Move to your own beat with a career in studio-based exercise
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We have a range of exercise to music courses and group exercise qualifications that are highly respected by industry-leading awarding and regulatory bodies. As a training provider, we are highly respected by fitness industry employers, here in the UK and overseas, because we don't compromise our quality standards. Wherever your career as a group exercise instructor takes you, you can rest assured your achievements and qualifications will be recognised.
Our range of exercise to music courses can be completed in-person at one of our nationwide venues, or online, depending on your specific needs and circumstances. Some exercise to music courses are completed in a live virtual environment (zoom), whereas others are completed in a more self-paced and on-demand format. Regardless of how you choose to complete your training, you can rest assured you will have the knowledge and skills you need to succeed.
All of our exercise to music courses lead to internationally recognised qualifications that are certificated by fitness industry-specific awarding organisations like YMCA Awards, active IQ and Transcend Awards. These courses are also fully endorsed by CIMSPA, the professional body for the active leisure sector. This level of rigor ensures that your achievements are recognised the world over by all fitness, leisure, dance and physical activity employers.
Whether you want to teach old old school aerobics (freestyle exercise to music), or you want to teach a more specific form of group exercise class (Les Mills, indoor cycling, step aerobic, studio strength, water-based exercise), our exercise to music courses serve as your professional passport, giving you the foundational knowledge, skills and behaviours from which to progress. More specific group exercise instructor courses will require you to hold a recognised exercise to music qualification (level 2) on entry.
If you're just starting out in the group exercise profession and you want to take those all-important first steps to becoming a qualified group exercise to music instructor, our featured Essentials of Exercise to Music course is just what you need. This leads to an Ofqual regulated qualification that is highly respected and recognised throughout the active leisure and physical activity sector.
Master the fundamentals of teaching group exercise to music with our featured Level 2 Exercise to Music course, the most popular pathway to becoming qualified and highly respected group exercise professional. If you are passionate about becoming a creative freestyle instructor that can choreograph group exercise to the beat and phrase of music, this pathway is absolutely for you.
This is a comprehensive Level 2 Exercise to Music course that will give you the theory knowledge, practical skills, as well as the confidence to succeed as you progress in your career. You’ll learn:
All our study methods combine a period of home-study (6-8 weeks is recommended for most students) with one of the following:
All study options above benefit from high-levels of support from our team of friendly and experienced learning support tutors.
Throughout this exercise to music course you will complete a range of assessments, including:
*Unless you are attending one of our in-person courses, you’ll complete this assessment remotely and submit a video of your class/session for marking.
On completion of this course, you’ll receive the following qualification:
This is a fully regulated qualification (Ofqual) that is also endorsed by CIMSPA. It’s mapped against CIMSPA’s Group Exercise Professional standard so you’ll be able to join CIMSPA once you’re qualified.
Group exercise to music instructors are employed in a range of exercise, fitness and leisure facilities. On completion of this qualification, you’ll be eligible for employment in any of these environments.
Like most group exercise instructors, ETM instructors are usually employed on a freelance basis to teach specific classes. This qualification will allow you to deliver freestyle choreography (e.g., high and low-impact aerobics) and body conditioning classes (e.g., legs, bums and tums).
Whether you want to work in a health club or leisure facility, or you want to launch your own classes in a a suitable space (community centre, church hall), this qualification is just what you need.
This is an entry-level qualification that has no formal pre-requisites. That said, you should:
Our exercise to music courses and qualifications are available to study in a variety of ways to best to suit your needs. We have a face-to-face practical course supported by home study, or learn entirely online and on-demand courses where you can learn from home.
Face the music with our range of distance-learning and attended exercise to music courses delivered practically from quality training venues across the UK.
Skip the travel costs with our range of online exercise to music courses. The online courses offer an equally immersive learning experience and are packed with engaging online content.
Do you want to totally immerse yourself in the group exercise profession and studio environment? Want to develop a broader set of teaching skill sand a richer understanding of different group exercise formats? Our range of specialist group exercise to music courses and CPD programmes will allow you to expand the number of group exercise classes you can teach, increasing your career prospects and earning potential.
Give your career a tempo change by combining exercise to music with our pre and postnatal clients qualification. Pregnant women and new mothers frequently attend group exercise to music so it’s only right you have the knowledge and skills to adequately support them.
Professionalise your career by mastering both gym and studio-based exercise. This hybrid package is perfect for anyone looking for employment as a dual studio and gym-based fitness instructor role.
Get into the groove of your career in group exercise with our extensive range of offers, discounts and career enhancements.
Connect with group exercise employers in your areas to get your exercise to music career off on the right foot. Our innovative CV Connect recruitment programme allows you to send your CV directly to fitness employers actively looking for qualified group exercise instructors just like you.
We understand that changing your career can be a daunting prospect and we’re keen to help out in any way we can. That’s why we’ve secured some amazing deals with the leading fitness brands so that you can walk your first steps with confidence.
