Deep Breathing with Music
Written by Mark on 10/06/2007 – 9:55 am -A One-Two Punch to Good Health By Tony Falzano
Scripture tells us that man first received life in a breath from God, his creator. Since then, breathing has been an intricate, automatic, fundamental function of our existence. And since that first breath, people have used music to offer thanks to their creator for life and its beauty. It has been and still is an agent that heals our bodies, emotions and lifts us spiritually. Breathing and music; we can’t live without either one.
Today we live in a very stress filled world. The entertainment we enjoy is so high power. A number of television programs that enter our homes are violent with pictures and sounds coming to us at a rapid-fire rate. Radio is more subtle, but the commercials have someone shouting to draw our attention to their product or business. In addition, there are increasing demands placed on us and our time. We have computers and portable technology that can do remarkable things for us. But sometimes in an effort to satisfy all the demands using these advancements, we put more pressure on ourselves. Read more »
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Shouting to be Heard – Vocal Cord Damage
Written by Mark on 12/15/2006 – 7:24 am -Sounding the alarm for aquatic fitness instructors
The music is blaring, the swim team is splashing, the toddlers are shrieking, the talkers are talking and in the middle of all this chaos you start your class. As you shout to be heard, some of your students simply stare back with vacuous, slack-jawed expressions. Obviously, they can’t hear a word you are saying. Once again, you finish class and drive home with yet another sore throat. Occasionally, the sore throat morphs into prolonged bouts of hoarseness or laryngitis. In a matter of years, your voice has gone from Doris Day to Lauren Bacall and old friends frequently comment about it. Sound familiar? If so, you could be setting yourself up for serious vocal cord injury.
The dangers of vocal cord damage have been well documented within the group fitness industry. As group fitness exploded in the early 90’s, the rampant spread of vocal injuries amongst instructors prompted an industry push for aerobic studios to be equipped with microphones. Most club owners supported the effort and purchased voice amplification systems. Oddly, the support in many facilities extended only to the aerobic studios and the pools were largely ignored. Read more »
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Smooth H20 Transitions
Written by Mark on 04/06/2006 – 12:26 pm -All conscientious aquatic fitness instructors occasionally fret over choreography and worry whether their transitions from move to move are safe and appropriate. The first time that I presented at IAFC I recall being afraid that a chorus of instructors would suddenly shout out “BAD TRANSITION,” and then a giant hook would emerge to give me the bum’s rush off the deck. Fortunately that didn’t happen!
Well we can finally rest at ease because AEA has added in a new segment regarding transitions in their recently updated Aquatic Fitness Professional Manual. The new segment gives clarity and definition to transitions by describing them in three categories; basic, intermediate and advanced. Read more »
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Still Kicking – Five Years of Light Hearted Leadership
Written by Mark on 11/10/2005 – 12:02 pm -The Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) blasted off into cyberspace and made their debut on the internet in 2000. As AEA prepares to launch a new and improved website, my thoughts return to five years ago when I made my debut on AEA’s very first website with one of the very first articles I ever wrote.
In the summer of 2000, I interviewed Angie Proctor, AEA Executive Director, for an article I was writing about the trials and tribulations of teaching my first aquatic fitness class, specifically an aquatic kickboxing class. The article, Aqua Kickboxing – Get ready for this, was submitted to another fitness publication but failed to get published. In the meantime, I sent a copy to Angie Proctor and she loved it and asked if she could post the article on their new website. Read more »
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Fun Instructors – What makes them fun?
Written by Mark on 03/09/2005 – 8:12 pm -If you have ever gone to a class and spent the entire hour looking at the clock and scheming early exit strategies, chances are you found yourself in the no-fun zone. As instructors, we are acutely aware that fun is the essential ingredient of any class. Where fun is present, students show up. Where fun is lacking, students avoid. Without students, none of us have a job!
Recently, AEA (The Aquatic Exercise Association) posted a survey on their website and nearly 1,000 instructors responded. One of the questions asked – What are the top three instructor traits that represent you as a role model to help students increase health and fitness levels? The number one response to this question: The ability to motivate students so exercise is FUN. Read more »
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Mean Students – Scary Stories About Scary Students
Written by Mark on 11/06/2004 – 10:33 am - “ A student said something so insulting to me today that I seriously considered pitching the wireless microphone into the pool, running into the locker room, and never returning to the aquatic activities that I love so much.”
