Last week, one of the participants in my Zumba class fell during class. She has a history of attending under conditions that have led to her membership being revoked at a few other locations where I teach. Usually, staff at this location screen for this and deny entry when someone appears unable to participate safely, but she must have slipped by them this time.
During class, she suddenly tumbled. I ran over to assist her, but she immediately said she was fine. As the instructor, it’s my responsibility to check on participants when something like this happens, so I asked again, “Are you sure?” She insisted she was fine, so I let her be. I didn’t ask her to leave, but I advised her to slow down and take it easy.
Then, yesterday, another participant fell — this time, a sweet elderly woman. She told me her knee simply gave out and she slipped. Her sneakers were wet from outside. I rushed to her side, and unlike the previous case, she accepted my offer to help. With the assistance of a few others, we got her up safely.
She mentioned she had forgotten her knee brace, so I immediately took mine off and wrapped it around her knee. Once she felt stable, I asked if she could continue, and she said yes. I had a few people stand near her to keep an eye on her, and she was able to finish the class without further issues.
Please be careful, my friends. If it’s snowing or wet outside, wear boots and switch to dry sneakers once you arrive at the gym. This simple step can help prevent accidents and keep you safe during class!
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