To be certified or not to be certified that is the question????????????

A question I will answer over and over and over again!!!!  YES, YES, YES, and YES!!!  Their is a beauty and a professionalism to deliver quality classes to our students. Yes we can have an extraordinary routine, choreography, techniques, whatever.  If we don’t perform correctly people are liable to get hurt.  I would highly recommend AFAA to anyone who is looking for an organization to grow with in the ever-changing daily fitness field educating its members with all possible resources. I have and continue to learn something new every day and I am thankful to sow into others lives nuggets of information that is beneficial to the participant life today and in the long run.  Our bodies are so amazing if we don’t care for them no one else will. I am so thankful to be a part of AFAA!  If you were on the fence about which Certification to go for?  I highly recommend AFAA..No Doubt About It!!  I hope this helps : )

AFAA CERTIFICATION

THE WRITTEN

The day I went for my testing for my AFAA Certification definitely up there with the nervousness I felt when I went to bootcamp for US Customs.  Seriously, the nerves were racked.  Let me tell you if you think you can go in there without studying the material and take that written test..your crazy!  Flat out CRAZY!  I remember taking exams after each section of homeland security section and we can know and understand if we have not or will not think of it, someone else most certainly will.  Be mindful to know every possibility of the wrong answer to the practice test and then some.  That right there is the best help one could give…6 Long, Long, Long, Long Weeks I passed the written—WOW!!  =D

THE PRACTICAL

A very, very, very humbling experience…Thinking I got this after the short break after that scary test! (No worries if I could do it you can too..don’t let me scare you too much..just STUDY!) I walked into the practical like a hot shot sayin I got this.  Not knowing and make a note of this.  Learn from my mistakes..for each body part I had to perform two exercises for each section and did I tell you I did not know this.  I did one exercise for each section and wondered why mine seemed super long as others around me were doing so many different moves.  (Everyone at this point looks like they are dancing in their living  rooms to the Old Time Rock and Roll =D Love it!!  So yeah, I wasn’t even told what I did wrong..just six weeks I got the big FAILED :”'( Practical results.  Talk about a damper on my career..what was wrong with me I questioned.  Not getting the best of me a month later took a shot at it again..Soul shakin and earth trembling when in there ready to conquor, take on the work and would you know same ol pair of jeans went in there with the same mistake..6 weeks later FAIL 🙁 Okay, wasn’t meant to do this forget it, I am done, the earth shattering my world 🙁 With a pick me up from my soul support, my amazing husband encouraged me to do it again..I did I booked it!  I went in the 3rd time..3rd times a charm right???  Well, the day I had my retest was the day we had our practice for our Christmas play so there was no better place to be than New Covenant right before :’)  Walking into the aquatic center I noticed it was the same instructor I had at the second certification.  I did not feel easy about this at first in fact I wanted to run out the door.  No, this was in fact a Blessing!  What she said to me as soon as I walked in I must have seriously looked like a deer in headlights!  She said, do you know why you failed last time?  Ahhhhhh, she remembers me I thought!!  I said, I didn’t do my Individual presentation correctly?????  She said no, and she said if you had me as an instructor the first time I would have never been there the second time.  That was encouraging she then had me perform two exercises for each group prior to actually doing our practical.  So there were many blessings in disguise this day and my experience has been great.  Six looooong weeks later, even though this time I did feel confident enough that I had passed.  Just that need to see that PASS finally was the yearn I needed to fulfill!!  This journey, this entire road is an incredible learning experience of my personal growth and experience.  Not only does this make my career as a Zumba Fitness Instructor right here in Buffalo, NY more rewarding and effective but it sets the stage of what the future possibilities hold in store for my health and fitness destination.  I Love What I Do and I Love the People I am growing with every day!

THE INDIVIDUAL PRESENTATION

Keep it simple…teach your class what works best for your body and that you can kick butt teaching in your class.  This should be the easiest part because you are doing this to teach your class, right!?! =D If this is a read before your are going for your exam like the many, many articles I needed to read time and time again prior to each and every testing 😛 Have faith and know you got this!  If your are that nervous you can borrow mine….Now Go Get Certified!!!!! =D