Your body definitely needs time to prepare before you go into a sprint, a heavy load, or anything. plyometric (explosive movements that often involve jumping) to avoid injury. And it also takes time to adjust to your car, traffic, sitting at a desk, a stressful Zoom meeting, an argument with your partner, or anything else where you came from before your workout. . It’s always good to give your mind a moment to refocus on what’s ahead of you, and a warm-up gives you time to bring yourself back into your body.
A good instructor or trainer will warm you up for the class and cool you down afterwards. An excellent instructor will give you a intentional a warm-up specially designed to prepare you for the exact type of movements you will need for this particular class. Say, for example, hip mobility sequences before a running class, shoulder openers before arm balances in yoga, or basic enable before, well, just about any kind of movement. The same goes for recovery time: a great instructor will provide you with one that will bring your body back from an elevated state to a more neutral state, releasing tension from the muscles you worked on that day.
I know sometimes instructors (especially newer ones) will run out of time for a cooldown or stretch. It can happen and has happened to the best of us, but at the very least if it happens they should advise you on some moves or stretches to do it yourself. And if it becomes habitual, I would look for another class to attend.
2. We are not talking about modifications.
Something I’m continually working on is finding ways to succinctly offer a wide range of modifications for various moves or poses. This is something a lot of instructors struggle with, especially if they’re just starting out in front of a class. A super green instructor may focus more on just spreading the words, keeping time, or ensuring the class follows, and may leave out offering different ways of doing things.
But I cannot underestimate the importance of the changes. On the one hand, it makes a class more inclusive and welcoming for different bodies, as well as people of different abilities or who have conditions or injuries that can make certain movements more difficult. But modifications also help students explore what works best for them. For example, kneeling in a pumps can help you achieve a better range of motion or keep your body in better alignment. Even in more “advanced” classes, offering modifications is still very important because it gives students permission to listen to their bodies that day – which I think is actually the true indication of a level. ” advance “.
When I take a course and the instructor offers lots of options and modifications, it shows me that they really know the material they are teaching. It’s much easier to come up with lots of variations and modifications when you have a thorough understanding of what the move or pose is actually supposed to do. If an instructor just memorizes clues, or if they really don’t know what muscles are behind a certain movement, they might not be ready to suggest adjustments or replacements that might help achieve the same goal. Making changes also shows that they truly understand the different bodies that may be in class and care about the class learning to progress properly.
3. The instructor’s “motivation” makes you feel even worse.
Shaming yourself to push or motivate you – for example, saying things like “no girly push-ups” or “I don’t want to see anyone grab those lightweights!” – is an absolute no. The same goes for forcing yourself to move, verbally or physically. No, no, and again no.
