Spin Teaching...tips, any regrets?

[han-grrl]

Actually, yes the hip injuries were due to years of teaching. But that's her body, and every body is different and will react differently. Even my body screamed for me to stop last year, with a ruptured ulcer. And i thought i was doing everything right. I didn't realize how hard I was pushing myself.

Don't get me wrong - I love teaching and training my clients, its absolutely rewarding. I am playing a bit of devil's advocate. I saw many people in my classes start the program (fitness and lifestyle management) because they love exercising and wanted to make a career out of it. I saw many of them not continue because the reality is as a fitness professional you have to create your own work. Its absolutely amazing when the work comes in, but it doesn't just fall into your lap. You need to take some crappy jobs sometimes to get some experience. Many of them found out that the world doesn't like to exercise as much as they do. That can be A LOT of negativity. I've heard my share of whining and complaining about exercise. But then you get the amazing clients - like the one I saw last week. Dropped 10% body fat, is leaner, doesn't suffer from back pain any more and is so happy she called me in the fall. An amazing feeling. Or the client that sends me a thank you note for helping her. It made me cry!

So the point is - a career in fitness is very fun and rewarding - your helping people get healthy - i mean what an awesome job - but there are aspects, like impacts to your health both physical and mental that can be challenging.

Be well
Han

[tulip]

I heard a radio program fairly recently about several gung-ho aerobics instructors who started in the 80s with the really high-impact aerobics (and shiny tights and legwarmers, no doubt), and kept doing it for hours every day, day in and day out over the ensuing decades. Frankly, they all seemed rather obsessive about it, not cross training, not taking breaks, doing it for 4 hours a day and more. Each of them have severe hip injuries, and some have had hip replacements. They are in their 40s and 50s now, way too young for that kind of procedure in an otherwise healthy and active person. Some are still bouncing around!

Bear in mind that aerobics have changed considerably over the past 25+ years. We used to do them on hard concrete floors in poorly-designed shoes with the belief that the higher we jumped (and jumped and jumped), the more in-shape we would get. Instructors were rarely trained in anatomy and physiology, something I would expect a personal trainer to be conversant in.

From an outsider's perspective, it seems like the fitness industry has evolved considerably. That's positive for the rest of us who rely on all y'all to help us get in and stay in shape, avoid injury, and get healthier. Thanks so much for all you do!

[velogirl]

I guess my question is this. Neither Han's friend nor Tulip's story are scientific control group studies -- they are anecdotal. Would Han's friend or the step instructors have had a hip replacement if they chose a different line of work? We don't know that.

Just because someone is a fitness instructor and they also had a hip replacement doesn't mean that being a fitness instructor caused the need for a hip replacement.

Being overweight can lead to the need for a hip replacement.

Auto-immune disorders (like RA) can lead to the need for a hip replacement.

Childhood injuries can later lead to the need for a hip replacement.

I don't have time to find this (but I bet Zen could). What is the percentage of adults over the age of 50 (or 60 or whatever) who has to have a hip replacement? I bet it's actually pretty high.

[tulip]

I guess my question is this. Neither Han's friend nor Tulip's story are scientific control group studies -- they are anecdotal. Would Han's friend or the step instructors have had a hip replacement if they chose a different line of work? We don't know that...

Anecdotal evidence can be quite valuable. These people are in their 40s (that's young, BTW), healthy except for their obsessive exercise behaviors over decades (like hours a day, every single day, no rest days--fitness instructors these days would not encourage this), no RA, not overweight (perhaps underweight). I would wager that experts here and elsewhere would agree that the methods used in the 80s--high impact routines with poor equipment, inadequate training and rest over decades--can also cause joint problems. Hell, I can't even run on a regular basis because of shinsplints, so I ride a bike and I swim when I can find a pool. Lots of people who do high impact sports have to ease up after years and decades of such impact--runners, basketball players, tennis players, iceskaters...Would their knees go out if they didn't play sports? We don't know.

I would add to Velo's list that obsessive, repetitive exercise over decades can also lead to physical problems. I don't think anyone here is blasting fitness instructors, far from it. Han is a fitness instructor. But we know alot more now than we did when the aerobics dance craze was going on. And thank goodness there are those of you out there who do know better and can instruct the rest of us on the right way to do things--on both ends of the scale.

