Floor
The deadline to submit your application depends on your preferred tryout date.
For tryouts on Sunday, October 26, the application deadline is Friday, October 24.
For tryouts on Sunday, November 2, the application deadline is Friday, October 31.
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Prerequisites
- Experience participating in Floor classes preferred.
- Must be a UW-Madison student studying on campus through the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
- No teaching experience necessary.
How to apply
1. Submit your application.
- Submit your application by completing the form in the link below.
- You will be contacted before your selected tryout date letting you know if you are invited to level one tryouts.
Tryout process
Level one tryouts will take place at the Nicholas Recreation Center from 2 – 3:30pm on two dates: Sunday, October 26 and Sunday, November 2.
- If selected, you will take a 45-minute high intensity interval class. You will be evaluated on how well you follow cues, your form and execution, and your enthusiasm.
- If selected, you will receive directions and guidance to prepare for level two tryouts.
Level two tryouts will take place at the Nicholas Recreation Center.
- You will be assigned to an hour and a half time block between 9am and 3pm on Friday, November 14.
- You will lead a 12-minute workout (warm-up, tabatas, and strength/core exercises) and will be evaluated on your cueing, execution, and enthusiasm.
- If selected, you will be invited for an interview.
Training & Mentoring Program
- We’ll teach you everything you need to know.
- Attend our Orientation from 7 – 9pm on Tuesday, November 18.
- Attend our paid training sessions January 17 – 19, 2026 and selected Saturdays and Sundays during the spring 2026 semester.
- Co-lead with a current Floor instructor for two classes each week during the spring 2026 semester.
Group Cycling
The deadline to submit your application depends on your preferred tryout date.
For tryouts on Saturday, October 25, the application deadline is Thursday, October 23.
For tryouts on Saturday, November 1, the application deadline is Thursday, October 30.
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Prerequisites
- Experience participating in Group Cycling classes preferred.
- Must be a UW-Madison student studying on campus through the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
- No teaching experience necessary.
How to apply
1. Submit your application.
- Submit your application by completing the form in the link below.
- You will be contacted before your selected tryout date letting you know if you are invited to level one tryouts.
Tryout process
Level one and level two tryouts will take place at the Nicholas Recreation Center, from 3 – 5:30pm on two dates: Saturday, October 25 and Saturday, November 1.
- If selected, you will take a 45-minute cycling class. You will be evaluated on how well you follow cues, your form and execution, and your enthusiasm.
- If selected, you advance to level two tryouts (held the same day, immediately after level one tryouts).
- For level two tryouts, you’ll teach a 5-minute workout in the following order: A strength drill (2 cycles of 20 sec seated, 20 sec standing & 20 sec standing tunnel with high resistance/low cadence) and sprints (2 cycles of a 20 sec sprint at high cadence/low resistance) with 10 sec of recovery (rest) between the sprints
- You will be evaluated on your cueing, execution and enthusiasm.
- If selected, you will be invited for an interview.
- Watch this video to prepare for level two tryouts.
Training & Mentoring Program
- We’ll teach you everything you need to know.
- Attend our Orientation from 7 – 9pm on Tuesday, November 18.
- Attend our paid training sessions January 17 – 19, 2026 and selected Saturdays and Sundays during the spring 2026 semester.
- Co-lead with a current Group Cycling instructor for one class each week during the spring 2026 semester.
Mind-Body
The deadline to submit your application depends on your prefered tryout date
For tryouts on Saturday, October 25, the application deadline is Thursday, October 23.
For tryouts on Saturday, November 1, the application deadline is Thursday, October 30.
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Prerequisites
- Experience participating in Mind-Body classes preferred.
- Must be a UW-Madison student studying on campus through the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
- No teaching experience necessary.
How to apply
1. Submit your application.
- Submit your application by completing the form in the link below.
- You will be contacted before your selected tryout date letting you know if you are invited to level one tryouts.
Tryout process
Level one and level two tryouts will take place at the Nicholas Recreation Center, from noon – 2:30pm on two dates: Saturday, October 25 and Saturday, November 1.
- If selected, you will take a 45-minute Powerflow class. You will be evaluated on how well you follow cues, your form and execution, and your enthusiasm.
- If selected, you will advance to level two (held same day immediately after level one tryouts).
- For Level Two tryouts, teach a 5-minute workout in the following order: plank, down dog, crescent lunge right side, plank, crescent lunge left side, chair, roll up, and single leg stretch. Hold each yoga pose for 3 breaths. Execute each Pilates exercise for 3 repetitions. Watch this video to prepare for level two tryouts.
- You will be evaluated on your cueing, transitioning, breathing reminders, alignment, and execution.
- If selected, you will be invited for an interview.
Training & Mentoring Program
- We’ll teach you everything you need to know.