Cathy Rotch, Aquatic Instructor, Virginia Beach, VA
Fitness instructors do their best to educate and motivate, hoping to make a difference and wanting to be liked. Unfortunately, performing in the spotlight can sometimes be an invitation to unkind comments and even outright cruelty.
At best, encounters with mean students are shrugged off and provide entertaining stories for friends and peers. At their worst, personal attacks can cut deep into the heart and undermine an instructor’s joy for teaching.
Following is a collection of stories from the battlefield, dedicated to all instructors who have stood tall in the face of mean students, those little darlings who specialize in sucking the wind out of your sails and erasing the smile from your face. Read more »
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The Perfect Class (part 2)
Written by Mark on 03/12/2004 – 9:01 pm -In November 2003, I posted The Perfect Class, an article reflecting my pursuit of more perfect instruction. In order to teach a more perfect class, ultimately you must go to the source, the students. What do students really want?
In order to find out, I surveyed my classes hoping to elicit as many responses as possible. My methodology would make a true pollster shudder. With less than 30 surveys returned, the sampling is rather small. Furthermore, the survey is essay style, rather than multiple-choice. I wanted students to speak from their hearts, rather than rate, rank, or choose. The surveyed students attend my classes, which may prejudice some of their responses toward my style of teaching, but all of them currently attend, or have attended other instructors’ classes. The polling may not be perfect, but the comments are priceless! Read more »
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The Perfect Class (part 1)
Written by Mark on 11/24/2003 – 7:45 am -We have all experienced that perfect hour when the cosmic forces of fitness unite to electrify the music, the mood, and the moves. The feeling is unmistakable, and the experience leaves you exhilarated. You have just taught a perfect class.
For most instructors, the satisfaction is fleeting and the next perfect class beckons. We spend entire Sundays working on a new routine, hoping to re-create that perfect moment. Unfortunately, the new routine often falls far short of perfect, and chaos erupts in the pool, as half of the students spin haplessly in circles, and the other half make a beeline for the ladders. Read more »
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Fall 2003 Workshops
Written by Mark on 10/15/2003 – 12:53 pm -The Disco Deck & Step Booty/Ab Kill
In September, I will launch two new workshops, Step Booty/Ab Kill and The Disco Deck. My inspiration for creating these workshops is largely based on my own misadventures with choreography, and the lessons I learned along the way. The overriding message is that you can translate mistakes into a successful format.
Step Booty is a land workshop that focuses on combining creative step choreography with athletic intensity segments. Over the years, I have observed that students come to step class looking for serious cardio disguised in cherry flavor. Mixing up fun choreography with hardcore drills tends to please both the dance divas and the animals. Read more »
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Relapse of a Choreography Addict
Written by Mark on 07/01/2003 – 11:48 am -“ Behind every workshop is a great story.”
In January 2001, I wrote “Confessions of a Choreography Monster,” a story that heralded my recovery from a harrowing dependency on intricate choreography. I’m ashamed to admit that I was recently kicked out of the choreography halfway house due to parole violations involving use of mind-numbing aerobic combinations. I should have known better and I take full responsibility for my relapse.
Like all addicts, it took a defining moment to set me back on the path to recovery. I recently presented at the International Aquatic Fitness Conference (IAFC) in Ft. Myers, Fla. One of my sessions was called Box & Boogie, a master class that combines kickboxing and aquatic dance choreography. Recently, I was mailed the evaluations and most were very good, but there were three bad ones. On one of the bad ones, my evaluator wrote, “Too much choreography tasking and not enough real workout. He got the workout on the deck.” My first thought was, “Jeez, what a bitch she is.” Eventually I regrouped and realized that my anger was misdirected. I was just miffed because the comments rang true. An addict never wants to face the truth, no matter how self-aware they may be. I KNOW that I focus too much on choreography, sacrificing intensity for flamboyant feats. I KNOW that people come to class to improve their fitness level, not audition for a dance recital. I KNOW all this and I have gotten better, but sometimes I just can’t help myself! Read more »
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