Fitness instructors have made a career out of helping other people feel good. Our jobs revolve around our students, and nothing makes us happier than making our students happy! Want to return the favor? Of course, attending classes is a fabulous way to show instructors some love, but here are 5 MORE ways you can support your favorite fitness instructors… without spending a dime!

Interact with them

One thing almost all fitness instructors have in common: our love for our students is what keeps us going! A little chat before or after class is enough to make our day. This even extends to connecting virtually. If you’re not already following your favorite teachers on social media, hit that “follow” button, interact with their posts (read: like, comment, save, and share), and even send them messages online! As teachers, nothing is more important to us than making genuine connections and forming relationships with our students. Plus, the more you interact with your teachers online, the easier it is for new students to find them so that they can continue to grow their communities!

Show Up (When You Can)

Yes, attending paid classes is a great way to support the teachers you love. They’ve gotta pay rent, after all! But showing up doesn’t have to be expensive. It can mean tuning into any free/donation-based classes they do online, going to free events where they’re teaching, or even seeing if their studio has promotions/discounts that allow you to attend their class for free or cheap!

Ask Questions

You know, asking your teachers questions is actually a win-win! You’ll have the opportunity to learn something new from an expert, and it gives your teacher a chance to learn something, too! When you ask a question, it gives teachers a chance to reflect on their teaching and make it even clearer for students who might have the same question in the future. If you ask them a question they can’t answer in the moment, it will give your teacher a chance to do some research and deepen their own understanding. Maybe it will even give them some ideas for curating their classes and other content going forward!

Give Feedback

When your teacher asks questions like what class times you prefer or suggestions for the next class’s playlist, give your input! Your teacher is asking because they actually want to know! They want to build classes that their students love… and how will they know what you love if you don’t tell them?! 

Also, if you really loved a class, don’t be afraid to let your teacher know! It might seem weird to give praise at first, but speaking from experience, it means the world to get positive feedback. With jobs that revolve around making other people happy, letting us know you enjoyed class helps us know when we’re on the right track! On the same note, kindly providing constructive feedback can also be really helpful for your teacher. Fitness instructors are always doing their best to learn, improve, and adapt to fit their students. Your feedback helps us become the best teachers we can be!

Tell your friends

As I’ve said, the cornerstone of our work as fitness instructors is building a thriving community! And for most fitness communities, the general rule is simple: the more the merrier. So, if you love an instructor, their classes, or their private lessons, share! Bring your friend to a class, share a post that resonated with you on your own social media page, or recommend their program to a friend who’s looking. Just like you tell your besties about the new restaurant you love in your neighborhood, spread the word about your awesome teacher as well. No matter what, remember that your fitness instructor’s favorite thing about their job is YOU! You don’t need to spend money to let them know how much they mean to you, too.