Looking good and moving well: Aesthetic labor imperatives in Les Mills instructors’ coaching experiences

Abstract

This paper examines aesthetic labor in the context of Les Mills (LM) group fitness instruction, focusing on the embodied demands of sounding right and moving well as central coaching imperatives. While existing literature on aesthetic labor often emphasizes physical appearance and verbal polish, this study argues that vocal precision and kinesthetic proficiency are fundamental to effective coaching in LM classes. Drawing on interviews with LM instructors from a gym in Manila, the Philippines, the analysis shows that instructors integrate motivational vocal delivery with skilled movement execution to ensure participant safety, engagement, and enjoyment. Although a fit appearance contributes to an instructor's credibility, it is ultimately their ability to coach through voice and movement that sustains motivation and shapes the workout experience. These findings expand existing frameworks of aesthetic labor by foregrounding communicative and kinesthetic capacities. The paper also contributes to coaching scholarship by recognizing LM instructors as embodied coaches whose work involves relational, performative, and affective practices. It calls for greater scholarly attention to group fitness instruction as a distinct and complex form of coaching.