[Crankin]

A most interesting conversation that mirrors my experience in the fitness world. I was one of those obsessive instructors in the eighties, leg warmers and all. Thankfully, I rarely did more than one class a day, I lifted weights, and I always took one day a week off. And, I was certified, in the first group of people who were certified by ACE. But before my gym put in the wood floor, I had horrible shin splints and plantar fasciitis. I also developed a bunion that is screaming to be fixed now. I taught for about ten years and got really burned out. During the time I was teaching, I weighed 90-95 pounds and was constantly being questioned about eating disorders. It was just over exercise and I was try to compete with the college aged girls I was working with (I was in my thirties).
What I found was the clients mirrored the kids I had in class in middle school. Some were grateful and appreciative, some seemed bored, and some complained all of the time. I was going to take the ACE personal training exam, but after really looking at the conditions of working in a gym, I've decided to go another route. I'm applying to a grad program in clinical mental health counseling; the program I will be doing is holistically oriented, stressing the mind body connection. I hope to work with people with eating and exercise issues, but not directly doing the training.

[han-grrl]

I'm not saying that being a fitness instructor will eventually require hip replacing. I said that is what happened to my friend. What I have seen is that teaching for a long time, does lead to injuries, no matter how much you try to avoid them. Good flooring, good shoes, yes they help, but over time, teaching 4,5,6 classes a day, which I know some people do, standing all day long. Yes that does play a role in fatiguing the body. and it isn't always obvious right away. Until suddenly something major happens, i have heard of perfectly healthy trainers suddenly throwing out their backs or trying to teach with a taped up sprained ankle, because if they don't teach, they don't get paid. There are no sick days with this job. Because we work on contract, and like i said, no sick days. So it can get hard.

Anyway, enough. Do i have any regrets being an instructor. none. i love it. I have learned a lot about running my business, the industry, i have met wonderful people, and have had wonderful mentors - which i do recommend, find yourself a mentor to help you through this process.

[Keepmovin]

I just wanted to throw out that I'm impressed by the conversation & dialog on this subject. I've recently discovered spinning classes and find it addictingly fun in a way I never realized. I'm pretty much an avid mountain biker and figured the static room couldn't offer anything....but it did!

I've taken 4-5 instructors now and what I find really makes the difference is the music...you almost need a dj spinning the tunes to keep things lively.

There's so much psychology going on in the room it's amazing....people faking crank-up's, instructors pausing to sit up on their bike pretending to look-out over their flock (when in reality they just demo'd some intense power and couldn't keep it up and needed a break). Instructors singing along with the music...just all sorts of stuff....it's hilarious...but all in good effort.

I'm quite certain the body is better off with exercise...but many of us are probably going well past the "optimal" level in terms of benefits vs. wear/tear. Our bodies don't last forever and they do wear-down....but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Eat proper, take good supplements (joint stuff), avoid high-impact, focus on low-impact, wear proper gear and enjoy the beauty of your body and the blessing of life. Aw crap, I've been watching too much Oprah again

[Miranda]

Well girls, have not checked in a while... crazy with other nonfun life stuff, and an injury of diff nature (non fitness/spin related) has kept me away (here and spin/gym).

Thinking I'm getting close to returning the to the gym. But, wow... some interesting talks in this thread of mine. I did complete the Madd Dog Atheletics spin instructors' class. Have not started teaching yet due to above said injury situation. I need just some recoup hang out time before I would dive in.

One thing I didn't like the few times I returned to gym post training class, before I got hurt, was the urgency from a couple fellow instructors to take over their difficult schedule classes. WHOA girls... need to get my feet wet first!

This pressure made the gym not fun to walk thru the door. That is a tragedy. I think I will do it, but when I feel ready. I don't like the pressure of being attacked by people I pass in the hallways about "so WHEN are you gonna do it?".

Part of that comment is just me being a bit grumpy and tainted. A few of the non-instructors class mates did pay me a compliment in asking. One gal said, "O... M! I'm so excited to hear that you will be able to teach us in class now... you are such an inspiration in your love for spinning, and being a cyclists... I can't wait to take one of your classes". I was a bit floored by that. I guess if anything, yes, my true love for the activity as beneficially to anyone is genuine, and must come thru.

I did really find the knowledge of the training instructor awesome tho, regardless of my teaching or not.