I’ve taught fitness classes since 2002—everything from boot camp to yoga, kickboxing to step—and I’ve seen a lot of nonsense in that group exercise room. Do you want to annoy your fitness instructor? I’m a pretty tolerant instructor, actually: I don’t mind if you come in late as long as you’re respectful, I don’t mind if you leave early as long as you let me know it’s going to happen, and a ringing phone happens occasionally…it’s not ideal, but I’m not mad.
However, there are ways to get to me. I may be smiling at you, but I’m rolling my eyes on the inside if you’re pulling any of this crap:
Come in late AND skip the warm up.
The lateness doesn’t bother me too much, but skipping the warm up does. It’s not good for your body, and I’m cringing because I’m afraid your body is going to show you that by getting hurt. In my class. Where I will have to deal with it. Stuff like that is why I have to have insurance.
Do a different exercise.
Now, I’ve been in classes where I wanted a harder workout than what was being delivered, and I’ve been known to up the difficulty factor. (Once, a kickboxing instructor said, “For level 1, do this. Level 2, do this. Level 3, follow her.”) But, I don’t stray from the outline of what the teacher is teaching.
If she’s stepping, I might be hopping, but I’m still moving in the same direction. What sucks is when a participant does jumping jacks instead of pushups. If you have an injury and you’re making do, this is okay. If you just don’t like pushups, go out on the gym floor and do your own workout.
Listen to your own music.
My sincere apologies if you don’t like my selection, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned about teaching fitness it’s that you’ll never please everybody when it comes to the tunes.
I can tell you that I didn’t make this music choice lightly. I chose it because the speed of the music matches the pace at which I want to teach, and hopefully the songs are good and motivating.
If you’ve got your headphones in, I don’t know how well you can hear me. If I say to do something and you don’t, how do I know if you didn’t hear me, you didn’t understand, or you’re just being one of those people mentioned under the previous heading?
Talk among yourselves.
In cardio and lifting classes with loud music, this is hard to do. But in yoga and pilates, it can and does happen. It’s enormously disrespectful, not only to me but to all the other class participants, as well.
Storm out.
Oh, brother. I’m sure this has happened to every fitness instructor, and I think it’s as bewildering to them as it is to me. It should be, of course, impossible for me to infuriate you by asking you to do a push-up or choosing a CD you don’t like, but somehow I’ve made it happen.
What I’ve learned is that it’s usually not about me: if a participant is that mad, she may think she’s mad at me, but it usually has something to do with HER and what’s going on in her life. That said, it’s still frustrating to see someone pout and leave the room: it’s disruptive, it makes the other participants uneasy, and I’m wondering if you’re going to go complain to my boss. (Who, by the way, have been through things like that themselves and generally do side with the instructor.)
Answer your phone.
Arggghh.