One thing I've learned ...
Participants enjoy a little Christmas fun
It’s Christmas time again and no doubt we are all looking forward to a break over the holidays, and time to relax with our families and friends.
Before we get to the break though, we have an opportunity for some fun and games in our classes. This helps people get into the festive spirit, helps them to have a laugh, and helps them to burn off a few extra calories too. Now is the time to think about what you can do to celebrate the end of the year in your classes, and how you can get participants involved.
Classes are a wonderful place to express yourself - you can go all out with an over the top Christmas costume, or take the milder approach with perhaps a Christmas brooch or earrings. I prefer the former as I love getting dressed up, and I take a lot of time planning what I am going to wear each year. I recently found a photo from one of my Christmas classes in 1992 where I dressed up as an angel, and I had to laugh because I still have the costume - and even better, I can still fit into it! Over the years I have been a Christmas tree, candle, elf, star, bon bon, and plum pudding, but last year was one of my more memorable outfits where I rode an inflatable reindeer for class.
Whether you buy, make, or borrow something, my piece of advice would be this - test it in advance! Do a few squats and crunches at home and make sure there won’t be any wardrobe malfunctions when you’re jumping, turning, or down on the floor in class!
Whether you buy, make, or borrow something, my piece of advice would be this - test it in advance! Do a few squats and crunches at home and make sure there won’t be any wardrobe malfunctions when you’re jumping, turning, or down on the floor in class!
Encourage your class to dress up with you. They might need a little help, so if you have shy participants, suggest options like earrings, socks, brooch, headband or a simple piece of tinsel around their wrist. A lot of older adults now have a ‘Christmas t-shirt’ that they wear each year, and these can be found in shops like Kmart, Target, or secondhand stores. The $2 Shop and The Reject Shop also have a big range of festive accessories to help participants get into the spirit.
For your music, lots of fitness apps and music providers like Muscle Mixes Music have phrased Christmas albums that work a treat. Grapevining to a techno version of ‘White Christmas’ can be a little strange, but that is all part of the fun! Make sure to download your Christmas playlist ahead of time.
For your music, lots of fitness apps and music providers like Muscle Mixes Music have phrased Christmas albums that work a treat. Grapevining to a techno version of ‘White Christmas’ can be a little strange, but that is all part of the fun! Make sure to download your Christmas playlist ahead of time.
Let us help you be a great instructor! Get sample workouts, 10% training discount, free courses, and so much more.
START YOUR MEMBERSHIP HERE
________
Try to also include some Christmas-themed exercises too:
● The 12 Exercises of Christmas - repeat 12 exercises like in the 12 Days of Christmas song - eg. 1x A, then 2x B + 1x A, then 3x C + 2x B + 1x A. Exhausting but lots of fun!
● Exercise cards in a Santa sack that participants pull out to perform.
● Participants perform a set number of reps before they grab a Christmas bauble to hang on a tree. See who can hang the most baubles.
● Assign an exercise to each letter in Christmas (eg. Crunches, Hopping, Inchworms etc) and intersperse through the workout. Repeat, or add ‘M-E-R-R-Y’ exercises on to lengthen the workout.
Your Christmas class is also a good excuse to have a gathering afterwards, and create a time to share and connect with your participants. If your group usually goes to coffee after class, ask them to bring along a small plate to share. Make sure to invite along participants who have joined the class recently. You might also use this time to let your participants know how you have seen them improve over the year, or how you have increased the workout challenges, or what you are going to focus on next year. Try and grab a photo of your class too.
● The 12 Exercises of Christmas - repeat 12 exercises like in the 12 Days of Christmas song - eg. 1x A, then 2x B + 1x A, then 3x C + 2x B + 1x A. Exhausting but lots of fun!
● Exercise cards in a Santa sack that participants pull out to perform.
● Participants perform a set number of reps before they grab a Christmas bauble to hang on a tree. See who can hang the most baubles.
● Assign an exercise to each letter in Christmas (eg. Crunches, Hopping, Inchworms etc) and intersperse through the workout. Repeat, or add ‘M-E-R-R-Y’ exercises on to lengthen the workout.
