Measuring Group Exercise Program Efficacy and Motivation - Les Mills [Podcast Series]
[:56] Dr. Bantham introduces her guest, Bryce Hastings
Bryce is Head of Research for Les Mills International.
[1:07] Researching exercise program efficacy and exercise behavior
“So, you know, we've been doing a lot of research over the last 10 years on efficacy of our programs, but also exercise behavior and how to make the most out of that group fitness environment.”
[2:53] Partnering with researchers to use best practice
“And so I think there's a big opportunity in the industry for that, to partner with the experts, partner with the academics, partner with people who are really looking at fine details as to what we do every day and just ensure that we're using best practice every time we're turning up and taking someone through an experience.”
[4:36] Delivering the best instructor and coaching techniques
“Yeah, we owe it to the people who are tuning up to our classes to know what we're doing and know what that class delivers in terms of efficacy, but also know that we are employing the best instructor techniques and coaching techniques to make sure that their experience is one that that is going to help them out.”
[5:03] Exercise habit formation research
“And so currently we're looking at habit formation because that's really important for people coming onto a platform, like what can we do to help them get exercise to be sticky. And I think in the industry, we've relied on, you know, we've looked a lot at habit execution. And execution only happens when all the previous behaviors took place. And by previous behaviors, I mean things like preparation and instigation of the habit.”
[7:29] Framing exercise as enjoyable
“And one of the other up skills that we're going to use in the intervention is getting people to think of exercise not as a chore but as a hobby, something that you would actually like to do.”
[9:32] Focusing on the experience and enjoyment factor
“But it's often the experience and the enjoyment factor—as you were saying—are things that often get put to the side. And I think the industry is a little bit guilty of taking quite a clinical approach to exercise. And, you know, reducing the—or ignoring to a degree—the experience factor.”
[12:00] Group connection as motivation
“[I]f people thought that they were in a group of individuals who were all there for the same purpose as them, and that was actually recognized at some part, during some part of the workout, they felt motivated by that, they felt like they actually had a connection to the group. And then they could use the group dynamic to help them achieve their goals or the objectives they walked in the room with.”
[15:06] Translating research into action
“It might all look like fun and games with great music and kind of people jumping around on the stage, but there's actually a lot that goes into it. And that gives them confidence when they're up there. And, you know, we can kind of tweak their coaching styles and their coaching approach.”
[17:14] Instructor and member retention
“But now when I look at people exercising in a lot of facilities, I see people who are exercising because they have to be there, not because they want to be there, but because they’ve been told by the health professional, or they've recognized something in their life that they want to improve. And the key to retention for me is just shifting them from exercising because they have to, to exercising because they want to.”
[19:20] Identifying as an exerciser
“I think it's just taking a step back and putting yourself in their shoes and thinking what is it that's going to keep them interested and allow them to take that step and identify as an exerciser. And it's very hard for someone to identify as an exerciser if it's completely foreign to them and there's no sense of enjoyment there.”
[21:07] Building the evidence base
“We should be swamped with evidence of all of the things that the health and fitness industry achieve on a regular basis. But there was none. There was a couple of papers, but there's very little, and if you don't measure it, you can't discuss it, you can't change it.”
[24:40] Measuring and testing claims
“ I would just say that if you're making claims on something and you want to get respect from the health industry or the medical industry, then measure it. Test it, and measure it, and then publish. And publish in journals where people have looked at your methods and checked that everything that you're claiming is well based and has good foundation.”
[27:22] Researchers who are bridging the gap
“And so, we've got plenty of people in the industry who are research focused. And they understand both camps. They understand what it takes to publish robust and well founded research. And they also understand the industry.”
