Racercise™ is a women only national fitness class established by, and raising funds for, Cancer Research UK. The class consists of a unique four-part framework incorporating the use of a resistance band.
Resistance bands are commonly used in exercise however there is currently no UK nationwide class dedicated to this piece of equipment. The band will form the basis of Racercise™ as the main section of the class will use the bands for strength and resistance exercises. The flexibility of the band allows participants to use them on their own, in pairs or to mark out areas or join bands together. There are three resistances, from light pink to dark pink, to allow for all abilities to work together in one class. There is also a unique social element to the class, both in terms of the group warm up and partnered exercises, and the opportunity to stay for ‘dwell time’ after the cool down (see below).
We expect Racercise™ to appeal to our existing Race for Life audience, and particularly those who do not already exercise regularly, perhaps because they find exercise classes intimidating or think they will be too challenging. The class can be adapted to make it as easy or challenging as needed for your specific participants, whilst the social, friendly element should prevent the class from seeming intimidating for those new to exercise.
Racercise™ combines aerobic fitness with toning and core work. It also provides valuable tools and information about living a healthy and active life. The social and charitable aspect of Racercise™ will also encourage weekly attendance.
Each Racercise™ class is an hour long, with 45 minutes focussed on exercise. The last 15 minutes consist of a unique element, which we’re calling ‘Dwell time’. This is an opportunity for your class to socialise, get to know one another and discuss topics relevant to them and their health. We will provide you with suggested topics to discuss, and will signpost you to the right resources. One week, you might talk about your group entry into Race for Life, or your group fundraising, and another week you might want to discuss nutrition or healthy cooking. You could ask your class what they’d like to discuss or could prepare a topic each week – it’s completely up to you. It can also be as formal or as informal as you like, and as the setting for your class allows. This section of the class is designed
to help ensure that your participants feel included and valued, and also provides an opportunity for us to share information about Race for Life and Cancer Research UK with them, through you.
£240 for an annual licence includes:
Use of the class content and Racercise™ brand Online training and instructor networking events Downloadable materials for promotion
1st box of resistance bands
Free place at your local Race for Life, if you bring your class Details placed on Race for Life website to promote your class
All correct documentation and completion of training course
Carry out classes and class marketing in accordance with training and brand values Keep the format of the class true to the Racercise™ training and follow the basic ethos in
everything you do publically
Pass on messaging about Cancer Research UK and Race for Life to participants Class attendance at local Race for Life
Any adult with the relevant qualifications can be a Racercise™ instructor (although the class is for women only). If you are a male instructor, you will still be expected to encourage your class to enter Race for Life (and will need to nominate someone to be group leader) and to attend for
support/encouragement.
To ensure the quality of Racercise™ classes, all instructors must be qualified fitness instructors or Personal Trainers. We recommend that all instructors are also a member of REPs.
The following qualifications are considered necessary in order to teach Racercise™ (in terms of having an understanding of movement patterns, anatomy and physiology, group exercise and general health and well-being):
i) Level 3 Diploma in Personal Training;
ii) Exercise to Music Instructor (ETM) Level 2 or above;
iii) Total Group Instructor Trainer (covers circuits, outdoor Bootcamp, team coaching and small groups) Level 2 or above;
iv) Designing Exercise programmes for older adults (QCF) Level 3; v) Designing pre & post natal Exercise programmes (QCF) Level 3; vi) Diploma in Exercise Referral (QCF) Level 3; and
vii) Diploma in Outdoor Programmes (QCF) Level 3.
Different Training Providers may label these qualifications differently but instructors should meet the requirements of Level 2 or 3 stated above.
You will need to comply with the requirements of any venue to teach there. Check with your local gym or venue about what qualifications they ask for and present any qualification documentation and your Racercise™ certificate of authenticity to your venue or employer. Remember that all instructors must have public liability insurance.
Some boroughs, councils and districts require personal trainers or group exercise instructors to purchase a licence enabling them to train in the relevant area’s outdoor spaces and parks.
Instructors already operating outdoors as part of their business will be aware of this, but we advise instructors to check with your local council and that the cost of purchasing any relevant licences is your responsibility.
