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Breaking old habits - fitness teaching techniques

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 1997 by Karen Asp

Teaching fitness isn't as glamorous as students think. Besides the pressure to provide new, exciting challenges, instructors are also susceptible to unusual, sometimes annoying, habits.

Take snapping, for example. I'm addicted to it. When I teach, I snap. I've tried to solve the problem by wrapping bandages around my fingers. However, by the end of class, I've peeled them off.

I'm not alone. Apparently, habits come with the turf. The following are true confessions of habitual offenders (aka fitness professionals) across the country.

Calling out students' names while cueing.

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Most students respond positively to instructors who know their names, but when one Indianapolis, Indiana instructor called only on her loyal following, other students became offended. "I would inadvertently say things like, `Stacey, pick it up,'" she says. Other students felt they were doing a good job but weren't being noticed." The instructor eventually corrected the problem by addressing all students in her class.

Cueing late.

Admittedly, we've probably all faced this problem at one time or another, and as a result, watched students fumble with the moves. For one Florida instructor, cueing took practice and time. However, she now feels confident in her ability to cue early. "Learning to teach 32-count phrasing is difficult, but worth the effort," she says. "It makes teaching easier, and makes me a better instructor."

Dancing.

The point of an aerobics class is to move, but for an instructor from San Antonio, Texas dance fever frequently strikes her feet. "I dance whenever I hear music," she says. "So I'm always dancing around in my class, no matter where I am. People look at me like I'm weird."

Saying the same thing again and again.

One instructor from Indiana has been dealing with her tendency to say "O.K" after every move. She's trying to catch herself before doing it, but admits it's not easy. Other instructors reveal they've caught themselves being repetitive when encouraging students to perform. Some of the most common sayings? "You can do it." "Great job." "Way to go." "Make it a good one." "Let's go." "Work it."

Using the same choreography in a pinch.

Most instructors agree that it's a challenge to create new choreography for every class. An instructor from Colorado admits he relies too much on the same old moves. "They're combinations I've used over and over," he says. "so, they're the ones I remember first when I have to think fast." Although he's trying to add new choreography to his memory, the old ones just won't go away.

Whooping.

"I've tried to hold it to a minimum," says an instructor from Indiana. "But it just slips out." She's whooped since she began teaching 13 years ago and has accumulated quite a collection. Her remedy? She consciously tries not to do it.

Unfortunately, habits are easier to start than break. But with practice and patience, they can be broken--or at least modified. The most important thing to remember is to focus on your habit. Breaking it takes effort and concentration, which means you must constantly remind yourself you want to stop. You might also try changing something about your habit. For example, if you're used to snapping with the middle finger, use the forefinger. Then use the ring finger. Such changes should send a clear message to your brain that something just isn't right.

No one said being a fitness instructor was easy.

Kilren Asp is a freelance writer and AFAA certified aerobics instructor residing in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Breaking old habits - fitness teaching techniques

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 1997 by Karen Asp

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