10 Best Group Fitness Class Ideas for Your Gym

Bookedin 8 minute read

Date 06/10/2025

Offering group workout classes is a great way to bring in more members to your gym or health club.

In fact, studies show that members who attend group fitness classes visit their gym or club about four times per week. This is nearly twice as often as the average member, who only visits 1.9 times per week.

Below, you’ll find various group fitness class ideas, ranging from low-impact and beginner-friendly to cardio-driven and other high-intensity ones. We’ll also include simple examples, recommended durations, and tips for how to improve attendance for all these classes.

Best Group Workout Ideas You Should Consider

Whether you’re planning one-off sessions or recurring classes, these group fitness class ideas can help you attract new members and keep your regulars coming back.

1. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT alternates short bursts of hard work with brief recovery. This on-off rhythm keeps the room focused, delivers a strong cardio stimulus in less time, and builds a satisfying sense of accomplishment after each interval.

It’s easy to scale because each person controls their own effort. Think working at a challenging pace that one could only sustain for a short time, and then recover.

You can guide members’ effort with heart-rate “zones” (i.e., intensity levels from easy to very hard) so beginners know how much to push. Also, provide low-impact alternatives, like step-downs instead of jumps and incline push-ups instead of floor push-ups. These are meant to help reduce joint stress while maintaining good form.

Suggested duration: 30–40 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning a HIIT class:

2. Kickboxing

Kickboxing blends cardio and skill, so members get a mood-boosting sweat while learning satisfying punch-and-kick patterns in short, repeatable sequences.

Start with simple combos (for example, jab + cross) and add one new move (like a hook, then a front kick) at a time as people learn. You can “shadowbox” if there’s no equipment, or use pads or bags if available.

Provide clear regressions (lower targets, slower tempo) and emphasize control (rather than power) for new members. This keeps your class safe, coachable, and confidence-building while still delivering solid cardio.

Suggested duration: 30–40 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning a kickboxing class:

3. Pilates

Pilates trains core strength, alignment, and control using precise, low-impact movements. You can run it as a bodyweight mat class, and add small props like mini bands, Pilates rings, or light dumbbells. Alternatively, you could offer classes with equipment like the reformer if your facility has it.

The focus is quality reps over volume, which involves giving clear tempo and breath cues so members move with intention.

Start with basics (e.g., neutral spine, ribcage alignment, diaphragmatic breathing) and layer difficulty by changing range of motion, tempo, or leverage — not by adding speed. Emphasize “pain-free, smooth control” as the standard for advancing.

Suggested duration: 45–55 minutes

Videos to watch for inspiration when planning Pilates classes:

4. Yoga

Yoga builds flexibility, balance, and body awareness while down-regulating stress, which makes it great as both a stand-alone class and a recurring one.

Choose a style that fits your schedule and audience: a gentle flow for mobility, a vinyasa flow for steady movement, or a power class for more strength work.

Keep sequencing simple and repeatable so beginners can follow. Coach alignment and breathing first, then depth. Provide prop options (e.g., yoga blocks, straps) for most poses and cue exits just as clearly as entries. Aim for a calm, consistent pace; members should leave feeling better than they arrived.

Suggested duration: 45–60 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning yoga classes:

5. Indoor Cycling

If your gym or fitness studio has a dedicated bike row or a small fleet, cycling is a high-capacity, low-impact cardio class that many members already understand. It’s easy to scale by adjusting resistance and cadence.

Before the ride, make sure members have set their seat around hip level, their knees have a slight bend at the bottom of the pedal stroke, and their handlebars high enough to keep shoulders relaxed.

Program short, easy-to-follow chunks: a steady pace block, a few quick bursts, and a “hill” with higher resistance. Use upbeat, high-tempo tracks for the sprints and a strong beat for the climbs. Also, remind members to relax the shoulders and drive power through the legs, not the hands.

Suggested duration: 40–50 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning indoor cycling classes:

6. Circuit Training

In circuit training, participants go through a series of stations that target different muscles or movement patterns (e.g., push, pull, hinge, squat, core). They spend a set time at each station with brief transitions, then repeat the circuit.