You will need to access the training platform via the Race for Life Racercise™ pages:
www.raceforlife.org/training/racercise/become-an-instructor. Once you access the training
platform, you will need to set up a user login, as per the instructions. Here you can agree to the terms of the licence agreement and purchase credits with which to buy your licence. 1 credit on the training platform costs £1, so you will need to buy 200 credits to buy your licence and access your training – you will be charged £200+VAT. It will take a few hours to complete the online training, and you will have a month from payment to do this. You can refer to your PayPal receipt to check the date on which you purchased your licence.
The cost of Racercise™ classes can be determined by you, as an individual instructor. The class fees ensure that Racercise™ is an economically viable and potentially valuable opportunity for
The main aim of Racercise™ is to drive loyalty towards, and participation in, Race for Life, but we also hope to generate income through donations from the Racercise™ classes. As set out above, the pricing structure of the class can be determined by individual instructors and although we would clearly encourage this, asking for any additional donations to Cancer Research UK is up to you. We’d love it if, for example, you charged £5 per class and donated £1 of that amount to Cancer Research UK (or an equivalent monthly/annual donation). As well as generating income, we feel that this may be an important selling point to encourage people to take part in Racercise™ over other classes.
Each class broadly follows the same format with an aerobic warm up followed by the main part of the class which consists of a set of exercises utilising the resistance bands that can be performed at three levels - easy, medium or hard. You should encourage participants to work together and support one another, a unique element of Racercise™, taking the class at their own pace. After all exercises have been completed the class finishes with a cool down and stretching, before the opportunity to stay and socialise for 15 minutes, learning about healthy living, or discussing your class’s entry to Race for Life. The content of the class will vary regularly keeping it fresh and
interesting and all participants will have the chance to give feedback about what they want from the class.
All instructors must be over 18. Participants must be over 16, unless accompanied by an adult/guardian.
Each box will contain 30m (20 x 1.5m bands) of each resistance. The different resistances are represented by three different shades of pink – from dark pink (strongest resistance) to light pink (easiest resistance).
We suggest you sell the bands in your first box for £2 each. This will generate £120 which you can then use to buy your next set of bands on the Race for Life website, ensuring no regular costs to you.
If you wish to generate fundraising income from the bands, please treat any additional income as a donation to Cancer Research UK and do not sell the bands for more than £3.
Resistance bands do pose hazards, as all fitness equipment does, when not to treated and used properly. The two main dangers involved with resistance band training are breaking of the band or letting go of an end while under tension. The result of both these actions can cause the end of the band to snap toward the user violently and potentially inflict serious damage.
Resistance bands can break down over time due to normal wear and tear from use. It is important that you inspect resistance bands frequently to ensure they are in safe operating condition. Many of the injuries from resistance band exercises come from improper use so please make sure you discuss the following rules for safe use with your class:
Never release a resistance band while under tension. A release under tension can cause the band to snap back toward the user and result in significant injury.
Begin all exercises slowly to ensure band strength. Avoid jerking the band.
Inspect bands before every use. Check for cuts, nicks, scratches, cracks, punctures, discoloration, or anything that looks like the band may be weakened in that area. If any flaws are discovered discard the band immediately and never attempt to repair a damaged band.
Never stretch a resistance band over 2.5 times their length.
Resistance bands are not toys and should never be used for any activity other then the specific exercises they were designed for.
Resistance bands can be a great and inexpensive exercise tool, but as with any piece of fitness equipment, proper maintenance is a critical aspect to ensure safe and proper function. Clean bands by wiping with a damp cloth - do not use soap or any cleaning products to clean bands as these can deteriorate the strength of the band. In addition, do not store the bands outside, in cold
environments, and avoid storing bands near direct sunlight or heat sources.
