| Although the general public might see many different | | | | same way Hatha Yoga does. When you add |
| styles of Yoga, in a variety of locations, Yoga is often | | | | movement or speed, to the equation, everything |
| categorized as a form of physical fitness. Some might | | | | changes. When performing Sun Salutations (Surya |
| go a bit further by classifying Yoga as a form of | | | | Namaskar) or Vinyasa, Power, Ashtanga, and Flow |
| wellness or a mind and body exercise. | | | | sequences, there is much room for caution. |
| If you speak to the average participant, most of them | | | | The following precautions are for teachers to |
| would consider the chance of injury, during Yoga class, | | | | implement for the safety of all students who |
| unthinkable. They have heard of injuries in high-impact | | | | participate in any form of Yoga with movement. |
| classes, but Yoga falls into the low-impact category. | | | | Warm-ups should be practiced before the flowing |
| Yoga is considered so gentle, that most participants | | | | sequences. |
| strongly believe it cannot cause harm. | | | | The older your students are, the longer a warm-up |
| Consider this: Compare one hour of step aerobics to | | | | session should be. In general, students who are under |
| Yoga and your body notices striking differences. At | | | | 30 years of age should warm up from 10 to 15 |
| the end of both classes, you feel great, but that is | | | | minutes, regardless of their supposed expertise. |
| where the similarity ends. There is much creative | | | | Therefore, add some time when teaching students |
| movement in a step aerobics class, but the feet and | | | | over 30 years of age. |
| legs take a repetitive pounding. | | | | When performing a flowing sequence, have your |
| After a typical step aerobics class, your knees, ankles, | | | | students perform the first round slowly. Make sure you |
| and toes feel the repetitive impact from the floor. This | | | | observe all of your students carefully - even the |
| can result in knee inflammation, stress fractures, shin | | | | students who gravitate toward the corners or the |
| splints, metatarsalgia (toe joint inflammation), plantar | | | | back of the room. Observing your students, at all times, |
| fasciitis (an inflammation of the plantar fascia), | | | | in your class, is specifically for your students' safety. |
| sesmoiditis (inflammation of the two small bones below | | | | Your performance is for demonstration purposes only. |
| the first metatarsal - ball of the foot), bunions, or | | | | When teaching Yoga classes, your responsibility is |
| hammertoes. | | | | primarily geared toward student safety, and your |
| However, none of the movements in a step aerobics | | | | personal practice is irrelevant. |
| class challenge the participant's range of motion in the | | | | |