Almost Half Way!

I am a student at the National Personal Training Institute (NPTI). I started at the end of September 2013, but my education in fitness began many years ago. I played many sports throughout my childhood, high school & college years. I took many dance classes during that time & have been a group fitness junkie, worked with many personal trainers & have belonged to many gyms in the Seattle area since 1997. I guess it's always been in my nature to be active. I'm a competitor at heart.

I had my 2nd baby in April of 2012. Due to a fussy (nursing) baby I eliminated dairy from my diet. In addition to daily walks & starting Zumba a few days a week (when baby was about 6 months old), I became much more conscious of eating whole foods. Suddenly I had lost nearly 15% of my pre-pregnancy body weight. I was feeling more energetic, having an easier time digesting & I was sleeping better.

I guess a lightbulb went on for me. At 42, I realized I had always been interested in fitness, but I now I wanted to help other people feel better. I wanted to learn more about how the body works...how nutrition & physical activity can affect immunity & energy. I intuitively understood these things, but I wanted the text & practical knowledge. After a bit of research, I decided I needed to go to school, not just study online & take a test. I wanted some classroom time, to interact with peers who were as engaged & interested as I am, and a gym where I could put my learning to the test on a daily basis.

Thus began my education at NPTI. The end goal is a Personal Trainer certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). There are many other certifications I'm interested in, but for now this is my focus.

On this blog I'll share my learning, my fitness ponderings & possibly other topics about which other folks have questions. I hope you'll join me. It's going to be a fun ride!

I'm nearly 1/2 way into my time at NPTI. That's 20 hours a week in class & in the gym since late September. And I'm not done until late March of 2014. I'm twice the age of most of the other students, I'm limited by some flexibility & mobility issues, but I'm doing it.

I hope you'll join me as I learn & share. Even better, come join me at a bootcamp or a clinic. I'll let you know where I'll be, when I'm hosting/teaching or when there's a learning opportunity. I know it's hard to make time, but trust me, it's worth it. I promise.