If you’ve been teaching group fitness classes for any length of time, you’ve likely experienced the dreaded student walkout. It’s the end of class—and time to stretch—and a portion of the class members start putting away equipment and heading for the door. Participants in certain classes are guiltier than others (cycling instructors, are you nodding in agreement?).
Interesting article on something I see as a run coach, too. Not so much with the adults I coach at Life Time, many of whom voluntarily stay to do stretching and strength work, but more with the high school kids I coach during cross country season. As soon as they finish the cool down jog at practice, invariably out come the phones and the calls or texts to parents to be picked up , followed by them gathering up their bags, putting their sweats back on and me imploring them to “make sure you stretch at home” as they rush to the car. There’s got to be a better way, right?
Just maybe there is. You can add form drills and mobility work to the “meat” portions of a workout and just maybe strength and flexibility exercises, too. It may never fully emulate the flow of a yoga class but with a little creativity it can be done. Looks like I’ll be throwing a new wrinkle at the kids this fall.