Let’s face it. If you are taking any type of fitness class, whether it be aerobics, body sculpting, or yoga, there is a good chance you are there to learn, to be motivated, and to get a good workout. As a result, you are probably looking for an instructor who will be a great teacher, fun, and effective.
Having taught aerobics for over ten years, I’m extremely attuned to the level of quality an instructor brings to the class. I am often amazed at how many instructors aren’t very good, or for that matter, aren’t very inspiring. As a result, I’ve outlined some traits that you should look for to know if the instructor is worthy of your time and money or if you are better off with someone else. If you take a class and find that you leave underwhelmed, there is a good chance that the instructor was lacking in one of these capacities, if not all of them.
1. Forgetful Freddy: Look, all of us can be forgetful at times, but if there is a pattern of forgetfulness on the part of your instructor, it is probably a clue that they aren’t so great. Things that might suggest your instructor’s mind might be somewhere else:
Your instructor has problems remembering where they are in routines during classes.
You find that your instructor continually doesn’t remember what they did the week before, even though they are “adding” to last weeks classes.
2. Lopsided Lola: If your instructor works your body asymmetrically (doesn’t work both sides of your body equally), it can lead to possible injury and/or lopsided muscle development, especially if it happens class after class. This is not good in the long term. You want an instructor who works both sides of the body equally, and even more importantly, all muscle groups, ensuring that you don’t over-develop any one muscle or muscle group.
3. Offbeat Olga: If you are in a structured class that requires you to follow a routine to up-tempo music, you should be able to feel the rhythm, literally. If routines don’t flow well, or if you feel like they are awkward, there is a good chance your instructor just doesn’t know how to choreograph routines properly. Moreover, if moves aren’t choreographed well, you might trip, fall, or even pull or sprain a muscle due to the fact that your inner rhythm wants to do something different than what your instructor has taught you. Rhythm and flow of classes are important in maximizing your feel good endorphins and motivation, as well as keeping exercises safe.
