That's my Spot!

For those of you who have taken group exercise classes, I'm sure you have a particular spot in the studio where you stand each class. Maybe you are happiest working out in the front of the class, or next to your friend near the stereo, or the back corner next to the door. This is your spot, and everyone in the class knows it, just like you know where all the other people in the class chose to stand each week. Once you have picked a spot, you have picked your domain. You stand proud and comfortably as you get ready for the class to start. The regulars to the class respect each other's carefully chosen spots.
Now what happens when there is a newcomer to the class? She/he enters for the first time, scans the room, and picks a spot to stand. What! She/he is now standing in your spot!! The back right corner has been your spot since last summer! When this happens, It is now time to move to the front of the class. You may not know, but the front of the class is prime real estate and here's why:
1. No on can block your reflection in the mirror
2. You have a clear view of the instructor
3. You will most likely have more room than you did in the back, because the space in the front is less populated

So, I am encouraging you to step up to the plate and take that empty spot in the front of the class. Move out of your comfort zone in the back right corner and take a chance in the front row. You never know, this may be your new favorite spot.

Make sure you smile, so you can see your happy face in the mirror! This is your time to shine!

Spending Time at the Kid's Table

Before you know it, your Halloween candy will have mysteriously disappeared, and you will be preparing a dish to bring to your family's potluck Thanksgiving dinner. The holidays are approaching and you might find yourself agreeing to take care of your brother's kids. If that is the case, or maybe you end up at the kid's table at Christmas, here are some helpful ideas for passing the time. This applies to kids ages 5-19.

First, to break the ice, ask them specific questions to avoid the "How is school going?" "Okay," conversation. If you must speak about school, ask them about their favorite class or favorite teacher. I recommend finding out what their favorite after school activity is. Find out what they are really interested in -- movies, video games, karate, swimming, etc. Now, you can easily talk to them about a subject they enjoy. If you know nothing about the topic, ask them! They will enjoy being able to explain what they are passionate about. Remember, stay specific.

Sooner or later the kids will take out their very own iPod Videos. You can tell them about the days when you had a Walkman and a cassette player, and a record player, but don't let it get out of hand. Just find out what video they are watching and enjoy being at the kids table.
Also, there is always something to be learned from kids, so try your best to keep an open mind and a smile on your face.

Praise

There are many gyms out there and I wonder: Are they are praising themselves or their members?

In any case, I would like to praise all the gym goers out there. It is remarkable to know that each day, or as often as possible, these people fit working out into their busy schedules...and really enjoy it! Before work, during lunch, after school, after dinner, or during Prison Break, people are bettering themselves and their bodies at the gym. I think that many will agree that once you fall into the habit, (or force yourself to) the benefits of working out begin to appear, and it becomes not only a part of your life, but a time to look forward to. Day after day, month after month, I see gym members enter the club with smiles on their faces, and it is that persistence that deserves praise. Whether it be the treadmill, StairMaster, kickboxing classes, weight machines or yoga classes, you folks out there deserve praise, so here it is, and keep it up!

No Grunting?

Each day, as we walk, run, drive, or roller-blade down the street we are bombarded with signs. The inside of a gym is no different. From shameless self-promotion to advertisements to the holiday gym schedule, you could spend a day at the gym reading.
Yes, I do read all the signs. In the locker room I read about new hair products, on the treadmill I read that I can join this gym for only $20 *when I sign up a friend. How will I know if my 5:15 step class will be cancelled due to the weather? Undoubtedly there will be a sheet of printer paper taped up to a door providing me with the information I need. And also, bulletin boards and alive and well.
One day I saw a sign that I had never seen before. It was like a breath of fresh air in the overly air conditioned weight room. Taped onto the far wall, in bold, black ink was the following:

This is a NO GRUNTING AREA

Well! When I saw that, I almost fell over laughing. Here was the only rule for a weight room full of sweaty, tough, bodybuilders with 64oz bottles of Gatorade. As I entered the room, my eyes kept darting back and forth from the black and white sign to the silent bodybuilders.
Then I realized something was missing from the scene: It was the loud, competitive, grunts, moans, and cries from the weight lifters. How are they expected to lift three times their body weight without making a peep? I began to have my doubts about the new rule. It forced me to listen to James Blunt's music that was playing on the speakers...and after working out to that, I think I prefer the sounds of real men.

What Not To Wear When You Sweat

So, you are going to the gym?
That's nice. What are you going to wear?

These are the most common looks I have seen at the gym lately. If you have never come across one of the following categories, you are probably it.
Just Rolled Out of Bed: This look consists of the baggy shirt, possibly with holes in it, as well as miss-matched socks and most likely the shorts are missing the elastic.
High-Tech-Micro-Breathable-Sweat-Proof Outfit: I hope those matchy-matchy outfits look as good as they sound, because a 19-year old Vietnamese girl was harassed and verbally abused to make you look totally cute at the gym.
I Played Sports in College: Thanks for matching your UConn Huskies cross country shorts with a Johns Hopkins Blue Jay's lacrosse T-shirt. Did you play on the teams, or did you visit the school store? I can tell as soon as you start running...
Blast from the Past: Shortly after Flashdance was released, the fitness world discovered that bouncing your stretches was incorrect, because it turns out bouncing is damaging to the muscles. Studies have also shown that wearing a leotard, stripped leggings, leg warmers, and multiple sweat bands is damaging on the eyes of others.

With so many styles and colors and materials and designs, it can be overwhelming to dress for a workout. You should not sweat it, because no one really cares about what you are wearing; the people at the gym are concerned with one thing: their own workout.

Let me close with an anecdote:
As I was entering the locker room at a gym where I teach group exercise classes, I noticed one of the members of my class changing. As an instructor, I notice what the members of my classes wear, because that is how I give corrections ("Blue tank-top -- keep your abdominals tight!"). So, I saw her remove the green razor-back tank top, which she wore last class, from her locker and put it on. THE SAME SHIRT. FROM LAST CLASS. SITTING IN THE LOCKER. FOR ONE WEEK.
I will not mention the rest of her outfit, which had been collecting fungus in the locker, that she wore to my class...

To make my point crystal, it is crucial that cleanliness come before fashion. I never want to see a repeat of what I saw in the locker room that day.

Blessings.

Hello and Welcome

Welcome to my blog.
Just like most beginnings, I am entering this blogger-relationship with confidence, an open-mind and modesty. Hopefully these qualities will last throughout my posting, but I make no promises, although I might take up a bet...

My blogs will consist of two topics, not even distantly related, yet equally riveting. The first concerns gym goers, ex-gym goers, or gym member wannabes. As a certified group exercise instructor, I will provide insights into the mysteries and awes of group exercise and prove that not all gym classes look like the commercials for Bally Total Fitness. You may even find some butt toning exercises thrown in a blog here and there.
I will also be blogging about babysitting and how you can make a killing from other under-the-table jobs. But I will mostly focus on what to do with the kids that you are left with, and how to get them to talk to you.

kbye.