Unlike HIIT, which centers on timed work-rest intervals at higher effort with everyone on the same clock, circuit training focuses on moving through different stations at a steady pace. Sure, it’s also challenging, but typically less “all-out” than classic HIIT.

To coach this well, make the plan obvious at a glance. Keep stations tidy, label each with reps and options, and list both progressions (heavier load, harder variation) and regressions (lighter load, simpler movement). This lets beginners start safely while advanced members can push without constant cueing.

Suggested duration: 30–60 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning circuit training classes:

7. Chair/Supported Training

In this group workout class, participants use a chair, wall, or rail to make strength work more stable and accessible.

This format is especially ideal for older adults, complete beginners, and anyone easing back after time off, while still improving one’s strength and balance. So, keep coaching cues simple with pain-free reps, and emphasize posture and controlled tempo over speed.

Suggested duration: 35–45 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning a chair-based class:

8. Dance Cardio Fusion

This group fitness class idea delivers steady, low-impact cardio using easy choreography. Build short combos (4–8 counts), repeat them, then add one change at a time (e.g., add arms or change direction).

Make sure to focus on clear counts and consistent pacing, not complex steps. For safety, cue soft landings, upright posture, and a low-impact option for any jump. You might also want to pick familiar songs with a clear beat so cadence is obvious, and arrange the playlist so intensity climbs gradually across blocks.

Another way to keep things fun would be to do themed days based on the music. Think ’90s pop, Latin night, movie soundtracks, and more! Don’t forget to promote the theme and share the playlist so members have a reason to show up and even bring a friend.

Suggested duration: 20–45 minutes

Video to watch for inspiration when planning a cardio-dance class:

9. Unilateral Strength Training

“Unilateral” in this context means training one side at a time (right, then left). This format helps fix side-to-side imbalances, improves stability, and reduces overuse by giving each side its own work set.

It’s also less intimidating, given the lighter weights, but still challenging because balance and control are the goal.

Suggested duration: 30–50 minutes

Video to watch when planning unilateral strength training classes:

10. Kettlebell Complex

A kettlebell complex is a sequence of lifts performed back-to-back without putting the bell down. It builds strength, power, and cardio in a single segment of the workout, with no need to switch equipment or stations.

Because everyone follows the same simple sequence, mixed-level groups stay organized, and you avoid the equipment shuffle. Make sure to teach setup before speed. Show how to hold the bell safely: forearm vertical, wrist straight (not bent), and the bell resting softly on the forearm in the “rack” position.

Practice each move on its own first, then link two moves, then the full chain. Keep the first few sets short so members learn the rhythm, and end a set early in case their form slips.

Suggested duration: 15–30 minutes

Video to watch when planning a kettlebell complex class:

Tips for Keeping Your Group Fitness Classes Full

Here are the best ways to help avoid cancellations and boost attendance for your group workout classes.

Send confirmations and reminders: Using your online booking system, automate a confirmation at booking, a reminder 24 hours out, and another reminder on the day of. You might also want to add a link for rescheduling, in case members aren’t able to make it.
Enable auto-notify waitlists. When a spot opens, your booking system alerts the next person and holds it for a set window (e.g., 60 minutes). This way, class slots refill themselves, and you don’t need to chase attendees.
Require a small deposit or full prepay to hold a spot: This prevents no-shows and last-minute cancellations, and it sets clear expectations. Mak sure to communicate this clearly on your booking page (e.g., “Deposit applies to class fee. If you cancel less than 12 hours before start, the deposit is forfeited.”).
Offer online or hybrid options whenever possible. This is especially ideal for your high-demand fitness classes, so some members can join virtually if they’re traveling or they can’t make it due to bad weather. Include the meeting link in confirmation and reminder emails, and add a short gear list (e.g., mat, light dumbbells, bands).

With Bookedin’s Class Scheduling feature, you don’t have to juggle multiple apps to do all these best practices. From deposits and automated reminders to virtual class options, you can manage everything from a single dashboard.

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