When I first started teaching Pilates classes, I had all afternoon, evening, and weekend classes. It was fine in the beginning, but it began to bother me when I realized that I didn’t have any social time to meet with friends and engage in group activities or hobbies for myself. Whenever I subbed for an early morning class, I realized how nice it was to get work out of the way in the morning and that I had so much more of the day to focus on personal activities, including taking Pilates classes! Eventually, I got the schedule that I wanted – all opening early morning classes. However, despite having the schedule that allowed me to enjoy my entire day, I found that I was struggling through my early morning Pilates classes and tripping over my words a lot when I taught. Also, instead of going out and enjoying the rest of my day, I was exhausted and would want to get back home and go back to sleep. I was rolling out of bed at 5 AM for Pilates classes that started at 6 AM. And with plenty of time to get there, I couldn’t figure out why I was struggling so much. Then a client mentioned that she woke up at 4:30 AM and had time to enjoy her coffee and breakfast, and wake up gradually before going to the 6 AM Pilates classes that I taught. I thought I should give that a try and with a little bit of internet research on early morning routines, I figured out how to teach early morning Pilates classes and be in a great mood when I did.
Prepare the Night Before
Search for any early morning routine and they will always tell you that any successful morning routine starts the night before. I either brew coffee the night before and set it in the refrigerator if I want an iced coffee or I set the timer on my coffeemaker to brew hot coffee when I want warm coffee in the morning. I pack my Pilates instructor bag and double-check that everything I need is in there. I make sure that I have my breakfast and snacks ready so that I won’t be starving in the middle of my classes or when I finish.
Go to Bed Early
You need somewhere between seven to eight hours of sleep. I know some people can function on less sleep, but personally, I cannot. If you are struggling in your early morning Pilates classes, you may not be able to either. I go to bed at 8:30 PM to wake up at 4:30 AM for my classes that start at 6:00 AM. This was really challenging for me in the beginning. I struggle to fall asleep under the best circumstances and going to bed at 8:30 at night meant that I just laid there for a while, sometimes hours. But eventually, my body got used to going to sleep at 8:30, and now it feels like a normal time for my body to go to bed.
Give Yourself Enough Time to Wake Up
My first class isn’t until 6 AM, but I wake up at 4:30 AM. It only takes me 15-20 minutes to get to work. I used to roll out of bed at 4:45 to 5:00 AM and go to work, but I found that I wasn’t really “awake” at that point. I often tripped over my words and could barely care to pay attention. Now I wake up at 4:30, have time to drink my coffee, take a shower if needed, and get dressed before work. During the time it takes for me to get ready for work, I am mentally waking up. This time allows me to be fully away when I begin to greet the first morning-class clients that walk in. And I no longer trip over my words when I am teaching.
Bring Nourishment
It’s easy to skip breakfast when your day starts so early, but that is a really bad idea and habit. Not only does it screw up your metabolism, but if you find that you are starving in the middle of your classes, it will put you in a bad mood. This, in turn, gives your clients a pretty crummy experience. However, eating a big breakfast before class can be a little too much for your stomach that early in the morning. You should bring healthy snacks such as almonds, grapes, protein or granola bars, or protein shakes that you can snack on quickly before or in between classes so that you can get some nutrition in you without feeling like you are digesting a big breakfast as you teach.
Listen to Something That Makes You Happy on the Way To Work
You can listen to a podcast, an audiobook, or an uplifting music playlist on your journey to work. I always listen to a comedy podcast or audiobook that makes me crack up for my 15 to 20-minute drive. This always puts me in a good mood by the time I arrive at work because it feels like having a fun conversation with friends.
Give Yourself Time To Set Up
The last thing you want to do when you arrive at work is rush in. I like to walk in and set up the class so that I know it is ready, and I like to have a few moments while I cover my Pilates class plans for the day. I can check and see who is signed up for the classes in case I need to be aware of any modifications that need to be made, and I can also set up the music I want to use for the class if I am doing so. Arriving early also means your clients have enough time to set up anything they need to.
Give Yourself A Prep Talk
Even though teaching Pilates can be an incredibly rewarding job, you still might not be in excited to go to work. If you find that you are in a bad mood one morning, you may want to give yourself a little pep talk. For a while, I had to remind myself that the people coming into my class have paid a lot of money to take this class with me this morning, and they deserve the best attitude that I can give them. Many days I would simply fake being in excited to be at work at 6 in the morning and that alone put me in a better mood after a few minutes. I once had a client tell me that the instructor that I had been hired to replace, acted like they didn’t want to be there. I felt so bad for the clients that had to deal with that negativity when they just wanted to escape for a while to take care of their health. I realized that your attitude as a Pilates instructor can directly affect your clients’ moods. You need to have a good and encouraging attitude for your clients because they too woke up early and need your energy to motivate them.
Greet Clients With A Positive Attitude
As I said above, you might be the one thing that brightens someone’s day or ruin it. Your job is to give them a good experience with their Pilates workout. And that begins with the moment that they walk into your class. Be the first one to say hello with a welcoming smile.
Play Music That Makes You Happy
If you work at a studio that uses music, you should create playlists that make you happy and will make the clients happy. I have several playlists on Spotify that I set up knowing that by a certain part of the class, we will be doing a certain type of exercise, ensuring that part of the class fun. If I know that we are going to be using the mini-stability ball, I will make sure the song “Fireball” by Pitbull comes on. It makes the clients laugh out loud when they are working really hard, and it brightens the mood all around. At the end of all my playlists, I always have a cool-down song that is slow enough to signal the end of the class but also uplifting so that they walk out in a good mood.
Have Fun with Your Clients
Your clients are probably still waking up when they walk into your class. Be engaging with your clients. Ask them questions during class and joke around with them.
Drink Lots of Water
It is so easy to forget about drinking water, especially if you are talking, giving instructions during class, or drinking caffeine or a protein drink. But you should stay hydrated during your classes so that you don’t start to struggle or put your own health at risk.
Take Your Breaks
Don’t forget to step outside or into a breakroom from time to time in between classes. If you are teaching three or more classes, you need your breaks just as you would if you were working an office job.
Take Care of Yourself Outside Of Class
Self-care outside of work is so important for resetting you physically and mentally. I take baths for my muscles after standing for so many hours, and I get a massage every month. I love reading, journaling, and hanging out with my friends. And most importantly, I love doing Pilates on my own. I think after teaching so many classes during the week, it is easy to run out of the studio as fast as you can. But if possible, you should hop on some equipment after your sessions, go to another studio to participate in classes, or do some mat Pilates at home. The benefits of doing Pilates for your body are likely what sent you down the path of becoming a Pilates instructor in the first place. Don’t forget that you deserve to enjoy Pilates as a client as well as an instructor.
I have included some links to some of the videos that helped me learn how to wake up early and in a good mood for teaching my Pilates classes.
What are your tips for waking up in a good mood for early morning classes?
