Wednesday, July 30, 2008

And a Clean and Press!

I'm coming out of the closet - it's time to confess that I have been leading a secret life. Yes, in addition to being ordained recently, I've been working on a secret project.

I'm training to be a group fitness instructor.

After 2 years of truly loving exercise, I've been taking more and more steps toward incorporating exercise into my life: When I travel, I always work out in the hotel. When I'm home, you've read about my adventures doing step aerobics in my back yard. When I play with the kiddos, there's a whole lot of lifting and swinging: Both Bella and Isaac are regularly bench pressed - and they love it.

A couple of months back, a visiting instructor at the club took me aside and commented that he hadn't ever seen a student who could do a whole hour of step from memory, which I clearly was doing. He said I should really consider moving up to the podium and training. With that I decided to at least give it a shot...

So for the past weeks I've been working through a group fitness training manual from the American Council on Exercise, and practicing my cueing (again, from memory). Tonight I had an "audition" with Jeannie from Time Out for Fitness (where I work out). It was just the two of us, me on stage with the mic, and she on the floor, ready to do what I told. I did three tracks - a step aerobics track, a heavy weights track, and a shoulder strength one. I was very surprised to actually make it through all three intact. On the step, I actually missed one changeover and had to improvise to get back on the 'right side" so that both sides of the body got an equal workout.

In the end, she told me I'm a natural, and is looking forward to me getting the rest of the training... to start teaching Les Mills Bodypump in the fall (and moving into BodyAttack and Step in the winter). Of course, with everything else in my life (kids, work, ministering), we'll have to see what my commitment can be... but hey I'm already going 3-5 times a week, why not make the most of it?

Just like I'm loving being on the sales side of the business at work, having worked on the "talent" side for so long, I think it'll be fun to look at the other side of fitness - to see the clockwork behind a well functioning class. I love to see all sides of anything I'm doing, so this just feels natural.

So that's my big announcement. I'm out of the closet on this one. Wish me luck!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

- someday, maybe, the small pin you received in 3rd grade after having won the fitness award (a year early) may want to come live with you. You were surprised then that you were a natural. It's lovely to read how you're claiming these talents at just the right time.

-ministering, ummm, that is a big surprise that you went through with that training; it is not a surprise that you are a good person though.

-here's to always being surprised by goodness!