An Unlikely Fitness Professional

I can still remember my sweaty palms and racing heart when it was time to "pick teams". I dreaded P.E. I was picked last for every team. I (gladly) spent most of my school years sitting on the sidelines. There was one time in 6th grade when I was so paralyzed by fear that I chose a trip to the principal’s office rather than go up to bat during softball. If my 6th grade P.E. teacher could see me now!

I’m not sitting on the sidelines anymore. For the past 12 years I’ve inspired thousands of kids across the country to be active every day. I created a non-profit youth fitness company, ElectriKids, to reach out to kids who don’t excel at team sports. ElectriKids leads high-energy, educational, and interactive fitness assemblies in elementary schools. The kids move to music, find their heart rate, work their muscles, stretch, get plenty sweaty, and most importantly, have fun being active.

After years of avoiding P.E. whenever possible, how did I find myself on stage preaching the benefits of P.E. to school kids? My journey began in an after school dance class. I found a way that I could excel at exercise. Back then, I never thought of dancing as exercise. It was just fun. I continued dancing through high school and college. As graduation approached, I wondered about my career. What kind of life would I have trying to make it as a professional dancer? I considered being a teacher, or going into children’s television. But something in the back of my mind was always nagging me. What if I had "two left feet" and didn’t grow up dancing? I’d probably be sedentary today. I loved the confidence that being so active gave me, and I wanted to share that experience with the next generation of kids.

I went on to get certified by the American Council on Exercise, and created a youth fitness program that could appeal to all kids- including the "rhythmically-challenged" and "sideline-sitters." The dance component of the program is cleverly disguised- I always refer to it as a workout. Every kick and turn is balanced with a squat and bicep curl. The funky "Muscle Mania Rap" is balanced with fitness trivia questions. Inclusion is the key- the school’s star athlete should be having as much fun as the chess champ.

Today there are more alternatives to being active than ever. If kids are awkward on the playing field, they can easily settle into a sedentary life of computer games and text messaging. As I look out into my pig-tailed and freckle-faced audience during an assembly, I wonder how much of an impact I’m making. Sure, the day I’m on campus the kids are bursting with excitement about exercise- "Coach Kristen, feel how fast my heart is beating!" "Look how big my muscles are!" But how long can my message last?

The statistics are alarming. The percentage of children who are overweight has more than doubled in the past thirty years. Today’s children expend only half the calories compared to kids forty years ago. There is so much more I can do to make a lasting impression. Workbooks should accompany my assemblies. My web site should be more interactive. I should be training more instructors. And where is that dvd I’ve been meaning to make for years? Like a lot of working moms, there is never enough time in the day. So for now I’m happy to be doing my part to light a spark in the kids’ fitness explosion. Hopefully that spark will encourage more sideline-sitters like me to enjoy a life-long love of exercise.