The training platform (which you need to complete to obtain your licence) will be accessible on an ongoing basis, so that instructors can access the training videos and resources as needed. We will also be sending newsletters via email every two months with further information, and you will need to complete a full refresher course when your licence comes up for renewal. Details will be
Every instructor needs to complete the online training before they receive their licence and the online course will teach you all you need to know about Racercise™, Race for Life and Cancer Research UK. The online training will teach you the warm up, the basic moves using the resistance bands and how to vary the difficultly levels of the routines. It will also teach you the cool down and the ‘dwell time’ topics for the last 15 minutes of your classes.
After training you will have access to the online portal which provides all materials you need for promotion of your Racercise™ class and will be updated regularly with new ideas and advice. For any additional questions you can call the Racercise™ hotline on 0300 123 1022, 9am-5pm Monday to Friday.
If you have any PR queries, or are approached for local press/PR opportunities, please contact
racercise@cancer.org.uk for support.
Instructors will be sent regular emails on our work and updates linking to Race for Life and
Racercise™. Instructors will also have access to the online training platform to view information and templates.
Cancer Research UK is not storing participant data or tracking participants’ attendance at Racercise™ classes so we are relying on you to pass on key messages and recruit your class to sign up to your local Race for Life.
Cancer Research UK will also host Racercise™ events throughout the year where instructors and participants can meet, network, share tips and hear from speakers at the charity and in the fitness world. These events will be free to attend and information will be sent via email.
Racercise™ appeals to women of all ages and fitness abilities so your target audience will be much bigger than a more bespoke class. It also offers a way to engage with women who do not
traditionally take part in fitness classes.
We believe that Racercise™ is the only women only charitable exercise class on the market at this time. This is a unique selling point over other classes, and one that you can use to encourage participants to attend.
Racercise™ combines fitness with healthy lifestyle advice and has the potential to become a community focused and extremely sociable class.
Racercise™ instructors all get a free place at their local Race for Life if you bring your class along on the day. This is an amazing engagement opportunity for you with your class and to promote your local service to all women at Race for Life. Note that if you are a male Racercise™ instructor, we would ask you to give you free of charge place to a nominated group leader, although we hope you will still attend on the day to support and encourage your class.
Racercise™ will be promoted at local Race for Life events, speaking directly to your target market. You will receive training and regular updates on Racercise™. You will also have access to a learning platform which will be updated with content, promotion ideas, template materials and information about local events including Race for Life.
Using the Cancer Research UK logo has huge brand value and adds credibility to your class.
Consumers are more likely to buy a product if it supports a charity so you immediately have an edge when communicating your message.
We hope that you will encourage participants to sign up for our Race for Life events. You can use your free of charge voucher code to sign up for Race for Life (at raceforlife.org) as a group leader. You will receive your code when you complete your training (along with your resistance bands). You can then communicate your group ID to your class so they can enter Race for Life and can join your group. If your class all use the group ID to sign up, you can then share a group name (which will be printed on your running numbers) and you can share a fundraising page as well.
From time to time, we may ask you to further support your local Race for Life Events, for example by leading a demonstration Racercise™ Class. Your participation in these events is by invitation, and will be optional but could be a good opportunity for you to raise your profile as an instructor.
If you are collecting donations from your class, please return these regularly using the money return form that we will have provided when you completed your training, and return to:
Cancer Research UK PO Box 1561 OXFORD OX4 9GZ
Any donations can also be returned online on the Racercise™ JustGiving page. Please refer to Racercise™ emails for further information, or call 0300 123 1022.
Please note that any money raised by you and your class for your local Race for Life event can be returned separately – please refer to Race for Life communications for details (once you have signed up).
Licences are valid for one year. They will begin when you receive your certificate and will expire on the same day the following year. You will be prompted to refresh your licence when it nears expiration.
To renew, you must pay for your second year licence and complete the refresher training, as well as providing all supporting documentation as requested (including details of your classes, race for life attendance, fundraising income generated etc). Once you have completed this training, and we have received your licence fee for the year, you will receive an updated licence certificate to enable you to continue teaching Racercise™. Your new licence will start on completion of your refresher training, so this should be completed as close to the expiry date of your existing licence as possible.
Unfortunately not. As Cancer Research UK is a UK registered charity you cannot fundraise outside the UK and licences are not valid outside the UK.
