The Blog Turns One! (+ a BIG life update)

Fair Warning: LONG post ahead.  Holy Moly.  There have been SO many changes going on in my life over the past few weeks, I don't really know where to begin.  I guess I'll start with a hearty hello to everyone again!  It's been quite a while since I last posted, and this is my first post to you all from upstate New York!  Before I get into the exciting news that the blog is one year old (eee!), I'd like to update you on what's been goin' on... 

First, A Life Update...

As you all know, at the end of September I moved from Rhode Island to upstate New York to (finally!) live with my boyfriend.  It's been one of the best decisions I've ever made.  Living together is just amazing, especially after 4+ years of long distance and weekend commutes back and forth.  The place we're living is great, and it's VERY convenient to almost everything we need, including the gym I'll be teaching at soon!  The move itself was downright exhausting, though.  We started packing each other's places a few weeks before our move date, and once that came it was just non-stop going.  Packing boxes.  Unloading boxes.  Canceling accounts.  Setting up new accounts.  Cleaning apartments.  The list goes on.  Through all the chaos, I didn't have time to snap any pictures except this one of my packed apartment (well, the living room) ready to be loaded onto the truck:

Once we got to Albany, we unloaded all my stuff, then went right back to loading the rest of his stuff, cleaned his apartment and started the unpacking process.  As of today, we're still disorganized and have a lot of unboxing to do, but the essentials are taken care of and we're slowly getting back to our usual routines like they were before we moved.

One thing I've been dying to get back to is, of course, working out.  Packing and unloading the moving truck were both quite a workout for sure, but there's nothing like being in a class and getting pumped from the music and energy of the group!  I've been missing that for so long!  Yesterday I finally got back to it and attended a "Butts & Gutts" class at VENT Fitness, which is the gym I'll be teaching at starting next week!!  (I'm planning on posting more about that experience after my first few classes, so stay tuned.)  

Feelin' the burn after my first class back!

Officially a VENT Fitness Group Instructor!

To wrap up the life update, I'm happy.  This move to Albany is a much needed refresher for me.  It will be a growing experience in many ways, and the start of the next exciting chapter in my life. :)  But now onto the more exciting news...

Happy One Year Anniversary to the Blog!

Guys, I can't believe it!  The blog is ONE YEAR old (as of Monday)!  I know everyone says they can't believe they've been blogging for a year, and I'm in that group too. 

I started this blog as a way to reach a broader audience with the workouts and healthy living advice I was teaching/giving to my group fitness classes back in RI.  It was also a place to put pen to paper so to speak, and write about my fitness journey, becoming an instructor, and the next adventures I'll have in the fitness industry.  It has grown SO MUCH in the past year, I'm kind of in shock.  When I first launched the blog on October 5, 2014, I wasn't sure where it would take me.  I'm still not.  But I know that from starting this blog I have (virtually) met hundreds of amazing people from other bloggers to fitness pros and enthusiasts alike, and my passion for motivating and inspiring others has grown tremendously. 

This post is getting pretty long as it is, so I'll spare you the lengthy details and just give you a highlight reel of what's been going on on the blog for the past year:

• My First Post Ever: The Beginning of Something Bigger than Myself
• The 100th Post: 100-rep Workout for the 100th Post!
• Most Viewed: Back & Biceps Dumbbell Superset Workout
• Most Shared on Social Media: 10-Minute Ab Burner with Alternating Planks
• Becoming a SweatPink Ambassador! 
• Becoming a Fitfluential Ambassador and an IDEA Inspired Blogger!
• My first syndicated post on BlogHer: 9 Fun Outdoor Activities that Double as a Summer Workout
• The post I'm most proud of: Warm Coconut-Peach Breakfast Freekeh

All of the above would not be possible without YOU!  You all have been such valued supporters of the blog over the past year, and I can't thank you all enough.  Seriously.  This blog wouldn't reach the audience it does without your shares, your likes, your comments, and your encouragement to keep posting.  What started out as a little experiment and hobby one day has turned into a, well, bigger hobby, and something I love dearly.  So thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to read my posts and even more so to comment and share them.  

What's next for the blog?  This I'm not sure of yet.  A few ideas I have are blog link ups, fitness challenges, and more workouts hopefully complete with pictorials of the different moves.  Those are all things I have been wanting to get to for a while now, and what better time to do it than with a fresh start for the blog and in my own life?!  I hope you stay tuned and continue to live happy, healthy lives, once healthy choice at a time. :)

Readers: chat with me!  What's something you'd love to see on the blog in the coming year?  What's something that you think could be improved?  How about for those of you who have ever moved before... how did you handle the stress and exhaustion?  What's everyone been up to lately?  Fill me in - I've been gone for too long!

