do what you love, love what you do

*this blog post was submitted from our 2015 spokeswoman & new Pound instructor Rachel

At this time last year, I would have never guessed that I’d be where I am today. I wasn’t eating well, didn’t work out, and didn’t feel healthy in general. I started taking classes at DanceFit in October and loved it.  Not long after, they announced a new class called Pound. At first, I was not thrilled. It was going to be taking over the time slot for Sunday night Hot Barre. I was so upset; I loved Hot Barre! I figured I would give the class the try anyway and I was immediately hooked. I loved the blend of toning and cardio, the music was great, and best of all, I was torching calories while having fun!

With encouragement from a few DanceFIT instructors, I decided to take the plunge and get certified. I was so nervous and had no idea what to expect. The day was filled with learning proper form, choreography, verbal cues, and mirroring. It was pretty grueling, but also a ton of fun. 8 hours later and I was a certified Pound Pro!

A few days later, after my muscles had recovered and I could walk upright again, I got down to creating a playlist and practicing for my first class.  While I had the choreography down, I was absolutely terrified to teach! Mirroring and verbal cues were a new thing for me and I was so nervous that I wouldn’t be able to do it all.  Seeing my name on the schedule for the first time made me giddy though. I felt like my name was in lights!

I had butterflies in my stomach the whole day up until my first practice class. I really wanted to be a great instructor so that people would love Pound just as much as I do. Once the first track started playing, I let go of all the nervousness and just had fun. Each class gets better and better as teaching becomes more natural.

While I used to dread working out, it took finding something I love to really cement my commitment to a healthy lifestyle.  In less than year, I went from being a bump on a log to fitness instructor. It still blows my mind! Now I do what I love and love what I do. If you struggle to find motivation to work out, try a bunch of different classes and types of workouts. You may surprise yourself by what you fall in love with and what it can lead to!