Campus leaders from Moraine Valley Community College and Georgia Southern University share what group fitness formats are good for, what goes down and how they are use data to keep students engaged.
From Zumba and Step to HIIT and circuit training, group fitness has long been a cornerstone of campus recreation. But when fitness trends are fast and student interests are always evolving, it’s important to pay attention to the format of filling the room and losing participation.
Campus rec professionals from Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) and Georgia Southern University (GSU) explore their departments’ most popular classes and formats lose their footing. Most importantly, they share the process behind deciding what to keep and what to retire, and how the department meets students where they are, not where they are.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the campus at MVCC has seen significant growth in its group fitness programs.
Erin Aguirre, assistant director of Fitness and Wellness Services at the Health, Fitness & Recreation Center (FitRec) at MVCC, said many students are gravitating to the fitness floor for group fitness studios that are closed post-pandemic, leading to a drop in class participation.
“After the shutdown, member engagement took time to recover,” Aguirre said. “However, in the past two years, we have seen a huge resurgence in group fitness participation with multiple classes each day consistently reaching capacity.”
Campus Recreation and Intramurals (CRI) at GSU has seen similar momentum. Trish Evans, Group Fitness director for CRI, said the department has expanded from nine instructors to 32 in three years, a sign of how quickly demand has grown.
“I think reality set in last semester as we headed into finals week,” explained Evans. “We still have a waiting list to get into our classes and it doesn’t happen around that time. The students are ready to go home for Christmas and usually check out, but our numbers are still the same.”
What Works and What Doesn’t
While group fitness participation is strong across the board, some formats clearly resonate more than others.
High-impact cardio and traditional power circuits have seen declining engagement in both MVCC and GSU, a trend Aguirre ties to injuries among long-term participants who gravitated toward low-impact alternatives.
But where some formats are losing ground, others are surging. Low-impact, strength-based classes have seen the most significant growth at MVCC in recent years, fueling the rise in popularity for Pilates and weightlifting.
The top format at GSU is the same; mind-body programming consistently draws the highest participation, whether yoga or Pilates.
Both Evans and Aguirre point to social media as a major driver of this shift.
“This popularity can be attributed, in part, to the increase in reliable information from credible sources about how to train effectively for overall health and strength,” explained Aguirre.
Student Meeting Where It Is
When it comes to deciding which programs to add and which to retire, the team leans toward a mix of quantitative and qualitative data.
At MVCC, member participation is a major driver in scheduling decisions.
“If a class underperforms during a schedule, we can offer it at an alternative time to assess demand,” said Aguirre. “However, if participation does not increase after two scheduling cycles, we will evaluate whether the class should be continued.”
The department’s emphasis on finding the best time for students has led it to think beyond the traditional class schedule. Recognizing that not all students can attend during peak hours, MVCC has equipped its studio to support Les Mills virtual programs during peak hours so members can participate at their convenience.
Evans takes a similar data-driven approach at GSU, running weekly statistics through IMLeagues — the department’s class registration software — to track not just how many students register, but how many actually show up.
If a class is struggling, Evans will work with the instructor and rethink the format to increase engagement.
“Our dance classes aren’t great but our instructors are amazing, so we put out this special event,” explained Evans. “We put Just Dance on the TV screen in our multipurpose room, and people get off track because they’re hearing the music they grew up with.”
Beyond daily classes, the department has transformed the group format into special events to keep students engaged and coming back. The Pedal and Popcorn series transforms cycling classes into watch parties with concerts projected on big screens and has evolved into a fully themed series.
Strong marketing helps increase participation and engagement with special events and daily classes. From trending themes to social media campaigns, marketing is a key element of group programming at GSU.
Rethinking Group Fitness: Advice from Campus Rec Asks
For other campus rec teams looking to rethink their group fitness offerings, MVCC and GSU offer tangible advice.
Because group fitness certifications can be time-consuming and expensive, Aguirre recommends using formats like Les Mills and Zumba.
“This program usually requires a two-day training that ends with a performance assessment,” Aguirre said. “Les Mills and Zumba provide structured music and choreography, streamlining class preparation for instructors.”
For Evans, the advice is twofold: listen to students and be willing to change.
Being aware of overarching trends helps the team stay engaged with students, but Evans said it’s equally important to examine what works and what doesn’t in their own programming and improve on it year after year.
“Be willing to listen and filter the feedback you get when you ask how you can do this better,” explains Evans. “Also be willing to say that just because you’ve done it one way for 10 years, that doesn’t mean it’s successful or doesn’t need to be revamped.”
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