Becoming an Instructor for Aerobics to '80s Music

Video Transcript

"If you've ever thought about becoming an instructor, there are some simple tips that I can help you out with. First, as you saw during the video, it's important to build your routine properly. So you want to start off with one move at a time, repeat them to the class until they get them, and then add on the next movement. You want to make sure your movements flow from movement to movement, so make sure you choreograph accordingly. A great way to choreograph and come up with movements is to put on some music in your house or wherever you can find some space and dance around a little bit. Just experiment, have fun with it, and see what you can come up with. Then you want to make sure that you plot each move strategically so that they flow nicely and so that you can have some fun. Make sure you also keep in mind balance, so we want to make sure that our right side and our left side are working out the same so we're not overworking the right leg or the left arm, stuff like that. You also want to make sure that your moves are safe. There's a lot of counter movements that don't really qualify within the exercise science realm. So you want to be careful not to do things that are injurious to your clients and to your participants. Make sure to try the moves out on yourself, and make sure that your music is at the right speed. Again I said that floor aerobics should be performed at 130 to 135 beats per minute. You can count this by counting out 60 seconds of music and counting out the counts. If you get to over 135 counts, your music is too fast and can lead to injury with your clients. Another thing to remember when teaching is to have great rapport. Smile a lot, encourage your clients, and make sure they're having fun. Also make sure that you're keeping tabs of the room, making sure there's a safe environment, making sure that everyone seems like they're doing okay. If you notice a client is breathing heavily in a way that seems like they might be fainting or having some sort of trouble, you really want to go over to them and make sure they are alright. You also want to make sure that everyone is doing everything safely so just go around, help cue everyone, and make sure they're having a good time and keeping safe. You also want to make sure the temperature of your room is at a good temperature. Seventy degrees is about where you want your temperature to be. You can also use fans to help cool people down. Encourage your participants to drink lots of water and to make sure to stay for both the warm-up and the cool-down and the stretching to make sure you get a full lengths workout that's safe and fun. You also need to certify as a fitness instructor. You can go through many programs. If you check them out online, there are many different programs out there. But you want to make sure that you're certified and you have the insurance to back it up. Alright, I hope you get involved and I hope you have fun teaching and coming up with your own choreography and getting creative and dancing and sweating and getting fit."