Your Christmas class is also a good excuse to have a gathering afterwards, and create a time to share and connect with your participants. If your group usually goes to coffee after class, ask them to bring along a small plate to share. Make sure to invite along participants who have joined the class recently. You might also use this time to let your participants know how you have seen them improve over the year, or how you have increased the workout challenges, or what you are going to focus on next year. Try and grab a photo of your class too.
WANT TO BE A BETTER INSTRUCTOR?
Carol has been walking alongside instructors for decades, and loves working with people passionate about older adults fitness. If this sounds like you, get in touch with Carol today.
Tell your participants next week about your final Christmas class and get them working on their costumes. This gives them a little time to put something together, and no doubt talk with their fellow participants about what they’re going to wear. Spend a little time this weekend putting your own costume together, and creating a fun Christmas-themed class. I know that these things take a little extra time and effort, but I also know that the participants appreciate it and will look forward to the Christmas class each year.
I would LOVE to know how you celebrated Christmas in your classes. Please get in touch and tell me your costume and what Christmas exercises you came up with, and send through your class photos!
Merry Christmas,
Carol
Carol has been working in the fitness industry for over 50 years and has a raft of qualifications and experiences on her CV. Her blog, 'A Lifetime of Lessons,' aims to share just a little of the wisdom and experiences she's picked up along the way. If you'd like to connect directly with Carol, email her at [email protected].
>> Return to A Lifetime of Lessons article directory
I would LOVE to know how you celebrated Christmas in your classes. Please get in touch and tell me your costume and what Christmas exercises you came up with, and send through your class photos!
Merry Christmas,
Carol
Carol has been working in the fitness industry for over 50 years and has a raft of qualifications and experiences on her CV. Her blog, 'A Lifetime of Lessons,' aims to share just a little of the wisdom and experiences she's picked up along the way. If you'd like to connect directly with Carol, email her at [email protected].
>> Return to A Lifetime of Lessons article directory
Looking for new ideas? We've got a range of chair, band, balance, ball, bodyweight and mobility exercises waiting for you.
GRAB YOUR FREE EXERCISES NOW!
________
Looking to upskill? Get trained up now!
-
Chair-Based Exercise for Older Adults
Course4.8 average rating (22 reviews)Learn how to build fun and effective chair-based classes for older adults in this comprehensive online course designed by fitness instructors, for fitness instructors. Over 300 exercises, demonstrations, example workouts, handouts and more!
$379
-
Complete Resistance Bands for Older Adults
Course4.8 average rating (62 reviews)Do you teach older adults and seniors fitness classes? Want to add in something different and try a resistance band workout? We've got 168 band exercises, including standing, floor, and partner exercises, and ideas for cardio too!
$219
-
Balance Training for Older Adults
Course4.7 average rating (65 reviews)Balance is a critical part of providing a great workout for older adults and seniors, so we've put together 96 exercises for you that will build better balance in your participants and clients, and hopefully have a little fun along the way too.
$159
-
Mobility Bundle #1 - Freestyle, Ball & Scarf Exercises for Older Adults
Course4.9 average rating (15 reviews)Do you work in aged care or with older populations? Want to keep your clients exercising and laughing at the same time? We've got 150 fun and challenging freestyle, ball and scarf exercises to improve strength, mobility, and co-ordination.
$125
-
Standing Bodyweight for Older Adults
Course4.9 average rating (12 reviews)Haven't got any equipment? No problem at all! We've got a huge range of exercises that will get your older adults and seniors building co-ordination, and strength, and balance in no time - and you don't need any resources for them! Come join us.
$289
-
Communicating with Older Adults
Course4.6 average rating (7 reviews)Do you interact with older adults at your workplace and want to get a better understanding of how to understand, communicate with, and work with older adults? If so, then this is the course for you!
$39
SIGN UP NOW to get our latest news and resources,
and join the conversation in our Facebook group for older adult instructors.
WHERE TO NEXT?
Online Training | Articles | Exercises | Trudi's TENMembership | Circuit Cards | Mentoring | Instructors Hub | INDEX