On The Kangoo Path: CPR, AED, cueing, and studying for the test

Yesterday was the CPR/AED training, which has to be completed before the AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America) certification can be issued. I scheduled it this early because I wanted the CPR out of the way before I had to start studying seriously for the September 23 class and test. My thanks go to Michelle Law, who was both encouraging and matter-of-fact in teaching the class.

Other ongoing preparation I’ve chosen to help get me ready for the AFAA class includes making flash cards of the muscles I want to learn the names of, crunches and other ab work so the middle of me matches my arms and legs better (OK, that’s vanity as well as prep work), and paying more attention to the cueing in my Kangoo and zumba classes.

Let me make a brief digression here to explain what cueing is. Cueing is when you let the students know what is coming next, either verbally, by body language, whistling to let them know the next transition is at hand, or any other means that communicates effectively. It’s like a classroom teacher planning for effective transitions between activities, except that you cue new moves much more frequently than you change classroom activities. To be able to remember the choreography (or the exercise progression), perform the choreography yourself, and cue the students in the class to what move comes next, all while facing a room full of people who are (more or less) following what you are doing --- this is a skill that comes easier to some people than others. I am counting on the idea that practice will improve the skill if it’s there at all.

While waiting for the official study materials to arrive, I had checked out a couple books from the public library --- Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training and Group Strength Training, second edition.) Today the package from AFAA arrived. I was not expecting Fitness: Theory & Practice to be a thick hardcover book; it is. There’s also an Exercise Standards & Guidelines Reference Manual, a practice test, a study guide to help you pace yourself and self-test to see what you have learned adequately, and a DVD that covers some of the same material in a way visual learners will appreciate. Right now, I am going to hunker down with some milk and cookies and skim through the book to see what all I have to learn in 30 days. Wish me luck!