What happens between classes outside of the studio, and how we can build a sense of community that lasts and keeps people coming back week after week?
Part 4 of Leila Neve’s series about making group exercise work for your PT business
Whether you’re a seasoned, confident group fitness instructor, brand new to the role or delivering classes because it’s a requirement rather than a passion, what happens between sessions has more influence than we often realise.
Taking the time to build positive, professional relationships with your participants outside of the studio can be the difference between being a good instructor and a great one.
What really keeps people coming back?
People don’t stay loyal to classes because the workout is hard. They stay because the relationship feels easy.
For many participants, a group exercise session is one of the few times in their week that’s just for them. Familiar faces, a known environment, a sense that someone might notice if they didn’t turn up.
That feeling doesn’t come solely from what happens during the class itself. It’s shaped just as much by everything that happens around it.
And the good news is, building that kind of connection doesn’t require more energy, more performance or more classes – it simply asks for attention and presence in the in-between moments.
Why the space between classes matters
Outside of the workout, the pressure drops. There’s no music, no counting and no spotlight. People are more themselves, and so are you.
Passing a participant in the corridor, training near them on the gym floor or even bumping into them in the supermarket might seem insignificant, but these moments quietly shape how safe and how welcome someone feels.
Handled well, they move a participant’s experience from “That was a good workout” to “That’s a place I feel comfortable going back to”.
Over time, these small, human interactions create community, and community is what turns attendance into loyalty.
What between-class connection actually looks like
This isn’t about organising socials, setting up WhatsApp groups or having a rigid checking in schedule (although those can be great). More often, it’s simply about being genuine and allowing the relationship to continue naturally beyond the studio doors. It might look like:
- Recognising someone when they arrive for a different class later in the week: “Oh hi! Are you doing circuits as well as spin this week? Fab!”
- It could be remembering a small detail and carrying it forward: “How has your knee been feeling since last time?”
- Or simply acknowledging someone returning after time away with a warm, pressure-free: “Good to see you back.”
Even a smile in the corridor, a nod across the gym floor or a hello when you’re not officially ‘on duty’ reinforces that the connection doesn’t switch off when the music does.
Why this builds effortless bonds
When participants feel recognised and valued beyond the class itself, attendance becomes relational rather than transactional. Consistency improves and drop-off reduces, even after illnesses or setbacks. And people recommend you! Not because they were asked to but because it feels natural to do so.
What this gives you as an instructor
For you, this kind of community lightens the load. You’re no longer relying on intensity, novelty, constant motivation and marketing strategies to keep people coming back. The relationship quietly does some of that work for you.
Teaching starts to feel less like delivery and more like leadership – less exhausting and far more human.
Over time, that steady presence builds a reputation that travels further than any marketing ever could.
The instructor-participant relationship is one of the best and most unique aspects of our industry. In many professions, people seek a service to meet a requirement; sometimes it’s met well, sometimes it isn’t. In fitness, we’re not dealing with goods, we’re dealing with people.
Many of the individuals who come to us are navigating periods of their lives where they don’t feel strong, confident or comfortable in their own bodies. We have the privilege of supporting them as they show up, make changes and build genuine strength and confidence. What feels like your everyday work can be a huge moment in someone else’s life. That’s a beautiful thing to be a part of and something worth nourishing.
Next time, we’re going to land the plane and talk about how we can turn everything in this series into those all-important PT referrals.
Read Leila’s blog in part 3 of her series on what happens after the class and how to use the last 5 minutes wisely
Leila Neve
Leila Neve is an award-winning personal trainer and group exercise instructor with a BSc in Sport Science, specialising in physical rehab and motivational coaching. She is incredibly passionate about making health and movement accessible to all, her black Labrador, Leonard, and pretty much anything covered in cheese.
