Leading a fun, safe and effective group exercise class is a fundamental part of being a SilverSneakers instructor. Mastering the skills of music identity, the ability to connect movement with music, and cueing in time with musical and movement changes will create a professional class experience. These skills are powerful motivational tools, inspiring individuals to challenge themselves while keeping the group moving together.
The best way to master these skills is through repetition. This training uses numerous video drills to provide you with lots of practice to learn the skills. To get the most out of this training we recommend the following:
- Practice with the video drills.
- Teach one of the combinations as a warm-up or cool-down in your class.
- Video record yourself teaching and honestly evaluate your skills.
- Make a goal for improvement in one skill each class.
With practice you will see improvement, both in the quality of your teaching and the effectiveness of your delivery.
Let’s begin by doing a 10-minute warmup together. The five drills in this warm-up will serve as the foundation for the musical and cueing skills we will practice throughout this course.
Print out the personal self-assessment tool and review the skills that we will practice in this course. Think about the skills you feel are a strength and which skills you would like to improve. At the end of the warm-up, take a few minutes to score yourself for each of the skills and write down areas you would like to improve.
Now, give yourself enough space so that you can move safely front and back and side to side. Let’s get started.