Level 2 Certificate in Fitness Instructing: Aqua

Module 3: Teaching skills in practise

Learning Outcomes By the end of this section you should be able to: Instruct effective group water-based exercise to music Understand how to improve participants performance Through study of these modules we aim to provide you with the knowledge and skills to prepare and plan a safe and effective water-based exercise session and be able to instruct such a session for a group of participants.

Cueing and Teaching points

Cueing techniques There are four different pieces of information the instructor must pass on to participants: What - The exercise the instructor wishes the participants to perform. Where - The direction in which the exercise is to be performed. When - When to start performing the exercise and when to finish. How - This refers to the quality of movement required or the technique.

Verbal cueing Verbal cueing is not simply a matter of calling these instructions out. The use of your voice to cue is the most effective way of getting your message across. To successfully cue verbally, you should - speak slowly use simple words and sentences do not yell be direct and to the point vary the pitch and tone of your voice speak to everyone in the class, not just the front row relax and stay calm

Non verbal cueing Type of Cue Definition What Demonstration - the instructor would perform the exercise so the participants can see what they are to do Where Hand signal – the instructor may point in the direction or use a specific hand signal to indicate the direction the exercise is to be performed. When Hand Signal – the instructor uses their fingers to countdown the remaining repetitions. How Demonstration - the instructor would demonstrate the correct execution of an exercise, possibly pointing out the specific area they wish to draw the participants attention to. Praise Facial expression eye contact is one of the most important non-verbal cues an instructor can use.

Examples of cueing at poolside Movement Verbal cue Visual hand cue Walk “walk” Two finger wave Jog “jog” Whole hand wave Knee lifts “knees” Thumbs up Heels up “heels” Thumbs point over shoulder Jumping Jack “jacks” Hands together, hands open and arms wide Pendulum “swing” Both arms swing one way and then the other Rocking horse “rock” Palms down, hands alternately push down side of body Consider what effective cueing means and any poor practice that you may have seen during classes you have attended

Effective cueing Use both verbal and non-verbal cues There is no need to count down every exercise Use your music and its phrasing to countdown for you Use consistent terminology for your exercises, moves, combinations and cues. Be direct and to the point Timing is essential Be audible at all times Be visible at all times Practice

Effective demonstration Aqua Instructors should pace their own demonstrations and movements at a speed and strength that mirrors the resistance of the water and are appropriate for the majority of participants to follow. For most of the time this necessitates the movements being performed at half pace through a larger range of movement than on land. This is hard work on the side of the pool compared to performing it in water and so it is advisable to keep routines fairly simple so that the number of demonstrations required by the instructor is minimised thus reducing the stress of the workout on their own body.

Teaching positions In any teaching situation it is essential that the Instructor can be seen by all participants in order for the Instructor to ensure correct from and technique by their class. Instructors are advised to teach from the side of the pool, on the deck, in order for this to happen. Observation of the class members exercise technique is distorted by the Parallax (the glare of the water) and the turbulence, making it difficult to view the participant’s technique therefore Instructors are advised to change the class front by moving around the pool edge to enable other participants to be at the front of the class, or move the participants around so that all participants are near the instructor at times throughout the class.

Mirror imaging The ideal position for the instructor to teach the class is at the front of them, facing the participants. This is referred to as Instructor or Mirror Image. By facing the participants the instructor can – watch all participants maintain eye contact communicate directly build rapport

Right footing As the instructor is facing the participants, their right side becomes the participants’ left. If the instructor wants the participants to do a move on their right leg, they must cue “right”, yet perform it on the left. It is simply doing the opposite or mirror image of the participants. When travelling the class forward, back or sideways the Instructor needs to stay facing their participants in mirror image and use hand signals to indicate which way they want then to go, or travel backwards as the class come forward, or travel forwards when the class travel back.

Teaching points During the session it is essential that the Instructor reinforces general teaching points regarding posture and alignment. The Instructors demonstrations and execution of technique must always be perfect. teaching points regarding: How to use the water effectively Explanation of propulsive moves that aid movement and balance Posture and alignment

Alignment and posture It is essential for the Instructor to have the awareness and control of their body in order to relay correct alignment to the participants. Ensure that you participants have correct alignment throughout the session by observing and correcting where necessary. An instructor with good form also: Ensures correct alignment themselves Maintain good posture Always completes movements with a purpose i.e.: look strong Controls the speed of movements Practices in front of a mirror

Exercise correction When an instructor notices a participant who is performing an exercise incorrectly, the following steps should be taken to correct it – Step 1 - make a general statement to the entire class about the correct performance of the exercise. Step 2 - if a general statement fails, try to make eye contact with the participant and make the general correction again. Step 3 - if the participant continues with bad form, you need to assess the risk of injury to the participant if they maintain their current exercise execution. Step 4 - if their performance of the exercise puts them at a high risk of injury, you will need to speak to them directly. After making any correction, whether it be on an individual basis or to the entire class, always finish with a positive statement, e.g. “looking good”, “that’s great”.

Giving positive feedback give general positive statements throughout the class use non-verbal positives give positive feedback with specific information specific correction is effective personalise positive feedback where possible by using names give eye contact with a smile

Asking questions Receiving feedback from your participants will help you to constantly revise you teaching style, both during the class and afterwards before your next session. Asking questions such as “can you feel this working in the arms?” or “are you feeling these jumping jacks in the thighs?” will receive a response to enable you to teach how to increase or decrease the intensity.

Learning outcomes You have completed this section. Can you now?: Understand how to instruct effective water-based exercise to music Understand how to improve participants performance