THE QUICK READ
• Learn to read participants’ faces and
adapt your class accordingly
• Instruct different levels of the same
exercise to accommodate participants
with different fitness levels
• Use a mixture of music genres and
modern remixes of older, familiar
songs
• Don’t underestimate the capacity of
younger participants to appreciate the
classics, and older participants to
enjoy newer tracks
• Entertain your class and make it clear
that every single moment is for
everyone to enjoy.
2. Music moves us all!
Music is our greatest tool in creating a class plan that appeals to all
ages. Nietzsche was alleged to have said ‘We listen to music with our
muscles.’ This is true, and often without our knowledge or volition. Take
a moment to note how your body reacts to music. When music plays,
do you nod your head? Tap your feet? Do you sing along or even change
your facial expressions? You’ll find that your body does indeed react in
some way to music, regardless of what age you are.
The belief that certain genres are too old/too trendy or too fast/too
slow for certain ages is simply not true. Most songs are useable when
paired with appropriate routines and taught correctly. So why not put a
variety of genres in your playlist or consider using songs with various
beats per minute? If you’re looking for a sure thing, use songs that are
familiar and that everyone can sing along to.
There are some songs and artists that most people seem to know,
as if they transcend age. Using hit tracks from (or cover versions of)
artists like Madonna, Elvis, Queen and Beyoncé can strike a chord
with twenty-somethings to eighty-somethings. Songs from movie
soundtracks such as Dirty Dancing or The Greatest Showman are
also worth exploring. If you have a selective preference for music, try
to find a happy compromise between your musical tastes and those
of your participants by using a mixture of music genres or remixes of
popular songs.
3. Don’t make assumptions about participants
Imagine for a moment that you are standing on the pool deck in front of a
new class comprising seniors, mothers, teenage girls and male athletes.
What would you do? Do you have a class plan to accommodate the
wide-ranging needs and interests of this diverse group? If your answer
is yes, then the next question is, what do you think their needs and
interests are? How have you come to this conclusion?
Most instructors who have long-term classes come to learn about
participants’ abilities, likes and dislikes, but what about new classes
or unfamiliar groups? One method to guide your class planning is to
When you keep participants entertained, they don’t
have time to look at the clock, be self-conscious or
think about how much effort a certain move is
24 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2019
use the group’s demographics to roughly
ascertain preferences for music style and
intensity. I recently used this to guide my song
choice for a group of high school students. As
such, I used more recent and energetic songs.
But demographics is just a guide and never a
hard and fast rule.
Regarding music style, don’t underestimate
younger participants' capacity to appreciate
the classics. I have literally used classical
music with teenagers, with much success.
Equally, don’t assume that older participants
just want popular genres from the 50s, 60s
and 70s. I learnt this music lesson when I
started a new Aqua Zumba® class. I was told
that most of my participants would be over 65,
so I put rock’n’roll, swing, disco and Motown
songs onto the class playlist in place of genres
including EDM, reggaeton and merengue.
The class was fine, if not overly exciting. So,
over time, I introduced a variety of genres.
Today, my class enjoys music from across the
decades and from all over the world. The most
requested song? ‘Fireball’ by Pitbull.
Just as with musical tastes, you shouldn’t
make assumptions about ability based on age.
You might find that your oldest participant is
your strongest, so don’t be afraid to shake
things up. Include a variety of music, a range
of exercises from gentle to challenging, and
even try using interval music formats such as
Tabata. Your participants might just love it.
4. Be an entertainer
The saying goes that ‘Time flies when you’re
having fun’ and it’s true. Research shows that
individuals in a high state of boredom tend to
perceive time as moving slower, compared to
those in a low state of boredom. This appears
to occur when individuals perceive their task
as a chore. No one likes chores and everyone
has the capacity to get bored. Therefore, your
class needs to be fun and enjoyable. But how
do you achieve this? Music and dynamic