Feeling Very Silly
 

I went to an open day hosted by the diet and fitness club I belong to (Rosemary Conley, for anyone in the UK). Although I currently have a job, I've been thinking that I'd like to buy one of their franchises and run diet and fitness classes in my local area.

After all the advertising spiel (which lasted all morning, in a very hot room!), we had to do a short exercise routine. After that was an interview with rosemary and her panel, including the woman who had assessed the routine. She (the exercise woman) asked me if I 'always struggled to find the beat in the music'! I just smiled and said no, not at all, I wasn't struggling. She insisted that I'd looked as though I was struggling. I repeated that, no, I've always found it easy to exercise to music. They then mentioned my age (45) and said they thought I wouldn't be able to cope with their intensive training schedule and that I would struggle with cueing - i.e. doing one thing while telling the class what's coming next. I didn't bother to argue because they all sounded as though they'd already made up their minds. They told me that I could do the exercise to music training locally and then come back and 'try out' for them again. This was after spending most of the morning telling us how wonderful their training program was - 'second to none' etc etc!

My class leader knew that I was going to this open day and didn't tell me I might have a problem. In fact, she said 'oh they'll love you - you're a natural'. As I told my husband afterwards, it's not as though I'm always a beat behind everyone else. I feel so stupid, like one of those people on talent shows who think they can sing but are really tone deaf. If I have a problem with timing, shouldn't I be the first to know about it?

Honestly it could have been anything... maybe your age was a factor, so they were reaching for something else to pin it on so it isn't discriminatory? Watch yourself in a mirror when you exercise to music, if your movements seem to match an instructor, then you know they fed you a line of bull. Possibility?

I went to my class this evening and told my instructor what had happened. She couldn't believe it - she said she'd never have let me go to the open day if I wasn't good enough and that she would employ me without question. Apparently the woman who gave the feedback can be very harsh and she made my instructor cry during her training. I feel a bit more reassured, though, now that I know I'm not making a twit of myself in class!

that's too bad they would send someone so harsh out for this kind of thing but glad your regular instructor was supportive!

Do they charge for this "exercise to music training"? Sounds like they just want to get some extra money from you if that's the case!

That's the weird thing. If I did the training with them, I'd be paying them; if I go elsewhere, they won't get any money for it.

The training would be for me to become an aerobics instructor, sorry if I didn't make that clear. At the moment, I'm just a member of the class. I was hoping to change my career, so this is something of a stumbling block.