In order to maximise the quality of your learning experience, we have a team of friendly, experienced and professional Learning Support Tutors who will be there when need them. On enrolment and beyond, your tutor will be on hand to meet all your learning support needs and will be available by:
Level up your career as a professional group exercise instructor with our range of exercise-to-music courses and group exercise CPDs. Whether you want to make waves in the pool with our aqua instructor course, or be the leader of the pack as an indoor cycling professional, we have a range of courses to suit your needs.
Become a leading group exercise to music instructor with the fitness industry's' most widely recognised Level 2 Exercise to Music Instructor qualification. This qualification is essential for anyone wanting to teach choreographed exercise. It's also a gateway to other group exercise CPDs.
Accelerate your career as a group exercise professional by becoming a leading group indoor cycling instructor. Our industry-leading group indoor cycling qualification leads to an internationally recognised qualification that is guaranteed put you ahead of the pack.
Make waves in your group exercise career by becoming a qualified water-based exercise professional. Water-based exercise, also known as aqua aerobics, is extremely popular in health clubs and leisure facilities as a low-impact alternative to high-energy classes.
Pump up the energy and volume of your classes with our exclusive high-energy Studio Strength Instructor programme. This course will give you the knowledge, skills, and confidence to teach freestyle studio-based resistance classes without the need for ongoing license and certification fees.
Elevate your opportunities in the group exercise profession by becoming a skilled step exercise to music instructor. Our coveted step instructor programme will show you how to use freestyle step-based choreography to plan and deliver safe, energetic, and creative step-based exercise to music classes.
Our range of exercise to music and studio-based instructor programmes are creatively designed and expertly delivered by some of the industry's most talented and experienced teachers and presenters.
Music is supplied as standard with all our exercise to music courses by Europe's largest music provider, Pure Energy Go, so all you need to worry about providing is the moves.
Give your classes a kick with choreography delivered by one of the world's most successful international fitness presenters, Kardy Laguda.
Our ETM tutors are some of the most experienced and successful in the business and they’ll be there to guide you in the right direction.
*Images and videos are for illustration purposes and may not depict specific course materials.
We’re not afraid to dance to our own beat here at HFE and we set the standard in terms of training quality and assessment standards. That’s why our graduates are recognised by the fitness industry as being some of the most skilled and practically competent in the business.
Over the years, we’ve had a few high-profile graduates and famous faces on our courses and here’s what they had to say about their HFE experience. While it’s always nice to work with interesting people, in reality, the core of our business is about supporting regular people to starting out in the fitness industry on the path to success. This is what excites us the most.
Over the past 15 years or so, we’ve trained 40,000 fitness professionals and we’re proud of what our graduates have gone on to achieve. Take a look at some of their HFE reviews on our review page.
"HFE is the ultimate fitness training provider. Without a doubt their personal training courses are the best in the industry."
"The course has really helped me to better understand yoga so that I can improve my performance and remain World No. 1."
"HFE have been fantastic and have produced some of the best materials I've seen in the fitness industry."
"HFE were understanding and the course is really flexible. I knew this would be perfect for me."
"I did my ETM and yoga teacher training with HFE and thoroughly enjoyed both... I highly recommend them."
"I've seen a lot of providers in my career and HFE are by far the most professional and committed provider I've seen."
We've created a list of some of the commonly asked questions when it comes to starting an Exercise to Music Career. If these don't answer your question, don't hesitate to call our friendly Careers Team who will be more than happy to help.
We offer exercise to music courses across the UK with venues in most major cities, including London-Central, London-Roehampton, Manchester, and Birmingham. Our ETM courses are held at premium venues to ensure that we provide you with the best learning experience and realistic practical elements.
If none of our venues are suitable for you, or if you’d prefer to complete the course from home, we also offer a fully online exercise to music course which allows you to attend the course virtually in real time through live streaming. This means that you’ll still get the same high quality learning experience as you would at our attended ETM course and you’ll be able to ask questions and speak with other students on your course.
We’re always looking to broaden our horizons and make our courses accessible to even more students, so if you’d like find out about any other areas where we may be planning to hold attended courses, you’re more than welcome to contact our friendly Careers Team and make an enquiry.
If you’re looking to book multiple members staff onto an ETM course, we may be able to bring the course to you. You can look at our corporate fitness training information or enquire with us for more information.
We don’t offer guaranteed interviews, instead, once you’ve completed your ETM course you will unlock access to our superior solution, CV Connect, which is an exclusive recruitment platform. We developed CV Connect with thousands of employers from leading health clubs, gyms and leisure centres across the UK. This platform puts your CV directly in front of employers in your area who are actively looking for skilled ETM instructors like you. This is a better alternative to guaranteed interviews, which are often actually interviews for self-employed roles where you may be expected to pay fees to work in that particular gym or health club.
We’ve done all the leg work to make the connections with employers from leading health clubs, leisure centres and gyms, ranging from larger well-known chains to small independent centres. All you need to do is polish your CV, upload it to CV Connect and from there it will be sent instantly to all of your selected employers at the push of a button. Then you can sit back and wait for the job offers to roll in. Employers on CV Connect will highly value your ETM qualification with HFE as they know the level of expertise our students achieve.
