Powerhoop NZ and Skills Active join forces to upskill the hooping talent pool

Fast-growing group exercise business Powerhoop NZ is strengthening its network of Powerhoop instructors around New Zealand, with the help of industry training organisation Skills Active.

Powerhoop, a unique style of group fitness that uses weighted hula hoops, was launched as a franchise in New Zealand in 2013 by Amy McAuley.

McAuley, who relocated to New Zealand from her native Scotland, says Powerhoop is suitable for all ages, sizes and levels of fitness and coordination.

She stresses that what really makes it popular is its playfulness, explaining “if you drop your hoop it doesn’t matter. It allows people to reconnect with their inner child - it brings out that fun aspect to exercise.”

McAuley, who still holds classes at her local church hall in Howick, say she has gone from one class a week to eight since she started offering classes three years ago. And the growing popularity of the program has seen her field calls from a growing number of fitness instructors who wanted to learn Powerhoop.

Inquiries came from others working in the exercise industry, such as personal trainers, who wanted to become Powerhoop instructors as well – but they weren’t yet qualified in group fitness.

Now, more than 20 qualified instructors have now gone through Powerhoop’s one-day instructor course and Powerhoop is becoming available in more and more towns around New Zealand. However, demand still outpaces supply.

McAuley believes that the most important quality in an instructor is personality, so when someone with the right energy and charisma expresses an interest in Powerhoop, but they are not a qualified fitness instructor, she encourages them to complete a National Certificate in Group Fitness Instruction with Skills Active, which takes about 10 months of on-job training.

The Skills Active programme teaches how to plan and conduct a class, as well as safety, motivation, industry best practice, risk management and exercise industry background.

After that, says McAuley, graduates are well prepared for Powerhoop’s one-day instructor course.

McAuley’s employee Kerrie Evans completed her Skills Active group fitness qualification, and it was such a good experience for the Powerhoop business that McAuley now recommends the process to other working exercise professionals who want to add group fitness to their skillset.

Evans states “when you are teaching Powerhoop, or any exercise, it is super important to teach it safely and effectively, to prevent injuries. Instructors have to be first aid-qualified, they have to be professional, and they must be equipped to keep people safe. It’s crucial that instructors are properly qualified before they start teaching.”

Evans is going on to become a Skills Active assessor so she can help other aspiring Powerhoop instructors to complete their national qualification.

McAuley says the Skills Active group fitness instruction programme is ideal for people who are already working in the exercise industry, and wish to start taking group classes.

She adds “the cost is reasonable, it’s within people’s reach, it seems to be a very straightforward course and it’s user-friendly - it can work around (trainees’) lifestyles and families.”

McAuley’s revenue streams include classes, licensing Powerhoop to other instructors, instructor training, and a margin on the sale of hoops. She also does business coaching to help new instructors build up their businesses. McAuley promotes Powerhoop on social media, attends conferences and events, and takes part in fundraising and sponsorships.

However, in order for the business to grow nationally, it needs workforce capacity, and that means having skilled franchisees.

As McAuley concludes “my main goal is to increase people’s health and wellbeing, so I want to grow my instructor base, and have more instructors teaching Powerhoop throughout New Zealand and Australia.”

For more information on Skills Active go to www.skillsactive.org.nz  

For more information on Powerhoop NZ call 021 431 974 or go to www.powerhoopNZ.co.nz

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