Special Guest Post Week + A Life Update

Hi guys!  Happy Sunday to you all.  Just popping in real quick to say that this coming week is full-fledged packing week (after a trip to visit friends in Brooklyn Monday and Tuesday), and then I officially MOVE on Sunday -- yikes!  So life will be crazy busy for a while here...  have no fear, though, the blog won't be empty!  I've got an awesome lineup of guest posts for you from topics ranging from healthy family vacations to getting started running, dealing with "runger," and more.  There will also be a special GIVEAWAY on the blog tomorrow, so make sure to stop by!

Wish me luck with the packing - there's so much to do!  I'll catch you guys next week when I'll no longer be a Rhode Islander, but an Upstate New Yorker (I'm still getting used to it...).  Until then, keep up your fitness and healthy habits (there are some great workout posts below), and enjoy the guest posts coming up!

Why I Love Being A Group Fitness Instructor

Everyone has their "thing".  That thing that makes them come alive, makes them smile wider and their heart sing.  Mine is definitely in the fitness industry, and more particularly group instruction.  In no particular order, here are some of the reasons I LOVE teaching classes...

THE MUSIC!

I love electronica.  No, really.  Techno is MY JAM.  I've loved it ever since the days of floor routines in gymnastics, and I still do to this day.  It gets me SO pumped.  So the fact that 32-count music (mixes specifically formatted for group exercise classes) resembles techno - and some of it is legitimately - gets me so amped up during class.  In fact, I love the music so much that I have almost all of our studio's music on my iPod and listen to it in my car, at work, or wherever I am when I need a good tune.  I can only hope that enthusiasm translates into a better workout experience for my classes.  

Here's one of my all-time favorite workout remixes to give you a taste: Diamonds - Stereothief Remix.

IT REMINDS ME OF BEING A GYMNAST

Huh?  But group ex classes are nothing like gymnastics... well, not entirely.  Putting together a good routine for a class involves some choreography and listening to the beat of the music, which floor routines in gymnastics do as well.  I have to say, I love finding the top of that 32-count and counting down (or up as the case may be) to the beat.  It's SUCH a great feeling when you're right on the money. 

THE CLOTHES

It's true.  I'd be lying if I said I didn't care what I wore to workout in.  (I mean, part of being a fitness professional is looking the part, right?)  I know fitness fashion is all en vogue right now and doesn't seem to be going away any time soon.  So, yes, I've jumped on that bandwagon hard.  I think it makes me more confident in how I carry myself as a professional.  Not to mention I love the "studio-to-street" style that's becoming quite popular.  Does that mean I wear leggings as pants while out and about?  Abso-freakin-lutely... with a top that covers my rear.

I LOVE MOTIVATING PEOPLE TO PUSH THEMSELVES

One of the main reasons I am pursuing making fitness instruction, personal training, and overall wellness a full-time career is because I love helping people realize what they're capable of when they feel better about their bodies.  I love hearing someone's 'why' for wanting to get into exercise, and I love pushing them to achieve their goals.  Group exercise classes allow me to do that on a larger scale and reach a broader audience.

Our Studio's fitness challenge group, "12 Weeks of Fitness" 2013-2014

TEACHING CLASSES HAS MADE ME A BETTER STUDENT

Since I teach classes, I pay way more attention to the form of my own body in the classes that I actually take.  Even if I'm not entirely sure how to do an exercise, I can make a pretty educated guess as to how the body is supposed to move in order to work the targeted muscle(s).

And I'm mid-Sentence =P

IT'S TAUGHT ME TO NOT TAKE MYSELF TOO SERIOUSLY

I never took myself all that seriously to begin with, but being a fitness instructor guarantees some good laugh-at-yourself moments.  I find there's always something I'm laughing at about myself during a class.  How I phrased a part of the cueing, the fact that I just fell out of the plank I'm asking my students to hold, hitting myself in the shin with a dumbbell... the list goes on.  And you know what?  I'm better for it.  We're all human, we make mistakes, and that's okay.

Side Plank Fail

Star Jumps + Wind = This great shot

IT'S AN EVER-GROWING FIELD WITH ENDLESS OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION AND ADVANCEMENT

There's always an opportunity to educate yourself more on various aspects of fitness, exercise and the human body.  From online courses to in-person workshops, specialty certifications, and equipment training, there's always something to research and learn about.  The fitness industry is always evolving, and I am excited to be a part of it and share my knowledge with you all.

>> Fellow instructors, what are some things you love about teaching classes?  What formats do you teach?  Why do you love them?  

>> Fellow class participants, why do you love the classes you take?  What qualities do you look for in a fitness instructor? 

I'd love to know and hear your feedback!