“Both of my children went to preschool here and we’ve been members for about 8 years. I started taking group exercise classes when my youngest was in preschool about 5 years ago. Step was one of the first classes I took, along with kickboxing and HIIT. It was my first time taking these kinds of classes. I had some friends who took the classes with me, and I started with two classes a week, then three classes a week, and now I’m here Monday through Friday at 9:00am for classes. It was hard for me to find the motivation to exercise on my own. I like that the other people taking the classes hold you accountable in ways. It’s encouraging to know that if I’m not here, they’ll notice. I like the atmosphere, it’s friendly and energetic. A few months ago, I heard that the Y was looking for group ex instructors and someone in one of my classes said I should become an instructor. It stayed in the back of my head. I had been thinking about what I wanted to do next now that both of my kids are in school. I don’t need to be home all the time. Then, an instructor asked if I had thought about it. I decided to take a group exercise instructor training and took a test to teach classes. I also became Barre certified. This week, I’m going to start subbing for classes like HIIT and Barefoot Fusion. I feel like I’m about to start a new career. I haven’t worked in 10 years – I’ve been stay-at-home until now – and I’m excited to start a new job.”