The entitlement of some group exercise goers

[Misanthropic]

I walked into a spin class this morning and went to a bike to set it up. The lady behind me leaned forward and said “Excuse me, please can you move to another bike so that I can see the instructor”. The bike seat was wobbly anyway so I was going to move bikes, but it’s the entitlement of some class participants these days! I said to her “The bike’s wobbly so I’m moving anyway”. Why couldn’t she have moved herself to the front if she wanted to see the instructor so badly? And, if the class was full she’d have no choice but to put up and shut up. What made this minor annoyance more annoying was that the instructor heard her say this to me and didn’t think to challenge her. Its participants like these, the cliques, the space colonizers just make gym classes so unnecessarily political, and take the joy out of them. That feels more of a rant haha, but wondered what people do with these types of women in classes.

Woe betide you if you inadvertently stand in someone’s space during dance and Zumba.

She was polite. She asked if you'd mind. You were moving anyway.

Non issue. Which the instructor ignored because nothing much happened.

She probably knew the bike was wobbly so couldn't sit on that one anyway.

She was probably thinking you were a cheeky fucker for blocking her view when there were other bikes available 😆

The instructor probably assumed that since you are both adults you could sort out this total non issue yourselves. since you responded to her polite and fairly reasonable request by moving, rather than punching her in the face and vandalising all the bikes, he concluded it was sorted.

Plus you don't know if she was being entitled, she asked politely and you moved, if you'd replied 'actually no, I prefer to sit in front of you and block your view' she might have said 'OK, go for it enjoy the wobbly seat '

And this is why i love mumsnet because you all give perspective that makes you think differently!

This is why I stopped going to dance classes at my gym. The cliques are too possessive over space in these classes. It's always dance and zumba haha

Well how full was the class? If there were loads of free bikes and you picked the one in front of her, i would have probably been a bit miffed as well.

Dont think i would say anything but would still be a bit annoyed...

Not full at all, I was the only one who was on the front row! And the funny thing about this is that the instructor ended up getting off the bike and instructing the class standing up and walking around the studio!

I would have moved myself if I couldn't see the instructor, rather than expect someone else to - but I'm not massively entitled though 😬.

My favourite example was the time a regular in a Pilates class rubbed my name out of the class list (back in the day before online booking) because I’d booked sooner than her and she went every week

Why didn't she sit on the front row in the first place if she wanted an unobstructed view? People get weirdly possessive over 'thier' bike at spinning and 'thier' Zumba space.

You should see how possessive some people get over "their" trampolines and trampoline place at our local boogie bounce class.

Last year our regular instructor had to have major surgery (required 6 weeks off for recovery) and so she organised for another boogie bounce instructor from a different gym to cover for her.

Our boogie bounce takes place in the large leisure centre sports hall and the regular instructor always sets out in staggered rows, well the cover instructor did a semi circle with staggered rows - absolute bloody carnage ensured. Certain people started re-arranging the trampolines, people huffing because they couldn't see as well as usual. There were more trampolines on the front row and so the front row cliche had to share the front row with others. People having dramatics because they were on a different row to their friends. I'm amazed no-one died from stress.

To really put the boot in the cover instructor did a slight variation to one of the dances. It was the most entertaining class I had been to for a while, pretty sure some members were trying for an Oscar that night.

If seeing the instructor was important to me, I'd sit at the front.

I mean, duh!

Sounds like an entitled dafty

I think it's fair enough to ask, if there were other bikes free which don't bock a view of the instructor.

I tend to go to the front so I can see, but I'm sure people think I'm showing off.

I kind of get her point. I like to see the instructor but get very nervous being at the front.

Weirdly I’ve never experienced these cliques. I’ve turned up to a new class before where the instructor couldn’t make it. The regulars welcomed me and we did the class together anyway by ourselves.

Yanbu

And the ones that come and space invade - eg in pilates there is always one that arrives late and tries to squeeze in when there is room elsewhere

And at the dance class when you are already in a spot and someone comes and tries to squeeze in, again there is space elsewhere- and this is a class i have been going to for years so not someone's "spot".

I thought you were going to talk about what irks me - group exercise classes in the park. For some reason they take up quite a bit of pavement space, with running exercises back and forth along the pavement and are just plain loud. There are three parks in the area, two are big open areas and a class could set up in the middle without disturbing anyone. But this particular park is a pretty Victorian garden with lots of flower beds and winding paths. Dogs are kept on leads there. But having to negotiate runners going up and down, keep my dogs from sniffing (and possibly peeing in) a dozen little plastic markers, and just having to listen to someone shouting instructions instead of a calm walk listening to the birds - yuck.