Instructor Tips
I absolutely love training new instructors. I love what I do, and to share that joy and knowledge with others who want to pursue teaching aerobics is awesome! Here are a few tips:
1. You set the tone for the class. All eyes are on you, so even if you aren't really in the "exercising mood," try to remember that your students are counting on you to motivate them! Your class will have a much better time and workout, seeing that you are pumped about being there.
2. Get to know your students. They will appreciate you for that. Let them know you are really glad they came, and want them to come back. You will inspire them. It might have been really hard for some of them to step foot in your class, so let them know they are welcome.
3. It is a given that you will probably mess up from time to time...Shake it off! Being an instructor is all about "winging" your mistakes. Half of the time, your students do not even realize it so don't be so hard on yourself! There may be times that you finish class and feel like no one enjoyed it, and other times you feel like the "Worlds Best Instructor." Don't take it so personally-you are doing the best you can!
4. Cue, Cue, Cue...and be consistent. Did you know that there is an actual spot in the eight count to do this? No one taught me this when I first started teaching, and for years I cued when it "felt right." It should go, "1-2-3-4-CUE-6-7-8." Cueing on the 5th count allows your students enough time to prepare for the move.
5. When all else fails, SMILE! I can honestly say that I have always used this technique, and it actually works!
Step Aerobics
Here are some descriptions of moves that I use frequently.
Reversing
Skate: 3 alternating curls on top of bench. (8 counts)
Lunge & Jack: Up lunge X 1, jack on top of bench, exit (8 counts)
Tick Tock: Leg abduction (out), knee up, Leg abduction again (8 counts)
Repeater Hop straddle: Start like a hop turn, instead of exiting, come back to front of bench, do it again, then straddle. (8 counts)
Rock & Reach: Start with a curl (RL), step over the bench (left foot) and tap right foot behind the bench as you reach arms up, curl again (RL), exit back. (8 counts)
3 and 2: Up lunge X 3, rock back (from top of step) X 2, exit. (16 counts)
Double Knee Pivot: Do a double knee. On the second knee, pivot outward to face back of room, pivot again right away (on ground) to face front of room. (8 counts)
Shuffle turn: Do a traveling cha-cha, then walk walk, as you turn to face the other direction. (4 counts)
Shuffle Pivot: Do the same move as above, but instead walk forward facing the same direction and add a pivot. (8 counts)
1/2 Revolving ("Revolve over"): Over, face inside. (4 counts)
Non-Reversing
Reverse V-step: V-step, walk off front of bench, facing the inside of bench. R-L-R-L (4 counts)
Rock & Hop: Step on top of bench, rock back X 1, Hop twice (still on top of bench), exit down. (8 counts)
Scissor Cha-Cha: Scissor over (back leg goes behind you), and cha-cha instead of exiting right away. (4 counts)
Mambo corners: This is like two half mambos at each corner. (6 counts)
O-Step: Turn straddle, Turn straddle (8 counts)
Diagonal Pivot: Diagonal walk off, Pivot, ending on the front corner of step. (8 counts)
Double Hop Jack: Step up on your bench, hop X 2, step down and jack. (8 counts)
Shuffle Kick, Shuffle Curl: Do a shuffle, but instead add a kick, then shuffle backwards, add a curl. You stay facing the same direction. (8 counts)
Shuffle Straddle: Shuffle (or Cha-Cha) your bench, straddle, Shuffle backwards, straddle. (8 counts) (8 counts)
L-step shuffle: Do a half L-step (2 alternating knees off side of bench), shuffle on top of your bench, then exit back. (8 counts)
Swingset: 4 alternating abduction (side) legs at the end of your step. (8 counts)
Kick Stomp Kick: Kick on your bench, stomp on the ground as you travel forward, kick again (from ground). I usually add a walk or twirl home. (4 counts)
Box Lunge: Up lunge X 6, 2 side, 2 facing back, 2 side, exit. (16 counts)
6 pt. Turn: Turn in 6 counts (instead of the regular 8 count two turnsteps), add 2 hops on the ground. (8 counts)
Revolving door: Over the bench, face inside, over the bench, face inside again. (8 counts)
Broadway Kick: step kick, walk back 3 on floor, knee, then walk back 2 to bench. (8 counts)
Figure 8: Step knee, pivot outward, step knee (on ground), pivot inward. Knees are up on counts 2 and 6. (8 counts)
Curb Walk: (aka as “Walk your bench”) This is like 2 mambos, except you go forward twice, and back twice. (bench, forward on the floor, bench, backward on the floor) (8 counts)
Pilates
Pilates will reshape your entire body, and I know this from experience. I taught step aerobics, body sculpting, kickboxing, and even ran marathons and felt like I was in pretty good shape at one point in my life. However, when I added Pilates to my program, my body started taking on a more streamlined shape. My legs started to look leaner and longer, and my stomach felt stronger than ever!
We as a society used to have the "No pain, No gain" mentality but are now learning that exercise can actually feel good. What is great about Pilates is that almost everyone can do it, and you get the results without feeling the soreness that people used think they needed in order to achieve those results.
Here are some Pilates exercises with cueing for each movement. I really like to use visual imagery in addition to verbal and visual cueing because I think it helps my students to really get an understanding of the movement he/she is trying to achieve.
1. The Hundred "Pump your arms as if you are slapping water."
2. The Roll-up "Imagine your spine is like a string of pearls."
3. The Roll-Over "Use your abdominals to roll over."
4. Leg Circles "Point your toe and imagine drawing circles on the ceiling."
5. Rolling Like a Ball "You feel like a ball. You look like a ball. You are a ball."
6. Single Leg Stretch "Imagine you are anchored to the floor."
7. Double Leg Stretch "Imagine the torso is anchored to the mat and only your limbs are moving."
8. Single Straight Stretch "Imagine the rhythm of windshield wipers."
9. Double Straight Leg "Squeeze your legs together so that no light can come through."
10. Criss Cross "Imagine your center is anchored to the mat so that your hips do not rock."
11. Spine Stretch "Flex your feet as if you are pressing your heels into the wall across the room."
12. Open Leg Rocker "Imagine being in a rocking chair, about to tip over, & balance as you roll up."
13. The Corkscrew "Imagine your torso anchored to the mat, only your legs are free to move."
14. The Saw "Glue your hips to the mat."
15. Swan Dive "Imagine you are diving forward to catch a beach ball."
16. Single Leg Kicks "Keep your upper thighs and knees glued together as you kick."
17. Double Leg Kicks "Pretend you are wearing a belt to hold the abs in!"
18. Neck Pull "Imagine your legs are strapped to the mat just below the hips."
19. Spine Twist "Lift the top of your head to the ceiling. Become taller."
20. The Jacknife "Imagine your feet are supported by springs overhead."
21. Side Kicks "Imagine you are balancing a cup of coffee on your hips to keep them stacked."
22. Teaser "Imagine you are being lifted by a balloon attached to your chest."
23. Hip Circles "Imagine your hands are stuck in cement & you are unable to move your torso."
24. Swimming "Imagine you are balancing on a small rock. Control your movements."
25. The Leg Pull-Down "Imagine a cord pulling on your tummy and attaching to the ceiling."
26. Leg Pull-Up"Imagine a cord pulling your hip bones towards the ceiling."
27. Mermaid "Imagine you are suspended at your hips by a sling attached to the ceiling."
28. The Seal "Use the abs to hold the position as you click."
American Fitness featured an article with Daisy Fuentes talking about Pilates. Check it out!
http://www.americanfitness.com/101.amf