I wake up every morning and run. And then I think of the classes I am scheduled to teach that day. Sometimes one, sometimes two and very rarely , but sometimes three times per day.
And then I think about all of the boutique fitness gym I belong to and I wonder how I will fit them in with my job. With the occasional photography gig, it further presents a challenge, although a very good one!
Then I ponder… Who exactly is coming to the classes I teach? What type of individual, at what age, and with what goals in mind?
I have been teaching fitness classes for the better part of 36 years now, beginning in college and continuing on as my second job, at times very lucrative, and now pretty much the only consistent job I have.
And I am now 56 years old!
And just to pump myself up a little here… If I do say so myself I teach a pretty good and demanding class!Sure, I stayed up with the new trends and even got in the necessary continuing education credits in them… Which allows me to keep my certification. I have gotten credits in yoga, kickboxing, TRX, and most recently completing a course in Barre and yoga.
I am by no means a professional at any of these! For example, I definitely have not gotten the hundreds if not thousands of hours as a registered yoga teacher (RYT) although I have certainly obtained those hours as a participant in those classes over the years and more.
I’m at the point now where I am surrounded by a plethora of younger, newly certified and educated instructors who are trained specifically in one area.
And most of them excel and kick ass in that one area.
For example, at the hot yoga studio I attend these instructors are trained after several hours away in a specialized environment for training and then come back and practice their knowledge with a class full of willing yogis. And it is awesome!
And then, as another awesome example, there’s Pure Barre… Where all of the instructors are expertly trained and educated on just exactly which muscles to contract and tighten and move just one more inch to exhaustion and strength . Who knew something so small could have such a powerful impact in the human body?!?… Their professionalism and obvious knowledge of the technique is second to none. These classes are exceptional!
So here I am. Mountain climbers, burpees, knees up and jabbing the air into the wall.
Fitness abounds. Everywhere. All over the place. I never started teaching it to be relevant, but because I loved it. And I still do.
And I can’t imagine ever not doing it. Both teaching and taking.
Relevance? Hey-as long as you’re there, it’s all good. 
jensumandthensome 