Keeping the Voice Fit in the Group Fitness Industry: A Qualitative Study to Determine What Instructors Want in a Voice Education Program

Abstract

Summary: Objectives. This study aimed to provide a descriptive summary of (1) group fitness instructors' (GFIs') experiences of occupational voice use and education, and (2) the content and mode of delivery desired by GFIs in an education and training program. Study Design. This is a qualitative inductive approach using a semi-structured interview. Method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight GFIs recruited via self-selection sampling. Participants were asked to comment on their experiences of voice use, voice education, and their preferences for future education and training. Result. Participants reported experiencing occupational voice difficulties, and cited inadequate voice education, faulty equipment, and apathetic fitness industry attitudes as core barriers to vocal health. Content focusing on vocal hygiene, safe occupational voice use, use of amplification equipment, and addressing industry attitudes to voice was desired by participants. A combination of face-to-face, web-based, and app-based delivery options was suggested. Conclusion. The data from this study should be considered when designing a vocal education and training package tailored to the needs of GFIs and the fitness industry.

Occupational Health-Related Problems among Portuguese Fitness Instructors

“…It is reasonable to associate these disorders with the typical demands of the job [1]. Fitness instructors in their classes require loud verbal instructions/motivations while performing exercises (due to big spaces, and/or a large number of members attending the classes, and/or loud background music), thereby making the control of breathing and airflow movement more stressful, frequently leading to aphonia or other vocal problems [1,[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44]. Respiratory infections could be related to this since they could lead to voice loss [36].…”

The Effect of Vocal Hygiene Education Programs on Voice Quality in Professional Voice Users: A Systematic Review

“…Many studies highlighted the need for regular vocal training and VHE in PVUs as well as the negative effects on vocal outcomes when lacking. This lack of VHE is directly linked to the prevalence of self-reported acute and chronic voice symptoms and a greater perception of voice handicap amongst PVUs (Aiken & Rumbach, 2018;Coelho et al, 2020;Cruz et al, 2019;Neto & Meyer, 2017). Yet it is important to note that PVUs who have been exposed to VHE still report poor self-evaluations of their voices in contradiction to acoustic findings and admit inconsistent implementation of VH practices (Achey et al, 2016;Pabon et al, 2014).…”

“…Recent literature indicates a direct link between voice disorders and long-term professional voice use (Faham et al, 2016). In turn, voice disorders have subsequent negative effects on voice quality and vocal range (Porcaro, Howery, Suhandron, & Gollery, 2019), work performance, efficiency, job satisfaction, absenteeism, loss of income (Faham et al, 2016), and psychosocial well-being in the PVU (Aiken & Rumbach, 2018;Behlau & Oliveira, 2009;Rangarathnam et al, 2018b).…”

Predictive Risk Factors and Occupational Impact of Self-Perceived Voice Problems in Preschool-Kindergarten versus First- to Sixth-Grade Teachers

“…(2) An in-person or a remote delivery option may consist of a seminar offered to graduating teachers via the ministry of education and a short course or seminar that can be taken by all student teachers via their university curriculum. The seminar will be educating teachers about the anatomy and physiology of phonation, risk factors that harm their voice, warning signs of voice disorders, and healthy vocal habit tips presented via PowerPoint presentations and videos clips as well as the direct training of these skills [16, 17, 38].…”