Music Tips
Instrumental music is a good choice because it helps participants to focus on breathing and form while feeling peaceful and energized. BOOM MIND is not necessarily taught “to the beat” of the music; therefore, you may want to consider the atmosphere that your music choices create. (e.g., “Ambient” music may not have a discernable beat but can be relaxing and not distracting.)
The SilverSneakers Way of Coaching
The SilverSneakers coaching model provides a framework for class instruction designed to make exercise accessible, beneficial, and motivating! As the class leader, the way you teach will influence how participants feel, their exercise adherence, and their perception of the SilverSneakers. When leading exercises, follow these simple steps to keep your instructions clear and effective:
- Describe and demonstrate each movement. For example, when teaching chair pose, say the title of the pose along with a description such as, “Chair pose.” Standing with feet hip-width apart, bend the knees and the hips.”
- Next, adapt and refine by providing options for the movement that will make the exercise accessible. Say, “For more intensity, lower the hips while keeping the chest lifted.”
- The third step is explaining the feeling and benefit of the exercise. In our example, you might say, “Building strength in the lower body, feel body weight pressing into your heels.”
- Finally, provide motivation and coaching support. Be positive in your language while encouraging participants to challenge themselves. In our chair pose example, coach, “Be strong and hold the pose a few more moments!”
MIND and Motivation
To further motivate participants, consider the environment, tone and style of your teaching leadership. Here are additional tips to enhance motivation:
- Body Awareness – Respect pain. Help participants to learn the difference between the beneficial feeling of muscles stretching and the pain that signals harm. Sudden or severe pain is a warning. Continuing an activity after a warning may cause further damage. In general, if pain lasts more than two hours after an activity, it may be an indication of overuse or improper form.
- Intensity – Balance work and rest. Do not exercise to the point of fatigue. Weakened, fatigued muscles set the stage for joint instability and injury. Balance active poses with relaxing and restorative poses.
- Duration – Maintain muscle strength and range of motion. Stay in a pose long enough so that a healthy change can be made but not so long that your body stiffens from remaining there too long. Three to five breaths is usually a good marker, with options to work in and out of a posture.
- Breath – Practice with awareness. Avoid mechanical repetitions and counting while in exercises. Cue for the flow of the breath with the body’s response to a particular pose or exercise.
- Props – The use of props may support a pose more comfortably to gain the benefits of the exercise. The effective use of props can also improve blood circulation and breathing capacity.
- Progressions – A careful and gradual approach towards introducing and teaching an exercise can help the participants receive the benefits of the exercise without the pain.
- Clear directions – Be clear when giving pre-class instructions. Such as, where and how to set up their mat, what to expect for lighting, music volume and signals if they need to leave the room.
- Be present – Observe how participants are keeping up with the flow of your class. Offer progressions ONLY after a majority of the class have mastered the initial options to prevent discouragement. If they feel accomplished, they are more likely to return to class and try harder to achieve the next progression.
- Motivation – Offer verbal encouragement and giving them targets to work towards. If they only have two minutes, three sets or one song left, let them know. Keep the energy high by using voice inflection and positive feedback.
- Connect – Keep the energy up throughout the room by walking around and offering smiles and eye contact to all.
- Purpose – Be sure to explain how to safely get into, progress, regress and get out a pose when demonstrating.