After years of being an avid exerciser and helping hundreds of people get started in exercising , I decided to get certified as a Personal Trainer so that I can help people in greater depth.

In the past, I’ve coordinated the Newbie Program for the Chicago Tri Club, which involved coordinating with local coaches in the area to put together clinics for first time triathletes.  Later on as Vice President and finally President of the Tri Club, I’ve been involved in organizing larger trainings with the entire club (not just first-timers), helping our more seasoned athletes get even better and more involved in the sport.

I’ve also been a group leader for the Chicago Area Runners Association‘s various programs, including Beginner Running, Half Marathon, and Marathon training.  In that capacity, training plans were provided for us by the program, and I led the participants on the planned runs.

I introduced my mother to Bikram yoga, and she eventually became a regular.  She later progressed to going to dance classes at her gym, which led her to become a Zumba instructor at the age of 54.  Prior to doing Bikram yoga, she hadn’t exercised regularly apart from her day-to-day activities as a stay-at-home Mom.

In all these instances, I’ve helped people find, maintain, and improve on an active lifestyle by referring them to another “expert”.  I’ve decided it’s time to step up and become the expert myself!

While I’m studying for my certification exam, I’ll try to blog about what I’m learning and share any insights I’ve gleaned from my studies!  I hope you follow me on my learning journey!