Walking Workshop and Faculty of Medicine

April 9, 2008

Helen – Yesterday I taught a 3 hour workshop on Fitness Walking to a group of 40 women whose main goal is to lose weight (so what’s new???) It was pretty funny watching them watch me because they are used to having the lecturer stand in front of the room in the same spot the entire time. After the introduction, I told them my educational background, going to grad school for a MS and receiving MRS instead. They didn’t get it until I wrote it up on the broad and then they all laughed (they don’t usually laugh during lectures either). Moving right along, I was walking around the room demonstrating different paces and styles of walking and they were having a difficult time keeping me in focus while they were sitting on the mats in the gym. After finding heart rates, we went out to the field to walk our timed mile.

I was told it would be clear but we found a rugby game in progress and a class of preschoolers having a play day. We walked our mile in and around them; most of the women were dressed too warm with long sweat pants, long sleeve shirts and hats. I really felt sorry for them but they were troopers and did great. Inside we did a little electric slide for a cool down then did a hula hoop relay to demonstrate clogged arteries. They seemed to enjoy the lecture parts interspersed with activity and after class they said they never enjoyed a class so much and that the time flew by. Being my normal crazy self I was a novel teaching experience for them. We really had a few laughs when we came to diets and how to lose weight…they were disappointed that there wasn’t a pill that would get them in shape and take away the fat. Their diets include a lot of coconut products and they really need to change their lifestyles but I think it will be most difficult for them.

I went to the office with Tom today to get my fitness swim files off the computer so that I could go over my lesson plans with Gota in the afternoon. Gota and I spent about 2 hours going through the progressions and teaching methodology but did not get a chance to go into the pool to help him with his strokes. He asked what time I was coming in the next day to finish in the pool and I told him that today was my last day. He was disappointed but understood. He gave me a small university plate for a souvenir

Tom is down to two more classroom lectures and then we are FINISHED with work!!! I will have to rethink the road trips as I am sure he has at least another one planned. I can almost taste home and am getting anxious about our return.

Tom – I started a three-day workshop on “Exercise Physiology” for the Faculty of Medicine, Instructors of Physical Education and Sports Medicine Physicians today.