There may be fitness instructors that look at teaching a class or two as a workout for themselves and that they are getting paid to workout. Those people are NOT well trained and they are definitely not the type of instructor you want to go to.
When I teach Pilates, I am standing the entire time. Spotting, watching form, guiding bodies to do what they need to do. From properly placing a toe to catching a 200 lb person, I do a lot in an hour.
When I am teaching a class that requires me to do some of the workout with the student, like Piloxing or cycling, I cannot work out at an intensity that would give me my best workout. I still need to talk and teach, look at form, keep everyone else motivated and moving. When teaching yoga, yes, I do enjoy a stretch here and there, but as a demo and then I am back to eyeballing knee caps, gently adjusting shoulders, and again, keeping the class flowing, my thoughts and words one, or three, steps ahead the entire time.
I am not complaining. I love what I do. I do get to be very active, I am not sitting at a desk, I am able to interact with people and see their bodies and lives change. I more than love it. But it is annoying and frustrating when my peers, acquaintances, and people I meet on the street think that I "work out for a living" or am basically home all day.
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| Do I look like I am working out? Or working? |
I clock nearly 40 hours a week, not including drive time.
I spend just as much time and money, if not more, than the average 9-5'er on continuing education.
I have to be focused, physically engaged, and mentally aware the entire time I am teaching.
And I want to be. I don't want my students to leave with a sore neck, a potential injury, or even just a bad experience. Pilates, yoga, all other forms of fitness, can be life-changing and I am honored to be a part of it.
So, at the end of the day, it isn't so bad that
End rant.
I think everyone thinks other people's jobs aren't as tough as their own... for the most part. I sit in meetings all day while my brother does construction. Too very different types of exhaustion- mental vs physical.
ReplyDeleteI definitely get it--I did fitness full-time for a while, too--and for me, some of the exhaustion was indirect, when I was training private clients at a Pilates studio and not knowing if some would renew, therefore exhaustion/stress about paycheck...
ReplyDeleteAnd now, I do a little bit of fitness/Pilates teaching on top of being a teacher, not to mention managing my MS... no, not challenging at ALL! (ha, ha!) But a few years ago when I was too sick to work, sitting around at home... that was worse than anything, since I had no goals, felt worthless, and didn't know what my future would hold. I'll take this over that for sure! :)
I sometimes wonder how the instructors can actually talk while they do cardio with the class and then I get that a) they're fitter than me, and b) they're keeping their workout intensity low to manage! I'm sure your work is still very exhausting!
ReplyDeleteIt's funny why people cannot appreciate other people instead of trying to belittle their work!