Kate Anisimova
Сourse creation · 7 MIN · 30.09.2024
How to create a fitness course
Everyone wants to stay fit, right? 2024 is a fantastic time to create a fitness course: the demand is there, and that’s for sure!
Let’s walk (or rather jog) through the process of creating a course like this.
Let’s walk (or rather jog) through the process of creating a course like this.
Source: John Arano, unsplash.com
What does ‘fitness course’ even mean?
That’s a great question! Happy you’ve asked. A ‘fitness course’ may indeed mean different things:
No matter where your expertise lies, the general approach will be more or less the same.
- A course with exercises for people to train along with the video (remember that videotape you had in the 90s? That was basically a fitness course!)
- A course to help people become fitness trainers
- A course teaching how to eat healthily
- A course about sports supplements
- A course about ways with fitness gear to reduce injuries
- Or even a course about ways our metabolism works
No matter where your expertise lies, the general approach will be more or less the same.
By the end of your course, people should feel better than they did at its beginning. Preferably uninjured and not poisoned.
Now, let’s talk a bit about differences.
Two categories of fitness courses
Everything we listed above falls into two categories.
A ‘great camera’ category
If your course teaches exercises or working with gear, you’ll need a really good picture. No matter how flawless your techniques are or how good you are at explaining, your audience should be able to see you well. Here are a few tips to help you shoot yourself the best way possible:
- It's okay to shoot with a smartphone. No need to take a loan to buy an Arri Alexa camera. Modern smartphones can produce a relatively good picture.
- Good lighting is the key. A mediocre camera and good lighting are infinitely better than a good camera and non-existent lighting. Want to save money? Consider shooting in the daytime. Natural light could do wonders.
- Put two cameras or consider shooting in 4k, so you can crop to highlight some of the more complex movements.
- Find a space for shooting. The room needs to be big enough for you to take a wide shot (this means all of you should fit in the frame, plus an additional space for your movements.)
A ‘great research’ category
The critical difference between fitness courses and any other is the potential impact on potential students. Unless your course covers strictly theoretical topics, it will inevitably fall into the grey zone, where there is always a possibility of doing as much harm as doing good.
This doesn’t mean no one should take courses like this. It means that their content should be researched and verified thoroughly to avoid any potential miscommunication.
This doesn’t mean no one should take courses like this. It means that their content should be researched and verified thoroughly to avoid any potential miscommunication.
Source: firmbee, unsplash.com
Okay, the sad part is over. Let’s proceed to the fun one. How can one actually create an online fitness course?
A topic for your fitness course
A topic is basically step zero of any course creation and a really important one. The reason is – most likely, you want people to buy the course. And to sell it, you need to find a topic they are interested in. There are a lot of tools to do this, and one of them is Udemy’s Marketplace Insights.
Udemy’s Marketplace Insights tool is perfect for validating your course idea. To use it, create an instructor account and follow this link.
This is what the tool looks like.
Udemy’s Marketplace Insights tool is perfect for validating your course idea. To use it, create an instructor account and follow this link.
This is what the tool looks like.
Source: udemy.com
Let’s say you want to create a course teaching CSS. To check the demand, type ‘CSS’ in the search bar.
Source: udemy.com
As expected, there is a lot of competition in this area. To get ideas on how to narrow it, scroll down to the related topics.
Source: udemy.com
Let’s check ‘CSS Flexbox’ to see the demand for it.
As you can see, the demand for ‘CSS Flexbox’ is high, and there are fewer courses available. It may be a good topic to start with.
As you can see, the demand for ‘CSS Flexbox’ is high, and there are fewer courses available. It may be a good topic to start with.
Source: udemy.com
Sometimes, you’ll see topics highlighted with stars.
Source: udemy.com
As far as Udemy is concerned, these are the best ones. There is a high demand for them despite the low number of courses on the topic.
Source: udemy.com
So, this is how ‘Market Insights’ can help you focus your Udemy course topic to correlate with the demand.
A lesson plan for your fitness course
After researching the topic, you should have a good idea of your course. It’s time to develop the lesson plan – or, in case you’re making a training course, a list with the workouts. Here are five steps that will help you accomplish this task.
