Putting your heart into exercise

I don't mind it when people struggle through the cardio classes at my gym if they are clearly concentrating and putting in a lot of effort. In fact, I've often offered them words or gestures of encouragement. Everyone has to start somewhere, after all, and some of these folks are clearly filled with determination.

However, you've also got people who keep attending the class and cannot do the moves at all. Now I don't want to be cruel, especially since some people are in really bad shape and need to catch up. I also know that some people have non-obvious disabilities. However -- and again, I want to be careful in saying this -- it seems to me that if you can barely lift your feet above the ground, you should probably try some walking or light jogging first before attending a vigorous kickboxing class. I'm not saying this to mock people who do struggle; rather, the reality is that people won't get much benefit from the class if the moves are far beyond what they can do. Better to start off slow, then.

Also, if you have a hard time following the class instructions -- if you keep stepping to the right while everyone else is jumping to the left, for example -- you might want to practice at home before joining a group class. I know that sounds mean, but this is ultimately a safety issue. That, and the fact that you'll probably get more benefits from self-directed exercise anyway, since it lets you focus on the areas in which you have difficulty.

I hope that none of that sounds too harsh. Believe me, there was a time when I was in bad shape and horribly uncoordinated as well. I got better with time though, and so can most people.