I take a spinning class every morning at 5:30AM with the rest of the Type A personalities.  It's a pre-formatted, canned type class (meaning that the instructor is bound to a format and a script that has been given to him/her.)  The last 2 songs are a free spin/cooldown and then a stretch.  A lot of participants tend to view these 2 pieces of the workout as 'optional'. 

They get off their bike and do one of 2 things.  A - they quietly leave.  B - they start a conversation with their neighbor, do a stretch, say goodbye to the instructor, then leave.  Both of these options are detrimental to the class.

The cooldown is important.  It gives your participants something to visualize and look forward to during that last round of the workout.  Cooldown should feel good and allow their minds to disengage from the work and focus on feeling their body.

Flexibility is a component of fitness that should not be overlooked.  A flexible muscle is a muscle that will withstand a fall or training accident much better than a tight muscle.  Flexibility helps improve performance and endurance by allowing better circulation through all of the muscle fibers, whereas a tight muscle may have proper circulation only at the points nearest large arteries and vessels.

So - how do you impress the importance of staying through cooldown to your class?  Communicate, Educate, and Stay in Control of the Room.

Communicate - Make an announcement at the beginning of class.  "OK - now if you need to leave early please let me know now, otherwise please stay through the whole class.  If you do leave early please do so quietly so as not to disturb anyone else's cooldown."  Telling the class up front that you expect them to stay for the whole class helps them set the goal of doing the whole class.  It also lets them know that the end of class is just as serious as the beginning, and that you don't expect disruptions by those who are leaving early.

Another way to communicate - talk through stretches.  Lead visualizations and breathing exercises that allow participants to feel the muscles they are stretching.  If you are not sure how to do this attend a yoga or pilates class.  These do a great job of drawing parallels between objects and body parts, allowing participants to understand the physiology of a particular movement better.

Educate - Let them know why the cooldown is important.  Tell them about how flexibility helps them achieve their fitness goals.  As you perform a stretch talk about anatomy - give them the names of the muscle groups and tell them which is the antagonist and protagonist, as well as the major functions of these muscle groups.  People really do enjoy gaining knowledge - it makes them feel closer to their fitness goals.

Stay in Control of the Room - As people leave the room they tend to start conversations with neighbors and friends.  They may even try to talk to you.  This is not appropriate during cooldown, and especially during stretch time.  The room should be quiet and relaxed.  Dim the lights and lower the music.  If someone tries to speak to you, use body language to let them know that you are busy.  If they stay in the room and try to have a conversations with each other you may want to pull the mic off and walk over.  See my tips for dealing with talkers.

One last thought, when a particular participant is leaves early as a rule you may not be getting the opportunity to bond or communicate with that person.  See if you can't learn why.  We should always make an effort to get to know each participant by name, current fitness level, and reason for participation.  If you have a participant that you can't seem to get any one on one time with you may consider pulling them aside DURING class and asking if they can stay after class to speak with you.  Spend a minute getting to know them and their current circumstance as it pertains to their participation in the class.  It will solidify your relationship with them and help to make him/her a loyal participant.

Written by Kelly Coulter