The Kangoo Jumps® Instructor Adventure Begins

Welcome back. I am reviving Loraine Says So to let those who are interested follow my progress in becoming a licensed Kangoo Jumps® instructor. Posting it “in public” will also help me hold myself accountable for following through on the plan, step by step. If you’ve read some of the earlier posts here, you may remember I need that kind of outside feedback. You know, I give in to peer pressure easily so please pressure me to do what I said I should be doing. I really envy people who are more self-directed and don’t need outside encouragement, but that’s apparently not me.

The story begins in August 2011, when I tried on a pair of Kangoo Jumps boots for the first time. Chakaboom Fitness, my zumba instructors, added Kangoo to the classes they offered. Jumping has never been my favorite part of zumba, but the KJ boots absorb about 80% of the impact, so I figured I would try it. It was probably the hardest workout I have ever finished! I loved it. I went to class as often as they offered it, first twice a week, then three times (when I could), and this summer even four times some weeks.

In October 2011 I bought my own pair of boots. This was partly because wearing them as often as I did it would not take that long to “save” the cost of the boots by not having to pay to rent them. The other reason was because I figured I could get better at it faster if I wore the same pair of boots every time, rather than whatever pair was available. The best part of buying the boots was in the instructions. They actually say not to wear them for too long at a time because it may cause euphoria. YES! Bring on the euphoria! (We can discuss this more in a later blog, OK?)

I will fill in some of the details about the KJ workout and intervening months in later blogs, but I don’t want this one to end up as long as War and Peace. Short version, I jumped a lot, learned my best timing for eating before and after class, got cramps in muscles I never knew were there, started studying how muscles work, and kept on jumping like a little kid on a pogo stick after candy. Good times!

In mid-July 2012, my instructor mentioned that there would a KJ instructor licensing class at our site on August 12, in case anyone was interested. I went back and forth for four weeks deciding whether or not to try this. (Another blog on that decision process later, remember, no War and Peace today.) Two days before the class I decided and signed up. I now felt committed to doing this.

During the decision process, I discovered that in addition to the KJ instructor training, I would have to take and pass the certification for group fitness instructor through a major fitness organization (paper test and practical demo of skills), get my CPR/AED certification, and actually teach a KJ sequence (although I can submit that as a video). Doing the KJ first means I got what amounts to a certificate of attendance until I pass the other two hurdles.  (Since you ask, more details on the training later too.)

Here is the timing for what’s left.

• August 21, CPR/AED training
• August 22, study materials should arrive so I can study for AFAA test

• September 23, AFAA group fitness instructor training and test
• October (tentative), shoot video of me teaching KJ (plan still not clear for this) and submit it
• Later in October, hopefully receive KJ license to teach, celebrate like crazy, and find a way to start teaching Kangoo Jumps for beginners

Naturally, intense planner that I am, there are smaller step breakdowns for the studying and practicing for leading class. We’ll save those for another blog, another day.

Did I mention that I will turn 60 next February? I’m still figuring out if that is something I can use as a marketing asset to recruit students (Hey, if I can do it, YOU can do it), or if I should just ignore it because it’s irrelevant. Got an opinion on this? Feel free to share it.

So, this adventure has begun. Let’s see where it leads. Until next time, Loraine