Running small group rehab and prevention classes
Injury prevention, strength and return-to-sport groups: how sports therapists can open classes with places, keep them small and fill them from 1-to-1 clients.
6 min read
Open group classes as their own services, each with a small, fixed number of places, and say clearly in the description who they're for: athletes who have finished one-to-one rehab, runners wanting injury prevention, or a club's players before the season. Each person books one place online, and the class disappears from your page once it's full. Small groups let you keep an eye on technique, and they give clients coming out of rehab a cheaper, regular way to keep training with you.
Which classes make sense
Group classes work best for work that is similar from one person to the next and doesn't need hands-on treatment. A few formats that fit a sports therapy practice:
| Class | Example slot | Example places | Example price | For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runners' strength and prevention | 60 min | 8 | €15 | Runners of any level |
| Return-to-sport group | 60 min | 6 | €18 | Clients who finished one-to-one rehab |
| Mobility and recovery | 45 min | 10 | €12 | Anyone training regularly |
| Pre-season conditioning | 75 min | 8 | €20 | Team players before the season |
Places, lengths and prices are examples: set your own. Book doesn't take payments; say in the description how people pay, for example on the day or by bank transfer.
How many places
When you create a slot, you set its capacity. Each booking takes one place, and a slot with every place taken is hidden from your public page. Your page doesn't show how many places are left: the class is visible while there's room, then it disappears.
Base the number on what you can watch properly, not on the size of the room. In a return-to-sport group, you want to see every landing and every squat. A mobility class can take a few more. Equipment matters too: if you have six sets of kettlebells, that's your limit.
Who can join
Some classes are open to anyone. Others, such as a return-to-sport group, only make sense after an assessment. Book doesn't check who books what, so the description does that work:
- say who the class is for and who it isn't for;
- for restricted classes, write "only after an assessment with me";
- ask people to mention any current injury in the booking note;
- say what to bring: trainers, water, a towel.
If someone books a class that isn't right for them, call them and suggest an assessment first. You can cancel their booking from your list, which frees the place again.
Filling classes from one-to-one clients
The natural source for a return-to-sport group is your own rehab clients. At their last one-to-one session, suggest the group and book them into the next few classes yourself from your calendar. You can set the number of persons and add a note. If you add their email, they get a confirmation email and a calendar file for each class.
For open classes such as runners' prevention, share your booking page with local running clubs or on your social accounts. Clients book in a few clicks, without creating an account.
Weekly timetable
Classes work best at fixed times people can build into their week, such as early evening or Saturday morning. Create each class slot once and repeat it on the chosen weekdays until an end date, for example the end of a term or of the pre-season period. Keep your one-to-one assessment and rehab slots at other times, so classes don't eat into them.
Cancelling or moving a class
If you need to cancel a class, cancel or move each booking from your list and tell participants yourself: Book doesn't email clients about changes. Clients can't cancel online either, so ask them in the description to let you know if they can't come, so you can offer the place to someone else. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.