I have always loved fitness, which is evident to anyone who knows me. The gym is my happy place and always will be. It is here where I drip in sweat, clearing my mind and body of any negativity that surrounded me throughout the day. I am happiest when I can barely walk the day after an extremely hard workout—It gives me a sense of pride knowing that I have the ability to push myself past limits to reach my goals.

Giving my all to not only change, but to challenge myself both mentally and physically is what I consider my adrenaline high. When I work out, I feel empowered. Coming into college I thought becoming a fitness trainer was a cool title. Although I never took the thought of applying seriously, I always thought my confidence in leading a group of people was shaky and I could never do the position justice. That changed last semester when my bodypump instructor approached me after one of my weekly fitness classes. She encouraged me to look into the courses provided, expressing to me that I had what it took to be a great instructor. Having her tell me she sees potential in me was just the push I needed. From that moment on, I made it a personal goal to become certified group fitness instructor while at college.

When I first signed up for the Fitness Instructor Training Course (FIT), I had a mindset only describable as being selfish. Getting paid to workout sounded like music to my ears and leading a class of people through a workout I did on the regular basis seemed to be a piece of cake. However, when I started that six-week certification class, my mindset on what it meant to be a fitness instructor did a complete 180-degree turn.

My view on what exercise should consist of has permanently changed since studying this course. Taking into account the responsibility, preparation, and hard work instructors go through every week, I now see fitness instructing in a very different light.

When you are an instructor, the first thing you are taught is that you must be selfless. Remembering that this is not your workout-- it is theirs.People look to you for guidance and, like it or not, your job is to provide them with a leader. People put their faith in you every class to teach them a safe and fun way to be healthy while developing a positive mindset and improving your body. Becoming that kind of role model for people was an adjustment I had to get used to, adopting the position of instructor.

When you are an instructor, you must look at the bigger picture, thinking of others before yourself. What would they enjoy? What do they want to see? How would I make them have the best experience every class? Before I thought that fitness was an individual sport, that one could throw headphones on and zone out while completing a circuit. After shadowing and leading classes, I realized exercise in itself is worth so much more when treated as a team effort. Each person enrolled in the class adds so much to the experience of your teaching for that hour; you are all one big team. When you break down any barriers, you find that you all have the same mindset, to be healthy and happy.

Teaching fitness classes did not make me fall out of love with the idea of working out alone, instead, it transformed my perspective on doing what I love. My passion for fitness has transcended into now wanting to share my love of fitness with others. The thought of me doing what I love, having rubbed off on some of the people I instruct is worth so much more than I thought possible.