the American Council on Exercise (ACE) shares compelling results from a new ACE-sponsored research study, published in the International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology, demonstrating that the ACE RRAMP Approach significantly improves group fitness class attendance, participant motivation, and their commitment to exercise.
The RRAMP Approach, developed by Sabrena Jo, PhD, ACE Senior Director of Science and Education, is a practical framework for group fitness instructors emphasizing respect, recognition, alignment, mistakes as a part of learning, and participants.
“The results are incredibly validating, not just from a scientific standpoint, but from a human one,” said Dr. Jo. “When people feel seen, supported, and valued in a group fitness setting, they come back.”
About the Study
This ACE-supported research was conducted by Lance Dalleck, PhD, and Laura Marie Pelino, MSc, at Western Colorado University’s High Altitude Exercise Physiology Program to evaluate the effectiveness of the RRAMP Approach. Twenty healthy adults participated in a six-week group fitness program, with one group receiving RRAMP-based instruction and the other experiencing traditional teaching methods.
While both groups followed the same workout schedule (three 50-minute classes per week), only the RRAMP group’s instructors applied the RRAMP framework, integrating strategies such as personalized greetings, recognition of effort over performance, and exercises designed to foster cooperation and self-reflection.
Key findings from this study include:
- Attendance: The RRAMP group’s class attendance rate was 79.7%, significantly higher than the control group’s 56.2%.
- Motivation and Commitment:
- 90.2% of RRAMP participants reported maintaining or improving their perception of the class as motivational, compared to 56.5% of the control group.
- 81.8% maintained or improved their commitment to exercise, versus 47.2% in the control group.
- Physiological Outcomes: The RRAMP group saw a statistically significant decrease in body mass over six weeks.
A unique aspect of this study is that the group fitness classes were led by student researchers who are trained group fitness instructors but not seasoned veterans who might naturally incorporate elements of the ACE RRAMP Approach into their teaching. This design ensured that any changes in participant experience and adherence could be attributed directly to RRAMP, rather than to the instructors’ prior habits or style.
“Having the student researchers leading the classes made it less likely that they would have any gained experience in introducing some elements of RRAMP inadvertently beyond what we were trying to do with the study,” explained Dr. Dalleck.
To read the full, peer-reviewed journal article of this study, please visit: https://ijrep.org/effectiveness-of-the-ace-rramptm-approach-at-creating-a-welcoming-group-exercise-environment/.