My Youth Empowerment Background and Fitness Career Unite!!!

As I embark on Generation Pound Training today, my youth oriented service background meets my fitness career. Since I was a youth myself, I worked with youth. In the 5th grade I helped with the 2nd grade and ESL students in mentoring and educational roles. I've volunteered through many organizations to help students reach their educational goals and to offer mentoring relationships. Generation Pound will help be continue on that path!

GENERATION POUND® is a youth-oriented program that fuses movement and music to improve focus, coordination, physical fitness and teamwork skills. In addition to exercise, kids engage in Activities, kids to learn new ways to explore movement and embrace their creativity. Generation Pound is geared toward kids ages 6-12.

My favorite age group is 10-12 year olds. At that stage in life students are increasingly considering who they are and who they may become. They are more able to think like adults, but they don’t have the experience and judgment needed to act like adults. I believe that Generation Pound can help them recognize that as they ride their roller coaster of emotions armed with 2 Ripstix!

Well, training is getting started. See you on the other side!

Music Fuels Me!

Totally excited about Zumba Strong Training! Strong By Zumba is a high intensity interval class — think burpees, pushups, and other high-impact moves — synced to specific music. Just like the other class I'm certified to teach, Pound, instead of counting reps or keeping track of the clock your focused is shifted toward the rhythm and volume of the music because music can be a powerful force.

In fact, USA Track & Field, the U.S. governing body for running, barred the use of headphones and portable audio players like iPods at its official races in part to prevent runners from having a competitive edge. Music can energize and increase endurance; there's something about hearing Andy Mineo's voice over a hip hop beat declaring "YOU CAN'T STOP ME!" That's right burpee, you won't keep me down! With music, though you remain fully aware of the tremble in your arms during those last pushups, positive feelings about the intensity of that pushup increase!

Music readies the body for action, makes coordination more efficient, and draws our attention away from the negative aspects of tasks. So training is getting started and my BFF music is calling me!