A group class works when everyone trusts that they can stop. A clear, simple rule — pain means stop — protects clients and instructors, and it is easy to run if you set it up before the class starts.
Before class: say it once, plainly
At the start of class, one sentence is enough: “If anything hurts — not just hard work, but pain — stop, and I’ll give you another option.” Say it to the whole room so nobody feels singled out. Newcomers hear it before the first exercise.
Separate “hard” from “hurts”
Effort and fatigue are part of a good class; pain is a signal to stop. Use the same words every time — “hard” and “hurts” — so clients learn the difference and can tell you quickly.
In the moment
1. Stop the movement. The client comes out of the position safely, with your help if needed. 2. Offer their option or a rest. Use the lines you prepared — the client joins B or C, or rests while the room continues. 3. Don’t diagnose. Ask what they felt and where, but don’t guess at causes. If they are concerned, suggest they speak to a doctor or physiotherapist. 4. Check in after the block, quietly, without drawing the room’s attention.
After class: record it
Note the date, the exercise, what the client said and what you changed. Keep it factual and private to the studio’s instructors. Next time, that exercise should be offered differently to that client — and the next instructor should know before class, not after.
What not to do
- Don’t encourage anyone to push through pain.
- Don’t announce reasons to the room.
- Don’t promise that an exercise is “safe for” a condition.
In Round Connect Reformer, a client can tap “it hurt” after class. That exercise isn’t suggested to them that way again, the instructor sees it in the next brief, and it goes into the studio’s safety log. See Round Connect Reformer →