I recently had a conversation with someone from Sport England and had to ask myself “why are you getting so angry?”Some context – it was in relation to my concerns on how the Group Exercise industry is governed.Upon reflection it is an age old flame that becomes fuelled when I am so confidently informed about what group exercise is and the aims and objectives for our industry that leave me open mouthed in disbelief.In this instance he spewed out percentage figures on who attends group classes – largest percentage women – who knew? alongside a mandate to encourage more equality and more diversity.Now! the problem endemically lies in the fact that I have spent my entire adult life entrenched in group exercise (like you) working tirelessly to make the industry a more profitable place for instructors and my informant most likely has never taken class in his life.- MY POINT any group exercise class regardless of modality (in my experience) by virtue of what it is represents a haven of equality and diversity and it always has.YOU yes YOU the group exercise instructor empower every single person you meet. The group exercise environment does and always has encouraged this outcome:- Equality is about ensuring everybody has an equal opportunity, and is not treated differently or discriminated against because of their characteristics. Diversity is about taking account of the differences between people and groups of people, and placing a positive value on those differencesAll instructors need to stand up NOW and request that any governing body or organisation strives to make our industry a better place. They need STOP telling and selling us information that we already know and embody on a daily basis. Unless you teach group classes you could not possibly understand what transpires within these intimate groups. – Ask yourself who facilitated the speedy transition from live to online classes when pandemic hit?It was the industry experts, the music providers, the tech companies, those involved in group exercise did what they always do to keep classes alive. – Ask yourself now what you achieved?You helped the mental and physical wellbeing of thousands. No one taught you how to do this, no one told you to do this, you did it yourself with the help of your peers and the people who care.Th problems in our industry started when third parties started to charge instructors for content and when organisations started selling them the right to do what they have always done.- My message to the companies who want to own group exercise.We don’t need you – you need us.- My message to group instructors.KNOW YOUR POWER. Stop waiting for permission, guidelines and rules. You are enabled. If you are going to invest in memberships then demand that they offer a return and provide you something you don’t already know.
The back bone of any organisation is …….
Hope you are well, they say that spring is the time to have a good clear out, but October has exactly the same incentive for me, not only throwing out my old kit and clothes but to reflect upon the tools I use in my teaching and my business. After all if we consider the phrase above, what we say and do is ultimately the back bone of our identity.
I recently put up a post across the social media platforms on bracing and ab pulling in, who does what and when? It got more comment than most but revealed that there is still a pre occupation in our industry with using the abdominals to protect the spine. Or indeed that the spine is in need of protection. Can you imagine just throwing this whole concept away and starting again? By applying a more logical and lateral view, you could transform what you do and the way that people perceive what you do – pretty much overnight.
The core stability craze started in the late 90’s and since then it has pretty much been taken for granted that the following are true:
1 That certain muscles are more important for stabilisation of the spine, in particular transverses abdominis (TrA).
2 That weak abdominal muscles lead to back pain
3 That strengthening abdominal or trunk muscles can reduce back pain
4 That there is a unique group of “core” muscles working independently of other trunk muscles
5 That a strong core will prevent injury.
6 That there is a relationship between stability and back pain
If we buy into this line of thinking we are then also assuming that:
1 That loss of core muscle strength could lead to back injury
2 That increasing core strength can alleviate back pain
These are the very things discussed and studies by Professor Eyal Lederman in his article The Myth of Core Stability
In brief his conclusion (this is quoted to save you reading the whole article) were as follows:
Weak trunk muscles, weak abdominals and imbalances between trunk muscles groups are not pathological, just a normal variation. The division of the trunk into core and global muscle system is a reductionist fantasy, which serves only to promote CS. Weak or dysfunctional abdominal muscles will not lead to back pain. Tensing the trunk muscles is unlikely to provide any protection against back pain or reduce the recurrence of back pain. Core stability exercises are no more effective than, and will not prevent injury more than, any other forms of exercise. Core stability exercises are no better than other forms of exercise in reducing chronic lower back pain. Any therapeutic influence is related to the exercise effects rather than CS issues. There may be potential danger of damaging the spine with continuous tensing of the trunk muscles during daily and sports activities. Patients who have been trained to use complex abdominal hollowing and bracing maneuvers should be discouraged from using them.
