A New Day in the Life of an Aerobics Instructor

When your routine gets routine, your class AND YOU are bored. You need to change it up, get the latest DVD and hit it hard. You will again be enthusiastic and your class will follow. I always keep a close eye on everyone, ESPECIALLY those on the back row, because they are usually the ones who struggle the most. Before I hop, or immediately AFTER I began a high impact move, I take it down to a low impact version and make eye contact with those who will follow this move, encouraging them to "just keep moving." Most importantly, more than the moves is SAFETY. I beg, implore and plea for them to LISTEN - listen to their heart, their head, their legs, ankles, whatever says PAIN. IGNORE fatigue and sluggishness, but pay close attention to pain because it spells trouble and impending injury or physical problems. Once said, I tell them to "give me all you've got!" The music is so important, it has to move me first, because it is my responsibility to MOVE them! I find those with a good, steady beat that appeal to my emotions, and I also take requests from those older in the class who, like me, love the oldie-goldies! You can "flavor" a class to any kind of song. If the song is a stomping beat, stomp around a step, or a wide stance that turns into a squat, then a lunge. If the song has a Latin flair, you can mambo, twist, cha-cha and add a pivot. Go with the flow of the music, and sometimes after a full week and feeling fatigued like this one, I may completely change it up and do "dance moves." We will dance our way into a sweat, completely unaware that we've have truly WORKED OUT! P.S. The class loves a short inspirational story at the end of class during the stretching period. It feeds their mind after they have thoroughly worked all of their other body parts!