The Good and The Bad

I understand that the cycling classes at my former fitness/rehab establishment are going to be FREE soon. At least there's something good coming out of the mess! That might encourage different people to try out another form of exercise and class attendance may grow!

Now for the bad... I've heard that at least one instructor (who just happens to be the "leader") has members doing the cycling classes and in the middle of the class, she has them getting off their bikes to do pushups on the floor. Now, if this was toward the end of class and a cool down was provided to get everyone's heart rate back to normal, this would be fine. However, immediately stopping cycling with elevated heart rates to do pushups can be quite dangerous. Any group fitness instructor should know better whether they are certified or not. Many members aren't aware of the dangers and even those that are could feel embarrassed not to do them with the rest of the group.

Keep in mind that this also applies to any group fitness class - you should NEVER immediately drop to the floor in a stationary position when your heart rate is elevated. Any up and down method like that should involve a period of time to drop the heart rate. Here's a little more detail:

Any sudden postural change during exercise when your head is below or level with your heart is a risk for orthostatic hypotension. Venous return to the heart is dependent upon several factors including body position, total blood volume, hydration status, etc. And, any time blood is shunted to the large muscle groups during aerobic exercise, a rapid change in posture can cause dizziness/passing out and puts you at risk for injury. This can happen in conditioned as well as deconditioned individuals.

If an instructor continues to do this, I would certainly think twice about following that instructor. Getting dizzy or passing out is NOT what a group fitness class is about. So, please use common sense and do not be pressured or feel guilty about not doing certain exercises in classes. Safety is quite important and MOST instructors that care don't want you to get hurt (or worse)!