Of course he is not alone in this train of thinking and the internet is full of arguments for and against, for anyone appalled at ever giving up this theme of teaching. He is a professor and we are merely the channel of such information. Realistically though, I always advise that we apply logic to everything we say and do in our careers. This way – honestly you will save yourself a fortune in qualification fees and nominated hours of study.
The quote at the top of this page refers to the back bone – it is the hub of all movement (along with the pelvis) in everything that we do. If something goes wrong at any joint or musculature dysfunction occurs, you can bet the spine will pick up the slack and carry on regardless. It is by formation and function the very opposite of weak, dysfunctional, in need of help, support or care (unless damaged). It’s worth thinking about, isn’t it.
Last week I made the stupid mistake of scaring my new horse, making her rear. I fell backwards and in doing so pulled her with me – I slammed onto the floor and she slammed onto me. As luck would have it, I simply got up and did the walk of shame back to the stable, very bruised in body and ego. During my fall there was no abdominal pulling, bracing, firing in any elective way – i can assure you. This all happened sympathetically because this is what those muscles do. I can thank a lifetime of hard exercise and a refusal to confirm to such myths as the reason that I continue to get up from falls like these. If I had spent the last 18 years bending my knees, keeping my spine straight and being very slow, careful and gentle – things might have been very different on this and many other occasions.
Give this some thought during October. Spend time considering in the here and now how a healthy spine is something to be so grateful for and how trying to protect it could possible be a gross waste of time and energy. We could be working on the breath and the mindset of everyone we meet, allowing them to celebrate their function and ability to do so many things because of the spine.
Always happy to hear your thoughts.
J a y n e
I have been asked so many times in the past 12 months – “Are you spiritual?” The etymology of this word still baffles me and every time I hear someone refer to themselves as spiritual, I can’t lie, I develop something of a nervous twitch.
I think this nervousness has evolved from my association with Yoga. It is something of a by-product in the yoga world; in fact I have seen people transform almost overnight by association as if you do yoga and you are blessed with spirituality or indeed obliged to be spiritual. Some people wear a spiritual cloak and yet others, and it is usually those who never define themselves as spiritual just ooze that generosity of spirit that actualises the word without using words to define it. Does that make sense? In translation, I know ordinary people who are not religious and have never set foot in a yoga class who take the time and put in the effort to live by a personal code that is honest and truthful and I know spiritual yogis who I would not trust as far as I could throw them!
Spirituality is the ultimate in connotative meaning. I think when people actively define themselves as spiritual, what they are really saying to you is “I am a good person“. I have created a set of standards that I define myself by and that I live by. You can be SBNR (spiritual but not religious) so much is the evolution of its meaning and practice. There are several studies into people who claim to be spiritual but not religious and although not conclusive for example (King et al., 2013) who completed a detailed interview with over 7000 British people and found that while there was little differences between the religious and none religious/none spiritual participants there were huge differences between these groups and the SBNR’s. ” These were found to more likely to take psychotropic medication, to use or be dependent on recreational drugs, to have a generalised anxiety disorder, phobia, or any neurotic disorder, or to have abnormal eating attitudes. These differences still held even when taking into account social support and physical health, as well as age, sex and ethnicity. None of the groups differed in their overall happiness though.” As I said this is far from definitive but none the less interesting for those of us struggling to come to terms with our own spirituality (or lack of it).
I think that our actions determine who we are and never our words. Spirituality will always attract as many people to yoga as it repels. Personally I cannot refer to myself as spiritual, in the same way that I cannot bring myself to meet and greet with Namaste, not because I drink, swear and sometimes indulge negative thoughts, which are of course balanced out by my kindness to animals and donations to charitable organisations but more because as a definition of the person I need to be to get through each day in 2018 it lacks a depth of meaning that is tangible or genuine.
Consider the notion of taking a Yoga class? We have up to 90 minutes to teach a lifestyle, a lifetime of learning, a life changing practice, a workout! The enormity of this task may be the very thing that puts people off both teaching and attending Yoga despite a desire to start this epic journey – it just somehow seems such an enormous task!
When Yoga became popular as a class based format over 25 years ago there became a need to set a guideline for teachers to be both qualified and informed. “A committee” of established Yoga experts devised the 200 hour entry level study plan which for many training providers remains the tenant for training in 2018.
