthusiasm, dedication and knowledge that makes their classes stand out - and that cannot be replicated or replaced by a video service.
The world is changing fast and companies do need to stay current and relevant but to what extent? Is entering an already flooded market the best strategy at the expense of instructors?
As I was taught many moons ago and what I now teach to all my coaches is the importance of exercise safety and workout integrity. That knowledge and attention to detail are what makes a fitness professional - providing clients with the best, most efficient way to train in a safe, controlled environment. If you remove the instructor, you lose safety, integrity and professionalism.
With more and more companies now offering home workouts, where do fitness professionals fit in? Is this the start of the end for fitness professionals as we know them? Will the general population now decide to workout at home rather than their local boot camp or gym? I don’t believe so, in fact, I think the complete opposite will eventuate. With our ageing population and high chronic disease rates, more and more clients will be on the lookout for professional, safe advice and will not (if they do) subscribe to home workouts for very long!
Metafit HIIT training will never be available on demand or online. We value our education, workout methodology and coaches.
You can’t do ‘true’ HIIT on demand, virtual or streamed live! Find a Metafit coach near you or jump on a course to understand why.