Talking throughout an exercise class

I had the same thing on a National Trust guided walk, not Americans though. I couldn't hear what the guide was saying and I wondered why these people went on the walk if they didn't want to hear about the area they were walking through. I didn't like to say anything for fear of creating an awkward atmosphere.

Cabbie21

It happens in choirs too. One or two people try to use every pause to resume their conversation. Our MD is very strict about it and will just freeze and go silent until they stop and pay attention.

I agree, Cabbie21 I think we must be in the same one! Nobody dares speak as they’ll get the “stare”
However I’m in another choir which is much more relaxed , people chat all the time and the young conductor seems to put up with it but I find it really annoying- once when he was making a point which I couldn’t hear, I spoke up quite loudly, and said to him directly, “I’m sorry I didn’t hear that because there’s so much talking” I wasn’t very popular but gradually what we call choir etiquette has improved.

That's a great tactic Margomar.
To address the instructor directly rather than get involved with the other people.

I've never been to exercise classes and never would, but if I did, those 2 gobbies would drive me loopy!

If they won't shut up for an hour ... or whatever the time length is, then where will it all end?!

I don't think it's just an American thing any more; people all over the world are becoming more self-obsessed, more thoughtless to others, more me-myself-and-I.

The gobbies were totally insensitive and thoughtless to the instructor and her people.

I know it's not easy for some people, but I'd have snapped at them to shut up while in class.

I'm sorry you and the others had to put up with those dumbties!

In 2019, a work colleague of mine was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, and the doctor asked her if she'd be willing to go on a free one-day diabetes awareness course in a room at a rugby club. She agreed.

My colleague is a very quiet, timid little mouse; there were a few others on the course, with her doctor and a dietician.

My colleague told me she had a great time; it was a brilliant course, the doctor and dietician were great, and all the other students were fantastic, apart from one bloke who just HAD to be the centre of the universe. Very loud voice, kept interrupting others' conversations, even telling the doctor and dietician off because they asked him to keep his voice down and let others get some words in!

Apparently he was like it during break times too, wouldn't let anyone else speak ''without his permission ".

Every one of the students were trying to learn about their condition but couldn't concentrate because of him.

Back from the break, the dietician was trying to explain something, and Mr-I'm-Full-Of-Myself kept talking over her, very loudly, and my colleague, as quiet and mousey as she is, surprised herself and everyone else by snapping at him quite loudly ''Oh, Peter, will you just SHUT UP? BE QUIET! LET EVERYONE ELSE SPEAK AND CONCENTRATE!''

He shut his gob for 5 minutes then carried on, but at least he then knew everyone was sick of his ego!

I was visiting India a few years ago and the last night was in a dormitory prior to an early flight the next morning. At 2am a group of Americans came in and instead of creeping in quietly as we would do, they put the lights on and chattered while getting ready for bed which took ages. Thoroughly inconsiderate.

If you are chatting I cannot see how you can do the class properly as you surely are properly listening to the instructor. Keep the chat for after.
When I went to yoga silence was a big part of it

That's so rude. I'm surprised the class instructor didn't say something.

Horribly discourteous. People often don't know how to behave in public now. Thoughtless and ignorant.

AmberGran

I think it's very rude.

It has the same affect on me as people talking too loudly on their phone or talking at the cinema or theatre when the production is on.

I probably am getting rattier as I get older but these things have always annoyed me simply because they are so disrespectful to other people.

If Im in thr theatre/cinema and foneone keeps talking I ask them to stop. I cannot believe thay venues do not stop this! In a large venue, watching a live band that I had wanted to see for years I had to jeep getting up for one man continuously going to top up his pint 😠 After about the 5th time I told him to go to his seat and stay in it as I refuse to keep misdo g the band that I had paid to come see. Its happened a few times and the one woman near me in one concert was so drunk that her embarrassed husband had to drag her out just after the interval. Why go to these things if all you want to do is chat/drink/look at your phone??? Do that in a bar or cafe not i the theatre. I miss the days when people got there on time, watched first half, got drinks/toileting etc done during interval then sat and watched second half. These things are expensive now why do some think it ok to spoil it fir others 🤷 As for chatting all through a class again I would have asked them to shut up as it was distracting 🤨

I've experienced this in university group classes as well.

Aveline

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.

