Not Soft Spoken With a Broken Jaw

I have been struggling with some things at the gym lately. I have gone back and forth but keep coming to the conculsion that I'm still a really good instructor. Unfortunately the style of step that I teach (tapless, a lot of syncopation and rhythm changes) is pretty modern and up-to-speed with the industry. The population that I teach is older (a given for step in a smallish town) and not accepting of change. While I know I teach a good workout, my attendance numbers are dwindling because people just don't want to take the energy and brain power to learn a new style. Yes, step takes a lot of brain power!!

My TurboKick classes have also had low numbers lately. But it appears that TK's popularity is declining at our gym, because everyone's numbers are down. In the last six months, we lost three of our most popular instructors and I just feel like a lot of people don't want to take a chance on us new people. For the record, I am not new. I have been teaching for over five years and I am THIRTY years old, people. Yeah, I know, I mention that a lot.

That is why I have been partially pleased to find a new indicator of my success in TurboKick instruction. Nine years ago I had TMJ surgery, where my jaw was broken and moved forward then pinned in place. I had my jaw wired shut for a month and I drank a lot of milkshakes. My boyfriend at the time offered to sell my Percocet on another school campus. (Obviously a very difficult time in my life!! Don't find a new boyfriend when you're feeling down on yourself!!)

I had TMJ really bad, and one of my primary reasons for going ahead with the surgery was because I am a singer. My lack of jaw movement, and obviously the locking up, was affecting my singing. I was extremely happy with the results of the surgery. While I have minor nerve damage and still struggle to eat stuff like baby carrots, my jaw has done great for nine years.

So that's why I was recently surprised to find my jaw aching after almost every TurboKick class. Then I started to realize it only hurts after a really hard class. On days when I take it easier, I have no problems. But kick-ass classes, like today's, put me in pain until Wednesday or Thursday of the week.

My dentist recommended icing my jaw after class and it has really helped. I still don't know what action is making it hurt, and I am tired of the jokes I get in the lobby on my way out. I feel like people think I'm making up some sort of injury...but this is serious. I never want to have that surgery again, and I hope that teaching Turbo is not doing any serious damage.

But at least when my eight little participants are quietly doing their jabs and jacks, it is helpful to have my jaw telling me that I am teaching one serious workout.

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