One of my biggest pet peeves as a fitness instructor was watching people huffily put their equipment away and storm out of a group fitness class. Luckily for my self-esteem, I’ve been teaching long enough to know this is a problem with them and has very little to do with me. However, walking out is still a faux pas that is disruptive and inconsiderate.
There are some good reasons for walking out of a fitness class. These are not among them:
The workout is too easy or too hard.
You decide how hard you work. Granted, some fitness classes are naturally geared to be more difficult than others, but if you find yourself in a class whose level doesn’t suit you, remember that it’s only one hour of your life. Stay. You might learn something. I like to work my tail off in a fitness class, so I’ve attended many that didn’t meet my expectations. I never walked out, though. I did what I could to make it more challenging–added a little bounce to my step, went through bigger ranges of motions, or chose heavier weights–and just resolved not to attend that class again.
You’re mad at the instructor.
Chances are, you’re not. Yoga in particular can bring up a lot of emotions in people, and sometimes the student misdirects that emotion toward the teacher. In fact, it probably has a lot more to do with you. Yikes, I know. When you feel those emotions rise, go inside yourself, ask where they’re coming from, and keep working through the class.
You have to be somewhere else.
Honestly, if you have to leave more than a few minutes early (and really, even then, because skipping the cool down is not a good idea), you shouldn’t have gone to the class at all. Do a workout on the gym floor instead.
Have you ever walked out of a fitness class? Why?