Trouble Shooting
Talking Tips
Overall Modifications
Upper Body Exercises:
Lower Body Exercises:
- Be sensitive to the Moms, example, be sure that someone is expecting before assuming. They may just want to take your class to lose weight pre or post baby
- Facilitate a discussion during class about something baby or mom related. IE, a new gadget you saw at a store, “baby wearing”, hospital tours, pre-baby education classes, good family trips
- Try to discuss why we are working on the muscles we do, carrying around babies, lugging a diaper bag around, etc
- Don’t be judgmental…even if you have strong feelings about a subject, you must keep a middle ground
Overall Modifications
- Someone with a bad back should do mid-water exercises against the wall.
- Someone with bad shoulders should not use weights on shoulder exercises.
- If the participant has a large belly, she should do exercises in deeper water, especially for cardio
- If the participants arms hurt, use a noodle
- Advise participants with a sore chest to wear 2 sports bras.
- Do NOT hyper-extend the back - No arching.
- Do NOT put strain on the lower back.
- Tighten abdominal muscles whenever possible to take pressure & strain off of back.
Upper Body Exercises:
- Do NOT hunch nor roll shoulders forward (unless specifically instructed to).
- If you see a participant doing this, advise her to use a lighter weight or use no weight at all.
- Advise participants to keep shoulders relaxed & down.
- Keep shoulders relaxed and square at all times (unless exercise specifically requires otherwise).
- Do NOT hyper- or hypo-extend the neck.
- Keep neck in neutral position.
- For triceps exercises advise participants to keep their elbows in & close to the body. Do NOT "flare outwards".
Lower Body Exercises:
- When performing squats & lunges do NOT lean forward (unless exercises specifically requires this).
- Back should be kept straight & flat.
- Do NOT extend chest over knees during squats & lunges.
- Imagine you are sitting in a chair when doing squats and do NOT lean forward on toes.
- If a participant experiences calf cramping have her STOP doing the exercise & switch to a different lower body exercise.
- Ankle rolls & flexes can stop or prevent cramping.
- When performing hopping, jumping or running exercises land with "soft" knees.
- For wall exercises, keep back flat against the wall without arching & shoulders relaxed.