Group Exercise
21 Conversation Starters For Your Next Group Fitness Class
When you are running a circuit class, teaching chair-based exercise, or doing standing weights work, it can be great to have a few conversation starters up your sleeve. While every fitness instructor is different in how much they talk during class, or how much they want their participants to talk during class, starting a conversation and getting your group sharing and talking to each other can be a great way to help people feel connected.
This is especially true for older adults. They love being able to share their knowledge and experiences, but sometimes it might take a question or two from you to encourage them to open up. We always joke that if you need something, ask your class – someone will always have a great recommendation! Or course, there are topics t hat we try to steer clear of – politics and religion are the big ones, but also gender, body shape, race, and topics that might make anyone in the room uncomfortable if they’re of the opposite gender or in the minority.
The following starters are what I use with my older adult participants, but they can also be adapted to suit group fitness audiences of all ages and demographics.
Ask For Reccomendations
“Who has read a good book lately?”
Many older adults are avid readers and will always have a book on the go. Ask what people are reading, if they recommend it, and where others can find the book – be it the local library, or Kindle, or the participant is willing to lend their copy. If someone makes a recommendation, ask what they’ve learned from it or what they enjoyed about it. Has it been adapted to a movie or TV series?
“What’s on at the movies at the moment? What should I watch next on Netflix?”
There will no doubt be varied tastes amongst your class–some will like documentaries,others true crime, and others action and drama. Ask what people are watching, if they’d recommend it, and how they access it. Offer your help (or even better, ask another participant to help!) for those who aren’t sure how to download a movie from their library orcreate an account for catch-up TV like ABC iView and 9Go.
“Anyone tried a new recipe this week?”
If participants are hosting friendsfor lunch, ask what’s on the menu. Or if you’re the onehosting, ask your class what you should include on your menu. If someone’s cooked upsomething tasty for dinner, ask them to share the recipe!
“I’m meeting a friend for dinner on Friday - where can we go locally?”
Whether you are looking for Thai, pizza, Chinese or a cafe, someone in class will know a great spot nearby for you to try. They’ll probably also tell you about the parking, the noise levels, and when is the best time to book.
“My shower is blocked – does anyone know a good plumber?”
Older adult classes are the best for finding a good tradie recommendation. They’re often nearby too, which is great if you want to support local businesses. Whether it’s a plumber, roof tiler, deck designer or curtain fitter, someone in the class will have a suggestion for you!
Talk About Activities
“What did we get up to on the weekend?”
Participants are always doing something fun. Get them to share what they did, who they went with, how they found out about it, and if they’ve been before. Or if someone responds that their highlight was weeding the garden, we can all empathise with that one! It doesn’t have to be an exciting activity that people have to share, just get people talking and you never know what else might come up.
“What have we got planned for this weekend?"
Ask people what plans they have for the weekend and if anyone needs help finalising last-minute details. Share the excitement, anticipation, or dread, depending on whether someone has a party, birthday, or medical appointment coming up.
“Where should I go on my next regional/interstate/overseas holiday?"
Amongst a group of older adults, someone has been to pretty much every town, every state, and every country at least once! And they are a valuable resource when you are planning your next holiday–even if you’re only dreaming about it.
“Where should I go with my dad/grandkids/in-laws this weekend?”
Ask your class for ideas on where to go with family and friends when you meet up with them next. Let them know the audience, your budget, and the preferred travel time, and they’ll come up with some great ideas that you may not have thought of. Usually someone else in the class will also have firsthand experience of the place too! Your class can be a great source of information especially when you need ideas for kids in school holidays–the grandparents in the room will know something!
Talk About Music
“Who sang this song?”
Hopefully, you are playing music that your older adults know, remember and love. Whether you’re a little younger and have no idea about the artist, or you’re a similar age to your class and have just forgotten the artist, or you just want to get people reminiscing, ask about the singer and see what they remember.
“Was it a one-hit wonder or did they have other famous songs?”
What album was the song from? What else did they sing? See how many other songs from the same artist or band you can get your class to remember. Then you can start asking who they married and if they’re still alive!
“Is this song from a movie or musical? Who was in it?”
Sometimes you’ll hear a song and it just sounds like it’s from a musical – ask your class! See if they remember the movie or musical and see what you can piece together. If it’s from a show, get your participants to remember what other songs were on the soundtrack, or who sung it, and when it appeared in the story.
“What year did this come out? What were you doing at the time?”
Many participants will remember dancing to certain songs at the town hall, or listening to a particular song while they were driving to the beach, or it was played at their wedding. Ask what year the song came out and have people reminisce about what they were doing then and if they have any memories associated with the song.
Introduce Regular Segments
“Are you ready for my joke of the week?”
Look up a (clean!) joke each week to share with the class at the start, during your cooldown, or when you comeback from a drink break.
“It’s time for my Tip of the Week!”
There are so many little hacks for getting things done around the house. Why not help out your participants with fun ideas each week like naming cables with bread ties, adding baking soda to your washing machine so your clothes dry faster, or using toothpaste to buff out scratches on your furniture.
“Who remembers my fun fact from last week?”
Share a fun fact with the group each week–but before you do, get them to try and remember your trivia from the week before. This is a great memory test to get your class thinking and recalling back to your last class. Add in an extra challenge and get everyone to hold a balance or weight exercise until someone remembers the answer!
“Today’s Word of the Week is...”
There are so many words out there that many of us have never heard–why not add a little education to your class and introduce a new word each week? Do you know the smell of petrichor? Are you suffering from pareidolia? Do you always have a good riposte at the ready? Why not consider allocating the task to one or a few of your participants and get them involved too? They’ll love it!
About This Week
Tell a story about your week
Participants usually love hearing about your life–especially if they live by themselves or don’t have family nearby. If they’ve been coming to your class for a while, then you have become part of their family. Share something that has been happening in your life, even though it might sound a little mundane to you–you’ll be surprised how many participants might come up to you in the weeks that follow and ask how it turned out or what happened next. If you’ve got an ongoing saga (think wedding planning, fighting for a refund, or trying to work with the neighbours to build a new boundary fence) even better, because you can keep adding to the story each week.
“Who has learnt or done something new this week?”
Encourage your participants to keep learning and growing and challenging themselves. Whether it’s taking a different route on their morning walk, trying a new coffee spot, or picking a different flavour of tea bag, it doesn’t have to be big, it just has to be different. Set your class the challenge!
“Anyone have any announcements to share?”
While it probably won’t happen every week, new grandchildren, engagement announcements, weddings, new cars, and achievements will pop up for different participants throughout the year. Share in the joy with your participants during these times!
“I’ve missed the news this week - what’s been happening in the world?”
Whether you’re too busy to read a newspaper or you just find it too depressing, get your participants to keep you updated with the latest (hopefully positive!) news from around the country and around the world. Ask for the highlights, get their opinion, and you’ll get an understanding too of who values what in the group!
Some of these conversation starters can also be a great way to include new participants–if you have a general question that most people will have an answer to, consider asking your newcomers as they might not otherwise have the courage to speak up. Have fun!
Trudi Edmeades
Trudi is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Third Age Fitness, which offers specialised and unique training programs and resources for group fitness instructors to build and deliver great older adult exercises classes. Trudi has taught older adult classes for over a decade, specialising in chair-based exercise, balance, aerobics, and circuit workouts.