- Define the goal of your courseWhat do you want your students to accomplish? Do you want them to create a meal plan or lose 5 kilograms? This goal will serve as your guiding star, the ultimate endpoint that measures the quality of your course.
- Develop a final assignmentDevelop a final assignment that demonstrates mastery of the ultimate goal you've established. Think of it as an exam – what must students do to prove they have learned everything? Let's say the goal is to do 100 push-ups.
- Create smaller assignmentsCreate smaller assignments that are practical and guide students step-by-step toward mastering the final assignment. Just like reaching the goal of 100 push-ups, a person needs to start with 10, then 20, and eventually 50. These are the milestones of your course.
- Review your assignmentsReview your assignments to ensure they all build towards the final task. If they don't, consider simplifying the final project or adjusting other assignments.
- For each assignment, develop a lesson planWhat do you need to teach to ensure students can complete each task? Every lesson should have a purpose and lead students closer to their ultimate goal.
Each step should align with the overall course objective. Be patient—this process can take time, especially if it’s your first course.
Finally, remember that creating a course is an ongoing process. Continuously refine your content based on student feedback and industry trends to keep it practical and relevant.
If you need support, Seturon has a team of learning experience designers with years of expertise to help you craft the perfect online course.
If you need support, Seturon has a team of learning experience designers with years of expertise to help you craft the perfect online course.
The content for your online course
Now that you have a lesson plan and a clear goal, it's time to create content for your fitness course!
If you're creating a prerecorded course, you'll need to prepare scripts and text to include in it, as well as presentations to show on screen. If you prefer a text format, consider creating long-form content. Modern learning management systems allow for the creation of interactive and visually appealing text-based lessons. For example, Seturon offers a simple course constructor for this purpose.
If you're creating a prerecorded course, you'll need to prepare scripts and text to include in it, as well as presentations to show on screen. If you prefer a text format, consider creating long-form content. Modern learning management systems allow for the creation of interactive and visually appealing text-based lessons. For example, Seturon offers a simple course constructor for this purpose.
If you plan to record videos, consider working with a professional editor and a camera operator. A polished appearance will greatly enhance the appeal of your course and improve its effectiveness. Keep in mind that visuals are crucial for workout-based courses!
Seturon has a production team available to assist you in preparing professional scripts and visually appealing content for your online course.
Seturon has a production team available to assist you in preparing professional scripts and visually appealing content for your online course.
Publishing your course
You’re almost there! When everything is ready, the last thing to do is publish your course. There are several ways to do it. For example, you can choose a ready-made solution, like publishing your course on Udemy or using Seturon LMS. You can also host online sessions and art workshops using Zoom and similar services. Seturon offers a built-in calendar for you to mix prerecorded content with live sessions.
When picking a platform, think about what’s most important to you. Want a big audience? MOOC platforms like Udemy could be the way to go. Want complete control and to create engaging experiences? Then choose Seturon. Whatever you choose, ensure it aligns with your goals as a course creator.
When picking a platform, think about what’s most important to you. Want a big audience? MOOC platforms like Udemy could be the way to go. Want complete control and to create engaging experiences? Then choose Seturon. Whatever you choose, ensure it aligns with your goals as a course creator.
- Kate AnisimovaLearning experience designerDesigned over 100 online courses, built four LX teams from scratch, and established educational standards for five companies. But who's counting?
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FAQ
Expertise in the area is the perfect start for creating your online course! However, it’s essential to translate your knowledge into an educational product that will benefit students. This is why the whole profession of Learning Experience Designers exists. Think about it as translation services. You may know how to make a great speech in German, but it doesn’t ensure you’ll make an equally great in English. The same goes for the creation of educational experiences.
It certainly is. Any educational program is not more than a simple push for a student to start practising. Ultimately, a formal educational process takes no more than 10% of the time really needed to master the skill: one hour of lecture—ten hours of practising. However, it is essential to make this push perfect to help students keep their motivation for all these hours of practice they’ll need to perform.
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