- Attend our Orientation from 7 – 9pm on Tuesday, November 18.
- Attend our paid training sessions January 17 – 19, 2026 and selected Saturdays and Sundays during the spring 2026 semester.
- Co-lead with a current Mind-Body instructor for one class each week during the spring 2026 semester.
Water Fitness
Tryouts are on Saturday, October 25.
The application deadline is Wednesday, October 22.
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Prerequisites
- Experience participating in water fitness classes preferred.
- Required to know how to swim.
- Must be a UW-Madison student studying on campus in the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
- No teaching experience necessary.
How to apply
Submit your application.
- Submit your application by completing the form in the link below
- You will be contacted prior to the tryout date letting you know if you have been selected.
Tryout process
Tryouts will take place at the Nick pool from noon – 2:30pm on Saturday, October 25.
- If selected, you will take a 45-minute SUP Fitness class and a 45-minute shallow water class. You will be evaluated on how well you follow cues, your form, execution, and your enthusiasm.
- If selected, your final step is an in-person interview. You will be contacted for scheduling.
- Training and mentoring program
- We’ll teach you everything you need to know!
- Orientation and training begin the first week of the spring semester, in January 2026.
- Training sessions on select Saturdays and Sundays.
- Co-lead a water fitness class once a week during the spring 2026 semester.
- Mentoring and training sessions are paid!
Zumba
Not hiring at this time.
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Prerequisites
- Experience participating in Zumba classes preferred.
- Must be a UW-Madison student studying on campus in the 2026 – 2027 academic year.
- No teaching experience necessary.
How to apply
1. Submit your application.
- Submit your application by completing the form in the link below.
- If selected, you will be contacted to schedule an audition.
Tryout process
If selected, you will be invited for a tryout. The tryout consists of the candidate teaching three assigned Zumba songs (10 – 12 minutes), and candidates will be provided with choreography and music.
Training & Mentoring Program
- We’ll teach you everything you need to know.
- Attend an Orientation and initial Zumba training session in late March.
- Co-lead with a current Zumba instructor for one class each week during the Spring 2026 semester.
- Complete the Zumba basic one workshop before August 2026 to become licensed to teach Zumba.
Instructor Testimonials
- “This job has helped me in so many ways. I signed up for try outs thinking, “Why not, it sounds fun!”. I made it through try outs and was a trainee in the spring of 2019. I have been teaching for 3 years now. I am graduated and continue to sub because I am not ready to leave. It is a fantastic program where I learned so much about public speaking, clear communication and leadership skills. I was a Mind Body Lead for 2 years where I gained experience leading trainings and helping new instructors. I bring the skills I gained from my group fitness role into my real life job today as an elementary physical education teacher in Dane County. I truly believe that my experiences in the group fitness program helped me achieve my goal of becoming a teacher.”
- “The team of group fitness instructors are a great community filled with so many unique perspectives as we all have different career aspirations. No matter your major, you can thrive here! I could go on and on about how much I love Rec Well Group Fitness and all it has done for me!”
- “This job was incredibly rewarding and fulfilling for me as an undergrad. Each week, I got to come to work knowing I was going to be an outlet for my peers, helping them focus on their mental and physical well-being. On top of that, I also worked on myself in the process, improving my confidence, time management skills, and ability to receive and incorporate feedback. It’s definitely the best job to have on campus!!”
- “Working for Rec Well has been life-changing, and I am so thankful I applied years ago.“
- “I have had a few different campus jobs, and all of them strived to prepare us with transferrable skills and they fell short- Rec Well actually does it! We spend time in trainings discussing how to give feedback to peers, and prepare ourselves to take feedback and use it to make our classes better. I learned how to avoid taking feedback personally, and now I look forward to critiques.”
- “The team of group fitness instructors are a great community filled with so many unique perspectives as we all have different career aspirations. No matter your major, you can thrive here! I could go on and on about how much I love Rec Well Group Fitness and all it has done for me!”
- “I really love bringing accessible and enjoyable classes to members of the Rec Well community. Movement and exercise is for everyone, and Rec Well truly believes it. I think of exercise as being joyful and I am thankful to be able to move my body, and that is completely different from when I started this job.”
- “I knew leading group fitness classes was going to strengthen my public speaking skills, and another aspect I learned is how to troubleshoot under pressure with 20 pairs of eyes watching me. It is a new type of leadership to take technological issues or participant issues and fix it while staying calm and in control.”
- “As an aspiring physical therapist this job has aided my understanding of the human body specifically when it comes to exercising. During our in services we learn about important areas of the body to be cautious with or use in a certain way like our rotator cuff muscles. As a result this helped me in my academic classes but it has also help me personally train and weight lift with better form and caution from injury.”