There are a lot of things that I love about being a group fitness instructor … but there is no greater feeling in the world than knowing that you have made a difference in someone’s life. Just one person coming up to me at the end of class, sharing a story, or even just saying that today’s class was a great one, truly is a big part of why I do what I do.
Truth is, we group fitness instructors are an interesting breed. We regularly get in front of a group of people, and essentially make fools out of ourselves for the sake of others. We crack jokes. We push our classes to the limit. We sometimes get in their faces – and, depending on the class, we often are just plain evil. And we love every second of it. At my Piloxing training, our instructor shared something I hadn’t really thought of before, but it’s totally true – as the instructor, we have to give 150% to get the class to give us 80%. That probably explains the big personalities we tend to have 🙂 (Though, strangely, I consider myself to have two persoalities – gym me is outgoing, enthusiastic, and will talk to anyone, while outside of the gym me is much quieter, rather shy, and very self-conscious.)
Did I become a group fitness instructor because I wanted to change lives? Not initally – to be honest, I thought it sounded cool, and I figured if I was at the gym all the time anyway, and I was pretty good at most of the classes I took, so why not? But after I had a few classes under my belt, I knew it was so much more than that. I had the power to help people become healthier, to cheer up at the end of a bad day, or, as a few of my regulars have told me – look great for their weddings. It’s the reason I tack another two hours on to my work day on Wednesdays. It’s the reason I’m on a bike at 9 a.m. on Sunday, rather than still lazing in bed. It’s the reason I’m always searching for new ideas, or different cues, or an answer to a question that came up during class.
Essentially … when I became a group fitness instructor, I found my calling. I found my passion. I found myself. I found my life.
Strong-Fit-Beautiful 