Level 2 exercise to music course
Join the group exercise to music community and open the doors to a world of freestyle and pre-choreographed class formats
The industry's leading level 2 exercise to music course
An exciting entry-level route to teaching freestyle group exercise to music. Whether you want to choreograph your own classes, or go freestyle, this is the entry-level qualification for becoming a studio-based instructor.
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Flexible study options:
Online or attended course formats
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Internationally accredited:
YMCA Awards qualification with Ofqual and CIMSPA approval
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Comprehensive resources:
Everything you need to achieve is included
Course overview: Level 2 exercise to music
Discover how to work to your own beat with this energetic group exercise to music qualification. This is the entry level qualification for anyone wanting to teach freestyle or pre-choreographed group exercise to music and provides access to a range of alternative formats, including Les Mills, Insanity and Zumba.
Our Level 2 Exercise to Music course is the minimum qualification required for anyone wanting to teach group exercise in a studio-based environment. Whether you want to teach ‘old school’ aerobics, or deliver alternative formats of group exercise classes to music, this is the entry-level qualification that will allow you to become a professional studio instructor.
According to recent reports, around 4.86 million people participate in group exercise classes each week, and this excludes those participating in online group classes delivered on social media and fitness apps. The active leisure and fitness sector has grown steadily for the past 10-15 years and this trend shows no sign of reversing. As more and more people appreciate the benefits of leading an active lifestyle, the demand for qualified group ETM classes has never been so high.
This qualification will give you the necessary knowledge to be able to plan and teach safe exercise to music. More importantly however, it will give you the skills to enter the group exercise studio with absolute confidence in your abilities to deliver exercise to music classes with passion and energy.
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Entry requirements
There are no formal entry requirements for this course, although you will need some experience of taking part in group ETM classes as a participant. You will also need to be able to follow basic aerobic choreography and work to the beat and phrase of the music. For this reason, if you are inexperienced with exercise to music, recommend that throughout your study period, you try to attend 2-3 classes per week, or more if you can. This does however depend on your previous level of experience and for those who have been attending classes for some time, this isn't always necessary.
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Accreditations
This Level 2 Exercise to Music course is certificated by YMCA Awards and provides you with a full regulated Ofqual qualification. The qualification is also endorsed by CIMSPA and is recognised by all leading health and fitness employers.
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Learning resources
On enrolment, we'll supply you with all the materials and resources you need. You'll get print and digital training manuals, interactive eLearning, and an extensive range of practical and theory online videos guiding you through all the essential content. We'll also give you an easy to follow study guide which breaks down the course into modular steps for you to follow.
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Career and progression
On completion, you'll be eligible to deliver freestyle group exercise classes in any environment suitable for exercise. Whether you want to set up your own classes in a village hall, dance studio or even outdoors, you'll be qualified. Alternatively, if you want to work in a health club environment, you'll also be eligible and our CV Connect programme will certainly help you to get your CV out in industry.
With this qualification, you will also be able to specialise in further exercise to music courses and qualifications, such as aqua or indoor cycling further down the line. -
CIMSPA CPD points
This qualification is fully mapped to CIMSPAs professional standards and is worth 10 CIMSPA CPD Points.
Online vs. Attended Level 2 ETM Courses
There are a number of ways that you can complete your Level 2 Exercise to Music Qualification with HFE, including online and on-demand, live and virtually, or using a blended approach by attending one of our regional training venues.
Attended CoursesVirtual CoursesOn-Demand Courses
Attended ETM Courses
Our attended exercise to music courses are delivered in a blended format combining home-study with 4 days (2 weekends) of face-to-face training at one of our regional training centres.
These courses are perfect for anyone who enjoys learning practically and who enjoys interactions with others. With our face-to-face courses, you will get lots of up close and direct contact with your course tutor(s) and your fellow students.
Throughout the 4-days of training, there are a combination of theory and practical workshops that will help you learn everything you need to become a group exercise to music teacher. The content is delivered in a friendly, informal and positive tone.
Most of our graduates tell us just how much they enjoy and value the interaction with others and many tell us that they have met friends for life on their ETM course because of the camaraderie and inspiring atmosphere that often develops.
Our attended exercise to music programmes are typically delivered in premium health clubs to ensure that you get the best learning experience. Courses usually run 9-5, although sometimes it is necessary to vary this slightly to maximise your access to the exercise studio.
