4
Understanding that our lifestyle has changed
our biomechanics considerably, we can tweak
these exercises to ensure that we are also
targeting muscle imbalances and weaknesses
You can stop and stretch at any point and join in where you
want to.
Group exercise is not personal training. It is an option that a lot of
people, predominantly women, prefer, and not feeling singled out
is very important. That is why they like a group format. Offering
progressions and options to choose is vital to ensure that people
keep exercising. After all, that is the overall important goal – that
people are moving.
Putting purpose to the practice
circle the left arm back behind the body
and over the head with each repetition
5
Then swing the left leg forward into a
circle action in the opposite direction.
In addition to rotation being added to the hip
and shoulder, there is a side lifting action off
the floor – an everyday movement – so it also
ticks the functional box. The brain is also
processing what and how to do this (just
like patting your head while rubbing your
tummy!) so it’s getting a workout too!
Intensity
Surprise, not everyone wants to feel
‘smashed’ by their workout, either on the
day or afterwards. Fitness professionals and
enthusiasts may love it, but for most people
with jobs, families and other commitments,
being unable to lift their arms or move their
legs the next day is something they would
prefer to avoid. So the challenge, should
you choose to accept it, is to find ways to
create intensity that is substantial enough to
stimulate change, yet also tolerable enough
to allow life to go on.
Building in options to ensure that
participants have choice is very important.
These are the progressions, and the key is
to make sure that the starting exercise is
something everyone can do, and then add
elements of intensity like reducing points of
support, changing lever length, or adding a
balance component. Giving permission to
your participants to choose what they want
to do puts the responsibility of the outcome
squarely back onto their shoulders. These
are four options I offer my participants:
20 | NETWORK WINTER 2018
1 You can choose to come with me for all
the progressions
2 You can come on the journey with me
but if you see an exercise and think ‘hell
no’ then you can stay where you feel
comfortable
3 You can opt to drop down at any point
to an exercise option that you can do
comfortably (this is if they have
progressed but are now fatiguing)
The fitness world is bombarded with research, information and
opinions from many opposing standpoints. My recommendation to
the group exercise instructor is to always be able to justify what you
deliver. If your only justification is that you saw someone else do it,
then it’s not a strong enough reason to teach the exercise. Have the
reasoning and understanding of the implications on the participant.
If the only reason you have is to smash your class so hard that they
can’t move the next day and are painfully aware of every muscle they
possess, this will not inspire most people – particularly newcomers to
exercise – to keep coming back.
As the level of incidental activity in daily life decreases, scheduled
exercise is becoming increasingly necessary. If we want more people
to regularly participate in physical activity, we need to ensure both
that they are enjoying it and getting results. By considering what we
are delivering, we can ensure that they are getting the best of the
traditional and up-to-date information.
Marietta Mehanni is a multi-award winning presenter with over 30 years’
teaching experience in both land and water-based group fitness. She is also
an instructor mentor, World Master Trainer and education coordinator for
Gymstick International, co-creator of mSwing and Pelvic Floor Ambassador for
Continence Foundation Australia. mariettamehanni.com
WATCH THE TWEAKING!
Watch Marietta demonstrating a range of traditional exercises that
she’s tweaked to bring them bang up-to-date for your classes!