Not at all! She could have instructed all into the next pose, typically finishing with " now focus on your breathing" ; and as the chatterers carry on talking THEN is her moment to step quickly and quietly close to them to instruct them "this is a silent focus class, please stop the chatter"

Just as any competend yoga teacher would look round to see which, if any class member needed her extra personal attention .

butterandjam- read the posts. It wasn't a yoga class.

Ive followed all of this thread with interest because I agree that the inability to just be quiet seems to have become more prevalent almost everywhere.
However, I'm fascinated by the OP's use of the term 'instrustress'. I've never heard it before. Is it in common usage?

You're a, better person than me because I would have told them to shut up. It's extremely rude and in my experience it's simply Americans... They're generally oblivious to anything around them and have no idea how to read a room, or they simply don't care.
Obviously not all Americans are like this but I used to work at famous tourist spot that was frequented by Americans far more than other nationalities, very few were polite. The majority were rude, entitled and really had difficulty abiding by rules that wouldn't have been a thing in the US, many would ask me if I knew where they were from as if that made them more entitled than anyone else. I'd always reply taht yes I knew where they were from but that didn't make them immune to the rules. Lol I had one person tell me on my last day (and just as Trump was 1st elected) that unless I let him stand on what is a, very dangerous ledge to take photos then he'd make damn sure Trump heard about it and he would make sure I was sacked. Oh how I laughed at him, in fact tears were streaming from my eyes and I couldn't speak for laughter. As it was my last day and I'd had enough of rude tourists to last a lifetime I let rip on him... He suffered 6 years of entitled tourists taht had annoyed me and I'd had to keep quiet and stay polite.
It felt good 😁

This reminds me of an occasion many years ago. I was at a matinee performance of the ballet “Sleeping Beauty’. There were lots of children present. The lights went down and the orchestra began playing the overture. There was total silence in the theatre apart from a couple of mature adults in the seats behind me who continued their conversation about their morning’s shopping trip. I turned around and said,”It HAS started’. Silence resumed.
If people are rude enough to disturb other people’s enjoyment, then they should expect an admonishment.

Why did your Instructor not say something to them? Have a word wit her.

Surely you could have said that you were having trouble hearing what the instructor was saying so could they please keep their voices down. You don't have to be rude or aggressive. That way, you won't feel angry later. They were obviously being thoughtless but maybe that is what they are used to in classes they have been to before.

Aveline
I'm going to speak to the instructress next time but she's so polite I'm sure she'll shrug it off.
Imo that’s not polite at all. It’s her exercise class, she should be assertive enough to make her class enjoyable for everyone. My dgd’s yoga class is a ‘no phones, no talking’ class so she can quietly advise students and potentially stop them injuring themselves. If they want to talk or take a phone call they know they have to go outside. Her classes are extremely popular.
If people challenged bad behaviour, and didn’t wait for others to do it, perhaps there would be less of it.

I’ve rehearsed my response ready for next time, having experienced similar…

I will smile broadly at the instructor (who knows we are all on her side and have her back) and say loudly (as though I’m a schoolgirl in class 😂)
“Excuse me Miss, but they are talking at the back” whilst pointing….

It's definitely not an American thing. It is considered rude to chat during an exercise class here also. What I have noticed is that type of behavior is more of a generational thing. Perhaps starting with late generation X and the millennial generation.

Rude and very distracting. I go to a great Tai Chi class and if people start chatting the instructor just stands still and stops talking until they catch on!

Rude. And distracting. Our (brilliant) Tai Chi instructor just stands still, comes to a halt, and waits until anyone who is chatting catches on! Consequently it’s rare and we’re all able to stay focused.

I go to several exercise classes every week at a very well run gym. It’s always a circuit class and we all know what we are meant to be doing. The chatter is great and helps us through the weights, squats and lunges. For many there it is as much a social event as an exercise class. But we don’t need the instructor to explain the moves and everyone does keep quiet when we need to hear some instructions.

I have attended several pilates classes were the chatter helped the flow On in particular the classes were really good for one reason or another shame she moved to Spain just before Covid not been to classes recently for one reason or another. Thought would give another local class which catered for us more mature. It was horrendous. No chatter and the teacher was ok but she chattered on about what she did and how she did private classes for those that need them Won’t be going again.