Click "Shop Now" for 10% off your Purchase!  Discount/affiliate code is "Sarasota".

                                                           Article from Sarasota Herald Tribune - October 2012 


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                      Beth's Recommendations to Weight Loss & Fitness

                     Article by Beth Golden, AFAA Licensed Fitness Professional and Licensed Zumba® Instructor

Always a work in progress but here are some tips I have gained from my learning experiences both good and bad:

1)  Don't compare your body to others in class or the instructor.  This is a confidence killer.  Don't get defeated by focusing on this.
2)  Look at exercise as a pleasure and a privilege.  Haven't there been so many times in your life you had no time to exercise while raising a family or building your career?  If you are making the time now, look at it as a luxury.  I know I do.
3)  Make it your goal to do some form of exercise 5-6 days a week.  This can include low impact exercise such as a walk or a swim.  We live in Florida so take advantage of the beauty! 
4)  Work to take your exercise to new levels of intensity.  No explanation needed!
5)  Decide how you are going to exercise the day before.  Check this website for the Zumba® class schedule, decide if you are coming to class, if not plan on fitting something else in.  It's similar to eating healthy, you have to plan it!
6)  Focus on short term fitness goals - those infomercials where people lose 60 pounds in 60 days are always fixed.  My children and I have been in the modeling industry and believe me these commercials are set up.  Just as there are tryouts for so called "reality" shows, these infomercials are the same.  If you watch close you will see the disclaimer flash by you on the screen.  Advertising claims are very loosely regulated.   Plan on losing weight somewhat slowly, just how you gained it.  Over time and you will keep it off!
7)  Watch out for advertised and claimed  "healthy foods".  I have met so many well meaning people who will argue with me how wine and dark chocolate are needed and healthy for you.  Sure a little bit won't hurt you, but 2 glasses of wine and you are getting the same calories as a Krispie Kreme donut.  Wine and chocolate are not a daily healthy indulgence.  Hey I love chocolate too, but I know how much I have to exercise the remove the calories gained from an indulgent dessert.   Again, the food and beverage industry has big bucks as well as FDA people in their pocket, don't expect them to tell you the truth.
8)   Eliminate "diet drinks" from your day.  Look around at obese people you know who drink diet colas all day long.  It's not helping them.  Many experts in the field now feel that the chemicals in these drinks can actually preserve fat cells.  Water, water with lemon, water with lime, teas - try to switch to these drinks as much as possible.  If any food or beverage has more chemicals on the label than you can pronounce, don't do it.  Again, don't think our government is sitting there protecting your health.  They are being paid by big businesses to get their products to market.
9)   Start buying so much fresh food you actually have to cook.  Ditch the preservatives.  You'll feel better.
10)  Check out the PETA website.  Guaranteed you will eat less meat.  The more you read about packinghouses, the less red meat you will eat.  I love Linda McCartney's quote, something like:  If packinghouses had windows, no one would eat meat again.  By the way you will also be helping the planet by less meat consumption.  Win, win!

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                                                 Zumba Fitness voted one of the top trends of 2011 by People Magazine
                             





                             Are You Thinking About Becoming a Zumba® Instructor?

                Article by Beth Golden, AFAA Licensed Fitness Professional & Zumba® Instructor
So many of you ask me about this topic it is worthwhile to add it as general information on this site.  I want to give my class participants the best shot for success with Zumba Fitness. 

I am glad Zumba® makes you feel so happy that you are thinking about becoming an instructor, but make sure you are ready for the commitment first so you are successful.  Some suggestions that you are requesting are below, these are my professional opinions only:

1)  Remember that Zumba Fitness LLC is a for-profit company.  In addition to your initial licensing fees, you will have a monthly fee to become part of the Zumba Instructor Network.  I find it very worthwhile as this helps market my classes, but when you are first starting out it is an additional cost to consider.

2)  Also remember that the first licensing you will take is only one of many.  Zumba® gets flack from some in the fitness industry for licensing many people with only 8 hours of training.   From Zumba® corporate's standpoint, they are welcoming more people from all walks of life into the fitness industry; and they want you to take more training with Zumba® or other sources so you become better prepared.  So your B1 Zumba® training is just the beginning of this journey.

3)  Everyone from your B1 trainer to myself will recommend you get either your AFAA or your ACE group fitness certification in addition to your Zumba® licensings.  If you don't know a transverse abdominus from a rectus abdominis, trust me you need this training.  Have you been to fitness classes where the move did nothing for your body?  Or where the instructor did an unsafe move?  Help avoid these unprofessional pitfalls.   To find out more go to either:

                                                                                www.AFAA.com 
                                                                                         or
                                                                          www.ACEFitness.org
                                                 to sign up for your Group Fitness Teaching Certification

Most gyms will require your Group X eventually from you, and you will be more confident as well as having more credibility on your resume.   It's hard to promote yourself as an expert in your field after only an 8 hour Zumba® Basic Training.  So get that AFAA manual and start reading!   For those of you who are already in the fitness industry teaching and have your Group X, you are good to go!

4)  Where do I start teaching?  A best case scenario for you is to take over a class someone else has already built and is leaving for whatever reason, moving etc.  You have a ready made class!  A lot of people teach at gyms or YMCA's for this reason, (participants are already there) plus you often get a free gym membership as a benefit.

5)  You will want to get liability insurance if you are not covered by a large gym or YMCA.  Your AFAA and ACE sites are good resources for this.  Most places you teach at will require this.  Figure approx another $150-300 per year.  You will also want a valid CPR/AED card.  This cost is minimal and extremely worth it.

6)  If you are thinking of a start-up, I recommend you go to www.zumba.com and key in the zip code you want to teach in and see if there are unemployed instructors already in that area.  Try to find an area that doesn't have a lot of instructors teaching nearby.  Some instructors on the network may have decided they don't want to teach and just love being part of the group, but I know from experience some of them are looking for jobs.  Your best bet for success is to be prepared to take a lot of training if you are new to the fitness industry.  Keep your regular job and do fitness in between.    

To recap:  You know I will support each of you 100%.  You have seen new instructors in my classes doing warm-ups and cool-downs.  It may not be as easy to start as the website materials may make it seem so just read the above and prepare.
It IS a party!  and we want you!  Just know upfront about the costs, time and energy you need to be a success.  Model the behavior and you can do it!

                                                                      Zumba Love to each of you!
                                                               

                          
                                                        Article from Natural Awakenings Magazine - Dec 2012