Group Exercise Rates for Businesses

Question:

Could you give me an idea on the hourly rates for corporate/company group exercise classes? I know it depends on the square footage and how many employees can fit in the room.

Answer:

Group exercise rates per class depend on a few factors, such as the type of class, its popularity within the organization you're teaching and your demographics. In some areas of the country, the pay rate for group exercise is $15 to $20 per class. However, in other regions, the rate per class can be $50 to $60 and up to $85. Often, the rate depends on not just the demographics alone but the instructor and his/her popularity. Some fitness management publications have annual reports on the average rate per class in various regions of the country. Organizations such as IHRSA, ACE, AFAA, etc. also can be very helpful in providing this type of information.

When providing any type of service to a professional organization, the return on investment is going to be a more powerful influence in the compensation agreement than demographic averages. It might be helpful to make an appointment with the personnel or human resources department to gather information on employee absenteeism. Some facts for you:

• 43 percent of all work-related injuries are attributed to strains and sprains. More than 60 percent of these injuries involve the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. These injuries result in over 39 million days of restricted activity (about nine days per episode). The cost associated with these injuries is approximately $120 billion (Chaffin1999).
• Musculoskeletal injuries also account for over 60 million days of bed rest, with these numbers on the rise (Praemer et al., 1992).

If you find out how much employee absenteeism is costing the company annually and create a presentation demonstrating the effects of exercise on decreased absenteeism, you will have more power to negotiate the rates you charge per class.

There are also many benefits to exercise that cannot be quantified with hard data. An employee's feeling of confidence, self esteem and physical vitality all have profound effects on productivity. If possible, ask one of the managers in the company to set up a pilot group of employees to participate in your classes consistently for a set period of time. If there is a noticeable improvement in the employees' attitudes and productivity, then see if other managers will agree to do the same. If you can provide tangible evidence in addition to a noticeable increase in employee productivity after participating in your class, the value of the company’s investment in you will substantially increase.

If you can find a level of compensation that both parties feel comfortable with initially, accept it with the condition of re-negotiation at a pre-determined time in the future. Set specific improvements and means of measurements in advance. Then, if your services produce the results you said they would, it is reasonable to receive compensation that reflects your contribution to the company’s bottom line.