We recommend that you take a minimum of 6-8 weeks to qualify as an ETM instructor, although most students do take a little longer. The course dates you’ll attend are 4 weeks apart and we advise you do some pre-study before attending your first weekend, usually around 4-6 weeks. If you have already completed a gym instructor course, you’ll probably complete the course much quicker. Similarly, if you have a dance background or have participated in lots of ETM classes yourself, you will probably pick up the choreography much quicker also, but this is not a necessity.
We generally advise that one hour of studying per weekday is enough, but of course this varies on your existing knowledge and the speed at which you learn. On enrolment you’ll be able to access your online learning materials immediately, so you can get stuck in and start learning right away.
The online learning content is light and engaging with interactive elements and quizzes, you’ll also receive comprehensive manuals to support your learning in both a physical copy and a digital format to provide more in-depth content and explanations to help your understanding. The online learning content is mobile-friendly, so if you ever have some free time while you’re out and about, sat on the train or bus perhaps with some time to spare, you can get some of your course boxed off on the go. If you ever get stuck with any of the course content, you’ll have a dedicated support tutor who is only an email or phone call away, so you’ll never get left behind.
Believe it or not, we’re one of a handful of training providers in our sector that actually publishes the price of our training courses on our website for all to see. We believe that all our students should benefit from the same, fair pricing, and we won’t ever bargain with students on price. All our students are of equal value to us and it’s only right that everyone pays the same low price for the same high-quality service. This isn’t the industry standard by the way! We’ve broken down our pricing model for you on our Price Promise page.
We do have a number of interest-free payment plans available that allow our students to spread the cost of their exercise to music training course over six months. You’ll be able to secure your place by making a deposit payment of £100 and after that, it’s just six low monthly payments, one of £75 and the remaining five of £74.
When you enrol, we’ll supply you with a digital download of music that you can use throughout your ETM training course. This music is yours to use throughout your training, although the license doesn’t permit you to use this commercially (e.g. you can’t use it for paid classes).
The music we supply you with has been professionally mixed and prepared by Pure Energy and so it will have had all the gaps between tracks removed, and it won’t have any instrumentals or bridges. There will be a strong and continuous beat throughout, allowing you to choreograph lively and engaging ETM classes to it. You’ll be able to put this music on an MP3 player, phone, or other portable music device so that you can take it with you wherever you go.
Once you complete your course, we’ll also share with you an exclusive discount code that will enable you to purchase future music from Pure Energy at a discounted rate. This will really help you to get your exercise to music career off to a flying start.
We want to help you become the best ETM instructor you can be, turning the thriving and exciting career you’ve envisaged into a reality. That’s why all of our course materials have been specifically developed by a team of industry experts with your success in mind.
From the moment you’re enrolled onto the course, you’ll have access to the Learner Engagement System (LES), our online student hub. Here you’ll find a handy study guide which is there to direct your learning and help you to keep track of your course progress. You’ll also find all of your online study materials on LES, which includes expert delivered videos with engaging and interactive quizzes and questions embedded into the course. Our online learning materials are designed to help keep you focused and to ensure you make continued progress from enrolment all the way through to course completion.
To ensure you have all of the information you need, and to cater to all learning types, we also provide you with comprehensive manuals which are technically rich and in full colour. You’ll not only receive an online mobile-friendly versions, but we’ll also send you textbook manuals in the post. You’ll have a wealth of information at your fingertips to help you progress through your course and in to your future career as a qualified ETM instructor.
Our exercise to music courses and qualifications are delivered from leading venues around the UK, including Manchester, London-Central, London-Roehampton, and Birmingham. We also deliver online exercise to music courses, live over Zoom.
We use only use the best studio facilities in leading gyms and health clubs to deliver the practical aspects of our group exercise to music training, so you can be sure you’ll be primed and prepared to launch your teaching career.
To see all our ETM course venues and locations, select the button below.
King's Sport & Wellness Strand Gym, Lower Ground, Aldwych London WC2B 6AN
Roehampton Sports and Fitness, Laverstoke Gardens Roehampton SW15 4JB
Brookstreet Studio, Brook Street Knutsford WA16 8EB
King's Sport & Wellness Strand Gym, Lower Ground, Aldwych London WC2B 6AN
Roehampton Sports and Fitness, Laverstoke Gardens Roehampton SW15 4JB
Brookstreet Studio, Brook Street Knutsford WA16 8EB
Serious about launching your career as a professional studio instructor? Want to find your feet in the world of exercise to music? Find out what’s involved, what qualifications and insurance are required and much more from the following articles.
Exercise to music instructors are passionate, energetic, and creative individuals capable of delivering group exercise sessions that are safe, effective, and fun. If you think you have what it takes to become an exercise to music instructor, then it’s only natural that you’ll be passionate to learn more about from those who have walked and danced this path before you.
In our range of exercise to music articles and career guides, our team of expert ETM professionals will share their decades of collective experience with you, providing insights into the role, career opportunities, the different qualifications that are available, and what insurance you’ll need once you’re qualified. Ultimately, these articles have been written to help you to become a more successful instructor.
