Who works in the fitness industry?

[LizN]

I was just reading Susan's great post about her post partum recovery (yahoo for you!) and noticed that there are a lot of fitness instructors on this board. So just for fun, tell us about what you do and what sort of classes/personal training etc etc you teach and whether you are still teaching. I'd be interested to know about the average return to teaching after having a baby

Me: degree in exercise science, teach 3 classes a week (certified in BodyPump/Bodystep (BTS) and also teach "freestyle" classes), have owned my own PT training business, but only train people by request now. I have been teaching for 14 years and it took me two years to return to teaching after having my first bub (had a few complications ) I'm 30 weeks pregnant and still teaching Step,Pump and LTB (Legs, tums and Buns class!)

It's been a wonderful support to know that I haven't been alone in my teaching endeavours...thanks for being out there!

Cheers,
Liz N

 

[Tammyspq]

Hello fellow "pumper"!!

I have been teaching since 1987 and am certified by AFAA. Hope to add ACE and ACSM HFI in early 2003. I teach only BodyPUMP right now and have been subbing step and other muscle definition classes. I am pregnant with my first baby and am 32 weeks along (due 9/9/02). I must say that I wasn't able to keep up the cardio as I LOVE running but the whole baby-on-the-bladder lost it's charm. I credit PUMP with keeping me in shape. I hope to return to teaching at least BodyPUMP soon after baby is born but see how it goes!!!...

Power to the fit woman! jeni

 

[Beets]

Hi Liz,
I have a BS in Biology and did cancer research for 13 years at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Ma. It was a pretty cool job, I have been published numerous times (lost count) but got tired of the commute into Boston. I started personal training about 7 years ago (ACE, AFAA and AIFE certified with a specialty in senior fitness) and worked both jobs for several years. After a while, I could not handle the exhaustion of working two careers (6:00 am to 4:00 pm in Boston, then 5:00 until sometimes 9:00pm after work.) I decided one had to go, so it was Boston. I have been doing personal training full time for a little over 2 years now and am working on building a stronger business. Unfortunately, I have good training skills but no business skills. I have a dedicated clientele of 9 clients but would like to pick up a few more. I had a few more clients but lost 4 due to the economy. I am now 11 weeks pregnant and am a little worried about life after the baby in terms of being able to schedule clients. I will have to work out child care, etc. and work out the kinks as I go along. I'll keep you all posted!

 

[Stebby]

I am a part-time hi/lo aerobics and step instructor, currently on hiatus (I gave up teaching when I entered my third trimester). I have been teaching since 1984, certified by ACE since 1987, and I also hold two Canadian certifications (Can-Fit-Pro and OFC).

My degree is in Computer Science and my full-time job is as a manager in the information technology field. I have always loved my second life as a group fitness leader, partly because it is so different from my full-time job.

I'm currently 35 1/2 weeks pregnant and am still doing my own workouts: Spinning 3X per week (at a reduced intensity), Cathe tapes (not cardio anymore, but I am doing weights tapes such as PS, LL and S&H), Firm tapes and Yoga.

I am so impressed by all you ladies who have continued to teach into late pregnancy. Good for you!

 

[eternalEfit]

I'm forever going to be working on my undergrad in Exercise Science (2 years to go) but I've been AFAA certified since 1995 and BodyPUMP certified since 2000. I teach Step once a week and sub BP, Yoga & toning classes. I'm on maternity leave right now since my 36th week and can't wait to return!
Myra

 

[tchersue]

Just the prenatal/postpartum stuff ...

... and although I'm fit, I know that I'm not as hardbody as a lot of you guys...

I'm mostly a SAHM, although I've recently begun to do some freelance writing. I was an English & humanities teacher for a School for the Arts in my pre-mommyhood days... but I also coached a tap dancing group there and did all of the choreography and dance instruction for our musical theatre.

I sort of fell into prenatal exercise when I was pregnant with my first and I went to a Healthy Moms class that the hospital advertised... Lucky me! It was Sheila's class, and it was awesome. For the first time I was exercising for all of the right reasons... it felt good, it was a healthy thing to do (no weight loss to worry about!), and I loved the camaraderie of working out (and gabbing!) with other moms. I took my last class (low impact & resistance) the night before my due date and gave birth about 36 hours later. I was inspired to get certified (Sheila's Healthy Moms certification is great -- very thorough), and when I moved from NC to Maine I got up the nerve to propose my own program (very much based on Sheila's model) to the fitness director at the local YMCA.

My first birth was vaginal, and after giving birth to my 9 lbs. 2 oz. son, I was back to walking in 4 days, low impact aerobics/resistance in about 3 1/2 weeks, and high impact activities/jogging in 5-6 weeks... as you probably gleaned from my other post, I had a c-section this time, and I didn't get back to speed until more recently. I did do some walking, light resistance (w/ bands), and some squats sooner than that (at maybe 3-4 weeks postpartum?), but not much at all really until after 6 weeks.
susan

 

[Hazel]

Hi Liz. As you of course know, I'm Body Pump certified (since August 1998 -- can't believe it's been that long!). I took the training to teach Body Attack/Combat in April 2000, but no gym in my area ever picked up the program, so I never got certified. I used to teach freestyle cardio kickboxing classes too before I became pregnant with Lauren, but haven't done that since November 1999 (in fact, I was supposed to teach a class on the day before I found out I was pregnant but was too sick to make it! After that, kickboxing made me feel "weird" -- emotionally, not physically so much, so I just dropped it all together). I've always been a part-timer -- took the BP certification to keep a friend company -- and only teach once a week now, although I'm considering picking up more classes (both BP and other) once I've sort of figured out this SAHM thing (and gotten back into reasonable shape too!).

I taught BP up to 36 weeks in my first pregnancy and returned to sub a class 6 weeks later, although I believe I didn't get back on the schedule regularly until about 10 or 12 weeks postpartum. Planning to teach to 36 weeks (actually ill be almost 37) this time too, but don't have a planned return date in mind as yet because my gym does not have child care and I have to make arrangements for the baby still.