To get annoyed at this fitness class?

[AntFarm]

I've name changed as this is potentially identifying.

Each Tuesday evening I go to a pilates class at a fitness centre. I enjoy the class, and the teacher is nice and a good teacher, however there is one thing that really annoys me.

There is a woman who attends the class who basically takes over the whole class all the time. She talks in a loud voice, but in a very girly, squeaky baby voice, almost as if she puts on a voice. She talks the whole time throughout the class, and it's always just very childish, loud, sometimes rude and attention seeking comments. Such as if she needs a wee, she'll say it loudly and keep repeating it and giggling whilst she does moves about needing a wee and having to do a move. One week she had a sore toe and talked about it loudly throughout the whole lesson 'Ouchie! Poor toe'. That kind of thing.

She also makes rude comments about people. For example the instructor said to look at a lady at the front of the class who was doing a move perfectly and the rude woman said in her girly squeaky voice 'Noooo, it's wubbish' and then did the move herself.

She goes to lots of classes at the centre and is well known to the instructor. Sometimes midway through a class she will say she can't do a move properly and be all giggly and the teacher will spend 5 or 10 minutes out of the class helping her, wondering why she can't do it and fussing all over her, whilst the rest of us sit there. Basically, it all always has to be about her, and if it is not, then she makes sure it becomes about her.

Most people laugh politely at her behaviour but it's really starting to annoy me even more each week. It's £15 per class, which is not cheap. I have learnt, through listening to this woman's chatter, that she does a very capable, professional job, where she has to deal with people constantly, so I cannot imagine for the life of me that she would be able to behave like this in her job, therefore I get the feeling that she does the behaviour on purpose rather than it being something she cannot help but do.

I'd move to another gym to classes but I'm in quite a rural area and the next nearest pilates class is over 20 minutes drive away whilst this one is very local.

Why don’t you ask the instructor if she does any other classes, locally that this woman doesn’t attend as you’d like to switch?

This - I’d do it out of the earshot of the others as I’m a bit of a wuss, but it gets the message across to the instructor that you can’t stand Chatty Cathy without having to be too rude about it.

Maybe just say in a loud voice "could you be quiet please" every single time the woman opens her mouth in class.

And if she keeps stopping the class ask the instructor before the class starts if individual tuition that holds up the rest of the class can either be done at the end of the class of on a 1:1 basis

Oh I remember someone like this in a yoga class I used to do. Not the baby voice, but definitely all the jokes and also singing . It was quite strange. A bit, "I'm mad me and such a laugh at parties". Hush, will you?

Mind you, re the "learning difficulties" comment^^, I know a doctor who has suspected, (by his colleagues who are psychiatrists), but not diagnosed, ADHD. Could it be something Iike that maybe?

Is she SN?

Is there any way that you could speak to other members who feel the same as you and approach the teacher en masse ?
It might be that the teacher feels that none of you mind as no one dares to say anything.

She'd piss me right off. You won't be the only one there irritated by her. Speak to the instructor. Woman sounds nuts

God that would drive me mad. I don't think i would be able to stop myself saying something in class.

I had to leave a Zoom hobby in lockdown because of an infuriating woman who hogged it.

I’d speak to instructor. Tell her that the other woman’s behaviour is affecting your enjoyment of the class and ask if there is an alternative time that you can go. Also point out the rude comments that may make other people feel self conscious. Explain you may have to leave as it’s not worth your time and money to have it ruined.

You won’t be the only one to be annoyed!

@Yerroblemom1923 - special needs aren't something you are, they are something you have.

Definitely speak to instructor. That would drive me potty!

I think I would just tell the woman herself to shut up. I will seethe for so long and then I can't help myself anymore. It's like people who talk in the quiet carriage. I give them so long and then I'll tell them to get off their mobiles. This is similar. I know you probably don't want to cause a scene, but you're paying for the class and it's affecting your enjoyment (and that of other participants).

First step could be calling out the being nasty about other partcipants when she says "that was wubbish" - you could say "that was a nasty thing to say and I think you should apologise to [person]". If she doesn't get the message after that you can say her baby talk is annoying and childish and she can go to soft play if she wants to behave like a child.

Every time she spoke I would ask the instructor to repeat her instruction

Even if the instructor is not talking

It draws attention to the fact you can't hear her and that it's her problem to deal with

Actually it's fucking hot, right now I'd say really fucking loudly "Shut UP, I'm paying for this class and I don't want it ruined with you wittering on like a cunt"

I would email the instructor and say something like
"I wasn't going to say anything about this, I was just going to change class but I enjoy your class, I can tell from other attendees I am not alone in my thoughts and actually businesses have put down a hard few weeks and rather than people moving their business I think business owners would rather honest constructive feedback rather than have their business suffer more so with that in mind I would like to let you know that x monopolies classes and at £15 for a group class you find this frustrating, she seems to want a personal class and if that's the case she needs to pay a premium for that and not take over the class and suck the enjoyment out of it for people who are also paying"

That would drive me mad. It's attention seeking if the worst kind.The Instructor needs to be more assertive IMO so I'd have a word with her.

Totally missing the point of the thread, but £15 for a Pilates class?! Wow!

Annoying woman would get right on my nerves!

I know that I'm a bit like the woman you describe. I only do 121 classes.

I'm really surprised the instructor doesn't say anything. My mum is a yoga teacher and she wouldn't allow anyone to be disruptive in her class!

You should definitely tell the centre to implement a no talking in class rule even though it's so obvious 🙄

OP you've just reminded me of when I was an au pair on roughly £80 a week in a foreign country. My 'boss' recommended a local Pilates class run by one of her friends so I duly went along. It was ~£25 a session and you had to pay for 10 sessions upfront I was young and so embarrassed that I paid it out of my savings account. /random anecdote

Just have a word with the instructor before or after the next class and tell the irritating woman to be quiet. Any of the wording by PPs will do, including the soft play one.

@FinallyHere super well done on being self-aware and considerate enough to do that

£15?!?

I would either

• say 'Oh ffs" & walk out, especially if I had PMT

• email the instructor.

• do Pilates oine & save £60 a month.

*online ffs.

After two such classes (two incase the first was a bad day for the instructor!) I’d complain in writing to the manager of the centre.

The instructor isn’t doing her job well to allow it.

I'd say something like 'why do you speak and act like that in class? What need does it meet for you?' But I'm a right craggy cow.