I’ve always been one who wants to get all of the
certifications/expertise I can about areas that spark my interest. The first
(and least expensive) thing I was able to do is become a certified Zumba
instructor! I was the first Zumba instructor at Wake Forest, and then became a
core member of the UM group exercise team when I transferred. My Zumba career
lasted about two years before I decided to step away from teaching, and taught
me many lessons along the way.
1. When it comes to working
out, you get out of it what you put into it.-
Zumba is a trademarked class that provides a
lot of standard choreography etc. However, it is also a genre of group fitness
that gives teachers a ton of freedom. Instructors are able to choose their songs,
sequences, and intensity. What we learned in our certification is that the
company likes 60-70% of the class to be pure Zumba material, and the rest is up
to you! What results from this is that one’s experience in class depends very
much on the instructor.
Well, I became known as the super
energetic, bouncy, crazy teacher (luckily, in a good way). I would often hear
from students about how with other instructors, they would take an hour class
and then be able to do another cardio kickboxing or something. They quickly
learned that that would not work with me. My philosophy was (and is), that if
you dedicate an hour to doing something, you should make the most of that time
and reap its full rewards, not have to do a whole extra hour to get what you want.
There is no way you should be able to do two crazy cardio classes back to back.
Something is wrong. You are not working hard enough. So, my classes became high
energy and high in intensity. We would sweat, a lot, while often times looking
completely ridiculous doing crazy Zumba moves. Not everyone always made it all
the way through. But at least they knew their body was working hard! I would
always tell my students, give it your absolute 100%. If you need a water break,
that’s ok. If you need to just mark the moves, that’s ok too. But don’t walk
out feeling like you have energy to spare. If you put in a moderate amount of
effort, you’ll get moderate rewards. Give it all you got, and you’ll walk out
stronger, tougher, and with a wonderful sense of pride and accomplishment.
2. Smiles and
Positivity go a long way.
My favorite part of being an
instructor was being a positive motivating force, inspiring others to enjoy
taking care of themselves. This involved tons of smiling and words of
encouragement, even in the midst of serious (and at times painful) cardio. I
loved getting to know my regulars and hearing about how they loved the energy
of the class. One of the greatest compliments I ever received was hearing I had
been the inspiration for one of my students to get her teaching certification
as well. As I continue on with my life, I carry with me these lessons on how to
be a good role model and example for something I’m passionate about. In
whatever you do, always smile and shed love on those you are hoping to inspire.
Lead by example and make them want to share your secrets! No one wants to know
more about people who seem too high on their horse or judgmental!
3. Sometimes you need
to let things go * I think this is the most important* .
I
taught during the school year, sometimes once a week, sometimes twice,
depending on the semester. With school work, and an increasingly busy college
schedule, things began to become stressful. Teaching was like taking on another
full class. It required many hours of outside work, putting together
choreography …memorizing routines etc. Zumba began to be more of a source of
stress than enjoyment. Things worsened when I began to struggle with anemia. My
body would go in and out of periods of fatigue, which simply did not work when
I had a pre-set time that I had to perform at 100% each week. Sometimes I
wouldn’t feel great, resulting in days where I had to seriously push through
class ( a little scary). My heart gradually started not to be in it anymore.
The anxiety overshadowed the previous joy.
I’ve
never been a quitter. As a child I was always taught to stick to my
commitments, and finish what I started. However, one day, when things were not
going so well, I heard a remark by Chalene Johnson. She spoke about cutting out
everything that caused anxiety in your life . She indicated how things like this
are detrimental to our well-being, and if they're optional, should be put aside.
What is the point of wasting our energy on things that do not make us happy?
This seriously spoke to me. Although I had enjoyed teaching in the past, and
had such fun being a motivator to others, things had changed. It was time to
let Zumba go. I stopped teaching, and was able to focus on me and my own needs.
Yes, I lost that income; but I gained back my sanity. Ever since, I have
learned to filter my commitments, making sure not to over-exert myself to the
point of a mild mental break down. I now only engage in things that I can put
my full effort into, and that bring me joy. Take a look at your life. Are you
compromising your inner-calm for anything? Is it worth it?
Be
Well.
Love, Julie
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