5 reasons to start teaching off the mat now
Don’t wait till you’re injured to step off your mat
No matter how strong, fit or healthy we all get injuries from time to time. It’s petrifying for fit pros because so many of us are contractors so no work no pay. I don’t know any instructor who hasn’t had to deal with an injury from time to time. Sometimes you have to take time off. But you can take less time off if you know how to teach off the mat. Today on the work IN we’re talking about how to navigate recovery and maybe up our instructor skills along the way.
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It’s time to stop working out and start working IN. You found the Work IN podcast for fit-preneurs and their health conscious clients. This podcast is for resilient wellness professionals who want to expand their professional credibility, shake off stress and thrive in a burnout-proof career with conversations on the fitness industry, movement, nutrition, sleep, mindset, nervous system health, yoga, business and so much more.
I’m your host Ericka Thomas. I'm a resilience coach and fit-preneur offering an authentic, actionable realistic approach to personal and professional balance for coaches in any format.
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Ep 161
Don’t wait till you’re injured to step off your mat
No matter how strong, fit or healthy we all get injuries from time to time. It’s petrifying for fit pros because so many of us are contractors so no work no pay. I don’t know any instructor who hasn’t had to deal with an injury from time to time. Sometimes you have to take time off. But you can take less time off if you know how to teach off the mat. Today on the work IN we’re talking about how to navigate recovery and maybe up our instructor skills along the way.
In over 25 years of teaching I’ve only been injured while teaching a class twice. The first was a strange wrist sprain that happened in a balancing pose when my fingers touched the floor and the second was a calf strain when I wasn’t warmed up.
Outside of class is another story. I have taught with a cast on before. And I have separated my shoulder a couple times. That was no fun. Those injuries didn’t necessarily keep me out of class; they did require me to change how I led those classes. If you want to test how good of an instructor you are, step off your mat. Lead a class with verbal cues only. In fact, don’t wait till you're injured. There’s nothing like verbal cues only to boost your communication skills.
I find it very very challenging. I’m a kinesthetic learner. I find it easy to learn by doing and also teach by doing. In fact if I'm honest sometimes I don’t know what’s next until I’m physically in the pose. But what happens when you can’t (or shouldn’t) do that pose or exercise? Then what?
Teaching off the mat is a BIG skill that successful fit pros use not just when they’re injured but for career longevity. Here are 5 reasons to try it.
- You can watch your class and adjust your cues appropriately. Many times instructors fall into habitual cueing. Saying the same things over and over. That’s not wrong. Students don’t hear everything you say. But it’s important to be able to cue what you see also.
- Teaching off the mat challenges you to plan, think and speak differently. You might have more time to incorporate more themes, more story, more modifications or simple silence.
- Gives you and your students the freedom to experiment with different pacing. And give students an opportunity for more independence in their practice too.
- Gives you a physical break. Overtraining is a recipe for burnout. Regular off the mat teaching builds rolling recovery and injury prevention into your schedule.
- Shifts the students focus from you to themselves. This is important for yoga and for other formats also where students lock on to the instructor.
Now not every format lends itself to off the mat kinds of teaching (like cardio kickboxing or zumba) but yoga definitely does. And if you do teach something highly choreographed like cardio kickboxing or zumba you might try to come up with an emergency back pocket class where you don’t have to lead every step.
When I taught cardio kick I regularly threw in a bag class, partner intervals, and a 1000 kick class. None of those kinds of classes required me to be at the front of the class to lead every combo. So it can be done.
Teaching off the mat is one of those skills that needs to be cultivated. It’s a good way to model moderation for your students and prevent burnout.Practice before you need it. Your body, mind and career will thank you for it.
Thanks for listening! If you like what you heard and you want to learn more head over to savagegracecoaching.com/theworkin for all the show notes. Coming up in the next few weeks we’ll be exploring the benefits of yoga for children and teens and somatosensory yoga and much more! If you haven’t already, be sure to like, follow and leave a 5 star review on apple podcasts and subscribe on spotify it helps other folks find us. Until next time stop working out, start working in.