Many instructors feel overwhelmed when it comes to creating a new routine. It is a daunting task when you think about it. 

In order to create a fitness class, you have to:

• come up with news exercises
• learn each exercise inside and out
• be capable of cueing each exercise
• come up with safety cues 
• add motivation cues
• make sure the class has flow and purpose 
• create a music playlist

Accomplishing all these tasks is time consuming. And for anyone new to teaching or new to a specific technique it's completely overwhelming! 

So how can we make this a seamless process? 

We create templates and systems. 

At Extensa, our stretching instructor certification provides our instructors with 2 options when it comes to creating new classes:

1. Template:

• Our instructors certify with a pre-choreographed Extensa class. They can replace the original exercises with new exercises that target the same muscle group and/or joint.
• They can also replace entire stages of the class for a new stage. 
 

2. System:

• We have an entire section on "How to construct an Extensa class" in order to create a flexibility training class from scratch. By following our system from start to finish, our instructors end up with a 60 minute stretching class that incorporates all planes of motion, as many joint actions as possible and our flexibility training techniques. 

If you have the systems in place. It actually becomes fun to create a new class!

Here are a few tips to help you build your own system for your group fitness class:

1. Write down the goal of the class. 

• All group classes should incorporate the entire body. But perhaps you're going to pay extra attention to a certain joint or muscle group. 

2. Decide in which fundamental position you will begin.

• Standing, quadruped, seated or lying down. 

3. Break your class up into stages. 

• Create a warmup stage, a work stage, a cool down or stretch stage. The types of stages will depend on the type of class you are teaching. 

4. Add your exercises and sequences.

• Begin with creating all the exercises and sequences in your warmup stage. Then move on to the next stage. Once you've built the class. You can move exercises around, get rid of some etc. 

5. Do your class. 

• The best way to tell if you've created a good class is to do it. You'll determine the flow of the class and what is and isn't working. You'll find that you need to make some adjustments. So don't skip this part, no matter how experienced you are.

Voila! You've created a new class. You've also created a new system to follow the next time.