People exercise for various reasons. Some do it to become physically strong, others to improve their cardio fitness, and some to promote their mental health. It is unclear to what extent; but there are those who work out in a way that becomes harmful to them. Exercise can go from being the ultimate expression of health, to becoming a symptom of an eating disorder. Fitness instructors’ and personal trainers’ are responsible for the safety of members at gyms and fitness facilities and for ensuring that they do not injure themselves during a workout session. What is included in the concept of safety is arbitrary and fitness facilities around Sweden approach this in different ways. The purpose of this study is to investigate fitness instructors' and personal trainers' perceptions of their knowledge, competence and responsibility when dealing with eating disorders or suspected eating disorders in the fitness context. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants consisting of personal trainers and fitness instructors from four different gyms and fitness facilities in the county of Västerbotten, Sweden. Collected data was analysed through reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2022). The analysis resulted in three themes and ten sub-themes. The results suggest that a majority of the interviewed fitness instructors and personal trainers perceive their theoretical knowledge about eating disorders as good/sufficient, but insufficient regarding practical knowledge to manage eating disorders in the fitness environment. Responding to a concern regarding eating disorders among gym members presents a range of challenges that are described as emotionally stressful. Furthermore, fitness instructors and personal trainers need more practical knowledge in dealing with eating disorders as well as clear guidelines and policies regarding where their responsibilities begin and end.

Background: An inactive lifestyle is a problem in today’s society, a problem that can contribute to negative health effects. Group fitness instructors have the possibility to affect the participants’ attitudes towards physical activity. This study therefor aims to examine how and why group fitness instructors choose to convey instructions and feedback, and which other factors are perceived as motivating for continued physical activity. Method: The study was conducted in the form of semi-structured interviews with ten participants from different fitness centers situated in the middle region of Sweden. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and thereafter analyzed by the interpretative phenomenological analysis methods. Results: Instructions were communicated mainly verbally or in a combination of verbally and visually. The majority were aware that learning is individual and that different techniques therefor should be used to create an understanding for the execution of an exercise. Feedback was communicated frequently and the majority meant that it should be adapted to the needs of each participant. Positive feedback was mainly used to inspire participants to additional performance, while constructive feedback mainly was used to correct improper execution. Other motivating factors that appeared to be important was to create an environment that help every participant to reach the goals of each session by act inspiring, create a holistic perspective and to involve the participants in their own development. Social interaction appeared to be an important factor, which was created by relationships. New finds consist of the discovery the majority of the instructors, after having given repeated constructive feedback to a participant on an exercise, would allow an incorrect execution to pass instead of solving the problem. Conclusion: The group fitness instructors seem to create a motivating environment, as is indicated by various factors. Recurring participants suggests that they experience the exercise as positive and that they are motivated to continue performing the physical activity in question. The group fitness instructors try to individualize their instructions and feedback, to get through to each individual. Furthermore they try to show alternative exercises, to give each participant the possibility of choosing a suitable level and thereby take part in their own development. The social interaction appeared to be an important factor in making participants return. The behavior of the group fitness instructors indicate that they are striving to create an environment that inspires continued physical activity. / Bakgrund: En inaktiv fritid är i dagsläget ett samhällsproblem som kan bidra till hälsohämmande effekter. Som gruppträningsinstruktör finns möjlighet att påverka deltagarnas inställning till fysisk aktivitet. Studiens syfte var därmed att studera hur och varför gruppträningsinstruktörer väljer att förmedla instruktion och feedback samt vilka övriga faktorer som de upplever är betydelsefulla för att öka deltagarnas motivation till fysisk aktivitet. Metod: Studien genomfördes i form av semi-strukturerade intervjuer med tio stycken deltagare tillhörande olika gymkedjor i Mellansverige. Intervjuerna spelades in, transkriberades och analyserades genom den tolkande fenomenologiska analysmetoden. Resultat: Instruktioner förmedlades främst verbalt eller kombinerat verbalt/visuellt. Majoriteten var medvetna om att lärande är individuellt och därför användes olika tekniker för att skapa förståelse för utförandet. Feedback förmedlades frekvent och majoriteten ansåg att den bör anpassas efter individens behov. Positiv feedback användes främst för att inspirera deltagarna till ytterligare prestation medan konstruktiv feedback främst användes i syfte att korrigera ett tekniskt felaktigt utförande. Övriga motiverande faktorer som framstod betydelsefulla var att skapa förutsättningar för att uppnå gruppträningspassets målsättning genom att inspirera, skapa ett holistiskt perspektiv samt involvera deltagaren i sin egen utveckling. Socialt samspel skapades genom relationer och trygghet vilket ansågs vara en viktig faktor. Nya fynd är att när en deltagare tillägnats konstruktiv feedback upprepade gånger angående samma utförande menar flertal att de låter ett felaktigt utförande passera istället för att lösa problemet. Slutsats: Gruppträningsinstruktörerna tycks skapa en motiverande miljö vilket påvisas genom flera faktorer. Återkommande deltagare tyder på att de upplever gruppträningen positivt och är motiverade till att utföra den formen av fysisk aktivitet. Alla gruppträningsinstruktörer försöker individanpassa deras instruktioner och feedback för att nå ut till enskild individ. Dessutom försöker gruppträningsinstruktörerna visa alternativövningar för att varje enskild deltagare skall ha möjlighet att hitta lämplig nivå och vara delaktig i sin egen utveckling. Det sociala samspelet framstod som en viktig faktor som tycks vara en anledning att deltagarna återkommer på gruppträningspassen. Gruppträningsinstruktörernas upplevda agerande indikerar på att de strävar efter att skapa en motiverande miljö för fortsatt fysisk aktivitet.