Technology was never a consideration of 200 learning hours. There was no online study, no social media and absolutely no immediate face to face contact via any other means than live learning situations. Nothing could be more unthinkable today and to try and ignore it in favour of the old ways of learning is absurd.
As a modern training provider I can offer you a library of practical videos at the flick of a switch, I can chat with you face to face via skype, facetime, podcasts, chat rooms, meeting rooms, WhatsApp, facebook, this list is endless; it is immediate, discreet, intimate and ultimately effective. As a learner you can repeatedly view, ponder, ruminate and digest everything I have to teach you and in doing so you retain so much more than in one single face to face meeting where so much of the spoken word is missed.
The UK provides several frameworks for learning that are specific, regulated and set to academic standards that are recognised throughout the learning sector. When you invest in a qualification surely you want something that is transparent, and easily recognised by your target market and those who employ you as an industry standard rather than a set number of hours that may or may not meet even the most basic levels of competency.
Yoga spans many continents and decades and we will never learn or understand it in its entirety. Learning the history is of ultimate importance but staying in the past is a futile exercise! 200 hours is beyond dated, it makes no sense in the modern age and there a much better ways of entering into Yoga Teacher Training.
I urge everyone to consider courses that offer blended learning using every means of teaching aids available in the 21st century.
Here we go or here we go again?
Let’s be honest! the new year, new you stuff is all a bit overwhelming, when it’s cold, wet and all you want to do is re live Christmas. Positive affirmations, smiley faces, peace and love – I kind of want to lie down with the cat for just a while longer. I know – it’s my job to motivate you to do more, but I am a huge fan of being realistic. I have of course hit the keyboard and already put in a good few hours of hard graft today, I am wearing real clothes instead of winceyette and there is that inner excitement generating at the thought of a whole year ahead to realise my ambitions for 2018.
Yes it is the thought of “here we go again” that is less than inspiring. The day to day things that do not change and pile up constantly, yet have to be done. So lets focus on the “here we go”moving forward. The things that help us be better, do more and stay focused. We are so very lucky that we can bring change and better health to our clients, but in order to constantly keep moving onwards and upwards, let’s give some thought to the principles that underpin day to day life and use them to get the most out of what we do.
Honesty is by far the best policy
The past few years has seen an emergence in holistic health. We inclusively are now masters of a much broader offering that includes:
Yoga & Pilates
Fitness
Diet & Nutrition
How we offer these things is now up for debate as information is updated and trends change with great speed. It seems that the sticky stage of any programme is around 6 to 12 months. If people do not adhere to what you offer in the first 6 weeks then they are on team for up to 1 year. After this the old cycles start again. They go back to their old ways become bored or simply want to start something new. You cannot change this – fact. Why? because you most likely do the exact same things yourself.
Take a look at your own track records for exercising, eating well and be honest how many days a week do you successfully meditate? Inject real life into what you offer and you will be speaking the language of the masses.
The reasons that so many instructors do not move with the speed that they want nor do they retain the numbers is that they fall into the trap of telling people what they need, passing on the good vibe, giving information that is bang on trend rather than real life. I have had the pleasure of a few days in the company of Greg Sellar – Life Hack 30 and he has provided one of those light bulb moments. We need to empower our clients to change full stop. Not dabble in good health and right choices by offering them the end product but actually motivating them to be the person that lives a healthy lifestyle. The choices that they make longterm will then inevitably include you and what you offer.
You are not responsible for them
If we go back to the top of this email and the thought of “here we go again”. The things that hold us all back from getting on with owning our 2018 are the things that we cannot change:
Getting people to ahdere
Getting people to make the right choices
Getting people to be positive
Only they can do this. We offer products, just like any other retailer, and just like other retailers our focus should be on:
Our target market
Our price point
Our product and it’s value for money
If we get these things right then we broaden our reach and build roots within the ever growing health and fitness offering.
Moving forward
If you can’t fly – then run – you don’t need to do it quickly, you just need to do it. If you can’t run – then walk – you don’t need to do everything, maybe just the things that really inspire you. If you can’t walk then crawl – just teach 1 class a week, in the same place to the same people? This is perfect you are the pinnacle of success in what we do. Just keep moving forward – if you are honest with yourself and offer what is realistic then you will own 2018.
Always here and always happy to help
Happy New Year
J a y n e
