Wednesday, March 9, 2016

How to be prepared for (almost) anything!

This post is by Dana, a guest blogger on The Z Beat!

There are a variety of lessons I have learned over the past couple of years as a fitness instructor. Some lessons have been invaluable and some have been funny… as a result of a complete mishap. What I have learned on a fundamental level is to be prepared for the expected AND the unexpected.



Extra Shoes: I am sure you will encounter that day when you are late and running around like a chicken with your head cut off and you realize most likely too late that you either forgot your workout shoes, or you brought two left shoes instead of a full pair. I learned the hard way that keeping an extra pair of shoes in my car (even if they are an old pair) will help resolve that disaster. Old and worn out shoes are better than no shoes! The bonus, one day one of my students came straight from a yoga class and forgot her shoes and I let her borrow my spare pair, win-win for both of us!



Stereo Wires: It is so hard to keep track of all of the different fitness clubs and their rules and procedures on music hook-ups. Don’t be caught in a class with the wrong wires! Keep an extra set of wires (all types) in your gym bag. That way you will be prepared for any type of stereo system.  If your iPhone or iPod happens to break or go dead I would highly recommend ALWAYS having a back-up CD in your car with your favorite playlist stored on it. It’s better to be safe than sorry. I have been in class when the music situation has not been favorable and I can promise you the quality of your class will suffer. One class I knew how awful the stereo system was acting prior to the actual class and I rolled in a portable sound system to ensure that we would be able to party to audible tunes!



Undergarments: The day you forget your sports bra is not a happy day. The day you are teaching, wear a sports bra under your clothes or put an extra one in your purse, your car or gym bag. Not having adequate clothing or having an outfit that is uncomfortable will inevitably make you feel awkward during class. In addition to having an extra pair of threads with you, I would recommend knowing your style and size in the active wear department in Target in case you have to make a pit stop before class.



Stay Hydrated: We all have those days when you don’t have time to eat enough before class. We also have those days where you forget to grab an extra bottle water, and when you get to the gym; the café is closed for maintenance! Don’t be stuck without something to drink. It’s not a good idea to keep filled plastic water bottles in your car, but you can always keep an empty bottle or water cup that you can at least fill up at the water fountain.



We hope these little “lessons learned” helps you avert a mishap during one of your fitness classes. Share your funny oops with us and your helpful hints. You never know when someone else will experience the same thing! #happyfitnessinstructor #shoes #music #sportsbra #water

2 comments:

  1. Thanks - I'm pretty sure I've done all of these...and more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. First off , congratulation on this post. this is really awesome.
    There are some very great sources here and thank you for being so kind to post them here.

    ReplyDelete