It was my senior year in college when I officially began my career in the fitness industry. My basketball coach asked me to help with team conditioning when I opted to sit out my last year. This was an opportuntiy to lead me on the path to a wonderful career in the health and wellness industry.
Early on I was training at a small health club and also working as a strength and conditioning coach at a local high school. This was the perfect introduction. I understood how the body moved and reacted from an atheltic point of view. My typical client at that time was looking for general fitness and looking to improve strength, increase flexibility and reduce the risk of injury. I was surrounded by many great coworkers that offered great advice for program design, how to modify exercises to regress or make it more difficult, and how to develop rapport with clients.
As I gained confidence in myself and my training I was able to integrate what I had learned in school, from my own experience and from playing around. There were many tools added to the repertoire of exercises. TRX, kettle-bells, yoga just to name a few. I began to push clients out of their comfort zones. Adding more weight, making them crawl on the floor, balancing with their eyes closed, kneeling on a stability ball, signing up for their first 5k race. These achievements brought strength, confidence and excitement to my clients. In turn, I was seeing the true benefits of my job.
Once I was asked what fitness means to me. This was my answer:
I have seen the trends of fitness evolve over time. Terms such as metabolic and functional training. Aerobic verses anaerobic. What does VO2 mean? Often times words like power, endurance, strength, stamina get tossed all over the place. Activate this…draw in your…..
As the trends of fitness have evolved, so has my perception. I now see fitness as a powerful vehicle that creates change. Change in our movement patterns, thoughts and actions. Fitness allows the opportunity to build strength, confidence, empowerment, and character from the inside, out. Visible, physical results are a by-product of hard work and dedication to change.
We are in a constant being of change. With that, fitness is not part of my life. It is my life.
Our industry is changing every day. We have a beautiful platform to make a difference in the lives of those we work with. One of the greatest parts of my job is that no two days are ever the same. Whether it is working with the 40 year old marathon runner or the 75 year old wanting to improve strength and balance, all clients deserve the opportunity to achieve their goals in a safe and enjoyable environment. This is why I hold myself accountable to helping them achieve their goals.
Over the last few months I have seen an increase in “special population” type of clients coming in for help. These include MS, obesity, arthritis, cancer patients and the list goes on. It is that reason I am bridging the gap, between the medical world and the fitness world. By actively seeking out workshops and trainings that specialize in these populations will help to improve the everyday lifestyle for many of my clients. I see this as the most applicable part of my journey. As more people are educating themselves about illnesses and diseases they have acquired, I am helping them on the flip side, to a healthier, more fulfilling and enjoyable life.
My journey in this industry has been great and I look forward to seeing where it leads me in the future.
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