From: psburns@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov (MAUREEN BURNS)
Subject: Re: My aerobics teacher can't follow the music
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center
Date: 10 Apr 1992 09:23 EST  

In article <1992Apr8.174446.11411@awdprime.austin.ibm.com>, ...@cs.utexas.edu:ibmaus!auschs!YOURCOMPUTER.austin.ibm.com!YOURLOGIN writes...
> 
>Got a little problem w/ my aerobics teacher
> 
>she's great and all that, but quite often she doesn't follow the beat &
>goes too fast or too slow
> 
>this bothers the hell out of me and i usually ignore her and stay with the
>music even thought the whole class is going w/ the instructor
> 
>am i stubborn or rude for doing this?  if you're an aerobics instructor,
>please tell me if it bothers you at all when someone in the class does
>their own thing like this, or even starts doing their own exercises if
>they don't like yours (which i also do a lot)
> 
>thanks in advance
> 
>lisa koh
> 
>hook 'em horns!!

I don't think you are stubborn or rude for following the tempo, just as I 
don't think it is rude to modify any movement that an instructor is doing 
because you don't like it or can't do it, or it hurts.  I am a low-impact 
aerobics instructor, and I would be more discouraged if people didn't want 
to come back to my class because they can't keep up with me or don't like
a certain movement.  I am always telling my students to go at their own 
pace and modify any movement they need to for what ever reason they want.  
I also try to gently encourage and challenge the ones I see modify a 
movement if I think they may not be pushing themselves enough.  My class is 
filled with regulars, so I get to know them and their abilities, so I feel 
I can challenge them without being offensive! 

I love to see people get their own benefits from an aerobics class.  It 
gives me such delight when someone says to me something like "My husband 
has noticed my firmer behind!" or "I can really see a difference in my 
upper arms!" or "This is getting easier than it was a few weeks ago!"  I 
know some of the women in my class have not exercised in ages, so I want to 
make sure that they don't get too discouraged and not come back. 

As for the beat and tempo problem:  Some people have it and some people 
don't.  I can relate to your irritation.  I think I would react the same 
way.  I also feel that tempo is such an important part of aerobics, not 
just because it's pleasant to follow the beat of a song, but because it is 
important that the right beats per minute is used at the right times during 
a work out.  Slower beat (100 bpm) is good for warmup, the aerobics part 
should use a consistently increasing beat of 120-145 bpm, and the cool down 
can be an a decreasing beat of 145-120 bpm.  I can't stand the routines 
that are blasting away at something unreasonable like 160-180 bpm.  Just 
too fast!!!  (BTW- These beats are what I use for Low Impact.  It's low 
impact, but Hi Intensity.  We sweat!)

Anyway, a wordy answer to a short question.  Dont' feel bad about keeping 
the beat. That's what you're supposed to do.  DOn't feel bad about changing 
a movement.  That's what keeps you coming back.  I'm all for it!

Maureen