Lynne
Master of Arts
Not that you would necessarily know if someone is out-of-shape, but as school owners/instructors, do you ever have qualms about someone taking classes based on their weight, age, and so on? Do you ever suggest they get in shape before taking martial arts?
I need to lose a few pounds but I was very active before signing up for Tang Soo Do. I think that helped me tremendously considering how rough our classes can be. I would say it took about 6 weeks for me to get over all the little aches and pains. I never did get sick from heat exhaustion/dehydration. But I also drink a lot of water before a class. My conditioning is ongoing and can always be improved upon. I'm thinking about doing stairs!
My husband would be an example of someone who should not be taking martial arts without getting in shape first or so I think. He's 50, he has a desk job, and he has a paunch - he could stand to lose 50 pounds. Fifty pounds overweight doesn't mean that someone can't do the classes but he is so out of shape, I'd fear he'd had a heart attack during class. He'd get sick for sure. He got horribly ill one time lifting weights for the first and last time.
Certainly, people can pace themselves. I've done that running laps and with shuffle drills - I had to stop running/shuffling, walk into the middle of the dojang and do a substitute exercise when I first started.
Sometimes, I think it is difficult to pace yourself though - everyone wants to keep up when doing kicking drills, punching drills, especially when you have people behind you waiting for their turn. I also realize that some people don't realize they are allowed to pace themselves. A new lady didn't realize she could opt out of an exercise like running if she couldn't keep up. I let her know she certainly could - that we don't want anyone getting sick and that it takes time to build up endurance.
I think if I ran a school, I would worry about these things. I have seen people in classes who need to lose about 80 - 100 pounds and they seem to do fine though. They may be overweight but they have built cardiovascular endurance and physical strength.
Then there are people who are very, very thin and have a smoker's cough/emphysema. They aren't in great shape just because they are slim.
How do you make the decision? Not worry about it? Request a doctor's note?
I need to lose a few pounds but I was very active before signing up for Tang Soo Do. I think that helped me tremendously considering how rough our classes can be. I would say it took about 6 weeks for me to get over all the little aches and pains. I never did get sick from heat exhaustion/dehydration. But I also drink a lot of water before a class. My conditioning is ongoing and can always be improved upon. I'm thinking about doing stairs!
My husband would be an example of someone who should not be taking martial arts without getting in shape first or so I think. He's 50, he has a desk job, and he has a paunch - he could stand to lose 50 pounds. Fifty pounds overweight doesn't mean that someone can't do the classes but he is so out of shape, I'd fear he'd had a heart attack during class. He'd get sick for sure. He got horribly ill one time lifting weights for the first and last time.
Certainly, people can pace themselves. I've done that running laps and with shuffle drills - I had to stop running/shuffling, walk into the middle of the dojang and do a substitute exercise when I first started.
Sometimes, I think it is difficult to pace yourself though - everyone wants to keep up when doing kicking drills, punching drills, especially when you have people behind you waiting for their turn. I also realize that some people don't realize they are allowed to pace themselves. A new lady didn't realize she could opt out of an exercise like running if she couldn't keep up. I let her know she certainly could - that we don't want anyone getting sick and that it takes time to build up endurance.
I think if I ran a school, I would worry about these things. I have seen people in classes who need to lose about 80 - 100 pounds and they seem to do fine though. They may be overweight but they have built cardiovascular endurance and physical strength.
Then there are people who are very, very thin and have a smoker's cough/emphysema. They aren't in great shape just because they are slim.
How do you make the decision? Not worry about it? Request a doctor's note?