Live Virtual ETM Courses
Our virtual exercise to music courses are also delivered using a blended approach where you’ll complete some distance learning prior to completing your face-to-face training. However, instead of attending one of our venues for your practical training, this is delivered virtually via Zoom.
Virtual group exercise to music has become increasingly popular in recent years and there are many instructors that now only teach their own classes in this way. Regardless of your physical location, you’ll be able to access the same high-quality, engaging and enjoyable training that has become synonymous with the HFE name.
With the virtual approach, you’ll do all 3 days of the live training via Zoom. Once the course is over, you’ll just need to record yourself delivering a group exercise to music session and submit this for marking. You won’t need any fancy recording equipment; most students use a smartphone.
Our virtual exercise to music courses are perfect for students that are out of the reach of our regional training venues but who still need that interaction and engagement with their tutor.
Online ETM Courses
Our on-demand exercise to music qualification is the most flexible way to complete your exercise to music teacher training. This programme is fully online and fully loaded with both theory and practical leaning content.
The course includes the exact same learning content as our other exercise to music programmes. There’s actually quite a bit more content available because we’ve developed more video content and eLearning to compensate for not seeing students physically.
The main beauty of this programme is that it can be completed from literally anywhere in the world and at your own pace. Whether you want to go ‘all in’ and study on a full-time basis, or you want to give yourself the time and space to grow, this course will work for you.
As with all our online exercise to music courses, you’ll have lots of direct access with our learning support team, who are also highly experienced in delivering group exercise classes in a variety of different formats.
The online and on-demand course has been structured in an intuitive and easy to follow format to allow you to work through the teaching, learning and assessments in a step-by-step approach. All you need to do is follow the programme.
With you every step of the way
Our team of Learning Support Tutors will be with you every step of the way to guide you through your training and beyond. As and when you need them, you'll be able to connect in the following ways:
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Email
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Phone calls
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Video calls
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Webinars
What you'll learn
Our exercise to music courses are designed with your long-term success in mind. During your studies, you’ll experience world-class teaching and learning resources and highly energetic practical training experience delivered from one of our regional training venues (unless you're completing your training online).
Regardless of your study method (online, attended, virtual), the attended and online courses cover exactly the same content so there's no compromise to be made. All of our programmes are packed full of engaging and informative subjects designed to give you the highest levels of knowledge, skills and confidence.
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Principles of health and fitness
Components of fitness
Principles of exercise and fitness
Training programme variables
Strength training recommendations
Endurance training recommendations
Cardiovascular training recommendations
Flexibility recommendations
Motor skills development
Monitoring fitness development -
Anatomy and physiology for exercise
Anatomical language and terminology
The skeletal system
The muscular system
The cardiovascular system
The respiratory System
Energy systems
The nervous system
Basic nutrition
Healthy eating guidelines -
Using music to teach exercise
Structure of music
Beats & phrases
Finding and using the beat
Fast & slow beats
Music timing
PPL & licence free music
Different styles & genres of music
Cueing music changes -
Planning exercise to music
Using freestyle choreography
Lesson planning
Warming up & cooling down
Main aerobic component
Adapting & progressing choreography
Rules of combination
Muscular strength and endurance (MSE)
Body conditioning
Stretching and flexibility -
Teaching exercise to music
Timing and cueing moves
Visual and verbal instructions
Effective class observation
Correcting participants
Teaching to the beat and phrase
Cueing exercise to music
Holding patterns
Layering & mirroring
Evaluating ETM classes
*Images and videos are for illustration purposes and may not depict specific materials for this course.
A career in group exercise to music
with unlimited possibilities
If you're passionate about exercise and you'd like to take centre stage, then a world of existing opportunities awaits you. Join our thousands of group ETM graduates working with some of the world’s leading health and fitness clubs and brands.
How you'll be assessed
Exercise to music instructors require a wide range of knowledge and skills to be able to deliver safe, effective and engaging group exercise classes. Therefore, this qualification includes a range of assessments that will ensure that you have the necessary attributes to practice as a professional studio instructor. Many of the assessments are embedded into the programme, although there are some, like the theory and practical assessments for example, that are a little more formal.
We've provided a brief summary of the assessments below. You can also take a look at our assessment video, which provided a little more context and detail on the assessment methods.
25%
Coursework
- Worksheets
- Lesson plan
- Complete online
50%
Workbook
- Anatomy and physiology
- Lifestyle management
- Customer service
25%
Practical
- Teaching a group exercise class
- 45-60 minutes
- Freestyle choreography
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