In my lifetime of taking and teaching dance and fitness classes, I’ve seen frustrated students leave the room well before the instruction ended. Heck, I’ve walked out of a few classes myself when my expectations weren’t met. Try these pointers next time you want some group cardio.
The problem: You can’t see the instructor and have no idea what to do.
The situation: You’re short and the classroom is full of Amazons. The room is filled near or over capacity. There is no mirror. You walked into class late and now you’re stuck in a far corner of the room.
Solution: For the student, try to position yourself behind someone who appears to be performing as well as the instructor and copy that person. If you can’t get close to someone like that, keep moving to the beat of the music when you can’t pick up the footwork or hear what’s going on. Choose something close to the activity level of the rest of the class — if they are cooling down, try marching. If they are in an intense cardio portion, try jumping jacks. It’s okay to be a few steps behind. No one should be judging you but yourself.
For the teacher, verbalize, verbalize, verbalize — to give a mental picture to your students. Even a simple “Right, Left, Right, Left” is helpful. Basic rhythm cues also help your students keep their footwork at the intended pace. Consider using a very repetitive segment, then move around to check on all your students if you can to correct and clarify.
The problem: The workload is over your head.
The situation: You want to exercise, but don’t know any lingo and specialized terms. The music in zumba is unfamiliar to you. You are new to using a step, core board, bosu, etc.
Solution: For the student, congratulations on trying something different! Tell the teacher that you are new. S/he should be gifted enough to throw a variety of ideas to beginners and experienced students in such a way that everyone can have a good workout. You can also position yourself near the instructor or another student with experience and match their moves. Don’t worry about precision – it will come with frequent repetition over time, so be patient with yourself.
For the teacher, ask, or take a moment to scan the class, for newcomers. Talk to your class frequently about what you are doing. Reduce the amount of turning and changing direction if more than one-third of the class is new people. And realize that different learning styles exist – auditory, visual, and kinesthetic — and that you must teach to all the styles in order to give your students the best experience. Yes, that is going over the same sequence at least three times, and that is what great teachers do.
The problem: You are not getting a workout.
The situation: You are cross training. Already fit, you’re returning to an activity that you loved in the past or are trying something different. But the intensity level is lower than your expectations. Or your schedule is wacky this week, so you have to take the beginner class instead of the advanced class.
The solution: For students, in cardio classes, instructors are usually guides rather than dictators. To take the class up a notch, add some creative tailoring. Teachers love to see students “make the class your own.” If space allows, add more side-to-side locomotion to the choreography – take bigger steps and use more floor space if you can. Add also vertical motion – do more arms and footwork with hopping, jumping, deeper squatting, raising the arms, and touching the floor – to increase the workout.
For teachers, demonstrate options for beginning and advanced students. Some may have limited range of motion, some need low-impact movements, some want to take it up a few levels, but everyone wants to exercise. Some come without a diverse movement vocabulary, so students are counting on you to provide expertise and give them the workout they need.
The problem: You cannot keep up with the class.
The situation: Your fitness level is at the beginner level and your schedule doesn’t match up with any beginner classes. Stuck in an advance class, you’re committed, but winded before the rest of the class breaks a sweat.
The solution: For the student, this situation tends to happen when the upper and lower body are engaged. To reduce the activity level, remove one component – either move the feet and keep the arms still, or move the arms and keep the footwork quiet. Lessen your path — use less side-to-side space and vertical motion. You can also work at a musical half-time, moving at half the pace of the others. If the class moves right and left in four counts and repeats the sequence, beginners can move right for four counts, then left for four counts.
For the teacher, anticipate the needs of the student and offer suggestions. Until students are accustomed to taking class (and to your teaching style), they are not going to think of ways to customize their workouts. They need to you to build their movement vocabulary before they can “make it their own.”
The problem: The teacher is confusing.
The situation: The instructor cannot reverse the sequence accurately or repeats the sequence differently every time.
The solution: For the student, if you know the pattern correctly, follow your instinct. You may also want to say the combination out loud for your fellow students. Left and right combos give a proportioned workout that won’t overdevelop one side of the body over the other, so disregard the instructor if she is repeatedly messing up (and stay out your classmates’ way if necessary). If you can’t figure the routine out, ask the teacher for a time out and ask for clarification.
For the instructor: If you cannot keep left and right straight, turn and face the same direction as the class and talk the entire time. Ask everyone to say it with you. Doing so will help you and the students with accuracy. It’s okay to go slower than planned and figure steps out as a group. (Good teachers always plan more material than what students can normally accomplish anyway.) Students are fairly forgiving because they enjoy new routines and want to move on to the next new thing.