Talking throughout an exercise class

I would have made a pointed comment.
We were in a restaurant recently in Inverness and at the next table were 9 American golfers who were exceptionally loud. They weren’t rude just really loud. I thought that the restaurant owner would have asked them to be quieter but he didn’t. When they left, one said “ A bit of peace for you all now”
“ Exactly” was my response.
I do have the same problem at my lovely choir when women behind talk non stop then ask “ What are we singing ?” Hey ho!

Another alternative would have been for someone to ask the instructor to halt the class because people were talking and attendees couldn’t hear the instructor……..just saying!

It is very rude. They should read the room and go by what the regulars are doing. If you're at yoga or Pilates (my fave), you get into a sort of zen mode in your head and people yacking away would ruin it.

This happened in a class I was in, so I asked the instructor to please repeat instructions as I couldn't hear. She got the hint and asked everyone to please listen.

Hi everyone, I am an American and a gym rat and I'm 75. I was an instructor for 10 years and still teach every now and then and will tell you that is extremely rude to the instructor, as well as everyone taking the class. It's just not done. Really, are you there to work out or are you there to talk?

YANBU The two participants were being rude and discourteous to the instructor. I hesitate to say typical Americans but. I live in a town and ofren travel by bus to the capital. There is a University near me, filled with international students who use buses to travel to the city. Invariably there are at least a couple of American students amongst the passengers, and they really annoy me. Every word of their conversations can be heard no matter where they sit. No consideration of others who may want a but if peace and quiet or would like to hold a conversation themself.

I used to go to a fitness class, everyone arrived in time, paid up, ready to start. Except one couple, always late, wrong money, grinning around, impervious to the rest of us.
He tried to be funny, wasn’t, and she wanted to keep chatting.
I had to choose, physical fitness,or mental stress. it was such a shame, I had to give up.

I can’t wear my hearing aids if I get hot and sweaty, so I would not have heard the instructor

That’s so rude, both to the instructor and the other participants. I do yoga and someone talking would do my head in . Ditto when I do body pump .
It really annoyed me , when I was working and attending a conference, that delegates would chat during a lecture . During one lecture , there was a group of women chatting away , near where I was sitting and I kept giving them daggers and shushing them . At the end I said to one , if you want to chat go to Starbucks . It happened a lot and eventually I gave up on attending conferences and did online courses .

Yes, another one here with a very irritating lady in my exercise class who constantly turns around to chat to another lady.

She is a chatterbox and can’t help it I think. But she gets laughs from others in the room, that’s why she does it.
I don’t find her at all funny, just irritating.

Is it just me or am I being a grouch.

Another sufferer here, but it’s a very noisy aquacise class. TBH I can’t hear the instructor anyway as the music is so loud, I just have to follow her movements and copy everyone else. It’s two ladies that hardly do the exercises, they basically stand in the water and chat - every session! I think it’s very rude and it annoys me intensely but I feel it’s up to the lovely young instructor to say something, but I know she won’t.

Why did you not ask them politely to be quiet?

I have never gone to a yogs class, so I do not know if is customary to talk during one. No classes I have ever attended or taught were bothered by this kind of thing.

As an instructor, I would automatically have asked the speakers what the problem was, assuming that they had misunderstood me. If their reply had shown that they were carrying on a private conversation, I would have asked them not to.

And if I were one of the class, I would not have hestitated to ask them to s top talking, or leave the room and come back when they had finished their discussion.

AmberGran I totally agree with all your comments.

Yoga, Pilates, Callanetics or any class that needs quiet it’s rude to talk amongst yourselves.

If it is an aerobic class, bums & tums, Zumba etc., unless they were louder than the music and/or instructor not so much of an issue.

I have been a member of the same gym for nearly 30 yrs, sometimes we chat (instructor/PT joins in) other times we are too out of breath so just grimace.

I've already explained that it was a busy fast moving nonstop action class and that I was quite far from them. Apart from anything else I'd have had to bawl to them to shut up. No chance of being polite.

Aveline

Today two Americans joined our usual fitness class. They were welcomed. We have a very good instructress and the class proceeded. However, I was soon distracted by the two Americans chatting loudly together and apparently impervious to the people around them. I became really quite cross and tried to analyse my feelings. First, I suppose that it was just plain rude to the instructress. They were carrying on as though she was just a video not a person. Then I wondered at the cast iron brashness to just not sense the unease round them. They made no effort to talk quietly. Is this just an American thing? I could have gone for coffee with them afterwards but was just so fed up with them that I just left.
Was I being unreasonable to be so irritated at their behaviour?

I think it’s really rude and very annoying.

An example of what used too be called Loud Mouth Yanks. Before pretend niceness and tolerance took over.

Smile!!

I live in the States, and this is what Americans do ALL THE TIME. It drives me absolutely crazy. I have no qualms in saying SSHH in a very loud whisper!

Oreo

It was up to the instructor to ask them if they would please be quiet, and she should have done so right from the start, it was unfair to not to this as it annoyed most of you.

Absolutely!

Its stops vital focus which is keeping your own body safe and doing things right.

Easy to enforce in an organised gym, however: is this a community class?

The instructress could only have brought the whole class to a stop in order to speak to them. That would have put all the timing out.

Oh yes, I see that. (a bit different from say a yoga class where there are pauses etc).

But maybe the thing would be to say something really clear right at the start of the next class. I mean, they are in charge, ad have to lay down any boundaries in the interests of safety and being able to fully engage in the class in terms of peoples concentration.

Aveline

I don't think they'll be back. I'm going to speak to the instructress next time but she's so polite I'm sure she'll shrug it off.

She should think about being polite to all her regular class members.
If they do turn up again, and keep yapping, stand near them and tell them to shut up as you can't hear the instructions.

I would’ve be annoyed by the chatting, the instructor should have said something like” when you finish talking we will start the class.

The music determines the timing. It's nonstop. We all watch the instructress for what to do. She doesn't talk. She's very good. We all like her and have terrific workout.

ViceVersa

No, I would have been extremely annoyed by that too. It's not just rude to the instructor, but to everyone else in the class as well. Why do they think the world revolves solely around them? Surely if you are going to a class like that, you need to concentrate? Bizarre behaviour...

Agree 100% ..