Ask an Expert on Group X

You have questions, we have answers. This month, we spoke with Lashaun Dale, the vice president of group exercise, creative, for 24 Hour Fitness, to answer questions you had on Group X.

CS: How does 24 Hour Fitness stay on the cutting edge with Group X?

LD: Our strength in programming comes down to our instructors’ passions. They are dedicated to their classes — keeping it fresh and entertaining each week and showing up with energy and commitment — to make sure the members have a great workout. It’s exciting to see that staple across all of our clubs, because it’s truly the key to great programming.

CS: What classes are “hot” right now?

LD: HIIT training classes, results-based programming and regeneration workouts — such as yoga, Myofascial Release programs, stretching and meditation/breath work — are really trending strongly in consumer demand and popularity.

CS: Are there any classes you’ve recently introduced that have been successful?

LD: We have incredible partnerships with providers like Les Mills, Nike and Zumba. They continue to bring innovation to all of their programs and group exercise experience. We just launched [Les Mills] GRIT, which is a high-intensity interval training program that is amazing — so hard, but also so fun. We are very much looking forward to its evolution and expansion.

CS: How do you foresee Group X evolving over the next year?

LD: Group X will continue to prove a meaningful factor in member engagement and retention. There will always be room for new and fun equipment to try and various new formats to consider. However, the industry has raised the bar on consumer expectations in recent years, and now consumers expect that new classes will get results, use time efficiently, create community and be delivered by inspired instructors who care about their students.

CS: Are there any trends that have surprised you recently?

LD: It is exciting to see the innovation in dance formats. Dance is one of the most amazing forms of human movement and the creative expression, community and mastery that dance brings forward are so inspiring. It has been great to see the evolution of offerings beyond aerobics and traditional dance formats like hip-hop or dance choreography, to today’s incredible spectrum of Zumba classes and other formats such as U-Jam [Fitness].