Betty's Blog: Fitness GA Meets the East and North, July 1, 2011

Howdy bloggers!  Where do I begin?!

I just returned from my first fitness trip: Zumba (Latin-inspired dance-fitness workout program) in Houston and the Fitness Institute in Hartford, Connecticut! Can you say beautiful and successful trip? Yeppers, indeed! So let me begin from the very start, my name is Betty Castillo and I’m the graduate assistant, or GA,  for fitness at Texas A&M Rec Sports. As the GA of fitness, I overlook specialty programs, teach group fitness classes and help other fitness programs.  Just so you know- my goals/learning objectives for this summer blog are:

1. Update you with the latest fitness trends across North America
2. Share my experiences of health awareness from cities all over the United States and Mexico
3. Share my learning experiences as the Group Fitness Graduate Assistant

My trip began June 12^th, where I received my B2 certification in Zumba in Houston, Texas with Julie Kelly, if you have not heard of Zumba here’s your chance! Zumba is one of the latest, successful fitness trends in the last decade! It is a worldwide phenomenon! This thrilling cardio dance class will guarantee a fun time and great work out! The B2 certification consisted of styles including: belly dancing, samba, flamenco, and tango. YES!  I cannot wait to go back and share all the new and exciting classes at the Texas A&M Recreation Center!  Aside from Zumba, I was able to fit in a BootCamp work out with my friend at 5:00AM and teach Zumba to the Afton Village Alligators swim team. They absolutely loved it, the best thing, no dance experience was required.  Now if you ask me, what should you do if you are in a non-stop, always on the go city, like Houston, for your work outs? TIP #1: Find inspiration, keep the love and look for change. Find something that challenges your body needs and inspires you to keep on going! Keep the love in your body by making sure you allow muscle recovery and feed it well. Lastly, if you find yourself doing the same ol’ routine- look for change!

My trip continued on June 14^th, where I headed to Hartford, Connecticut for the NIRSA Fitness & Wellness Institute and Pre-workshop with Gay Gasper,  the “whatttt” You ask? Yes, NIRSA (National Intramurals Recreational Sports Association) invites all fitness assistant directors from universities all over the nation to get together to share the latest ideas and trends of fitness and wellness in recreational sports. In this conference, not only did I meet tons of directors but I also got the opportunity to see what’s popular on the Hartford campus!  Ideas shared included: spinn-athon, zumba-thons, walk for fitness, sports nutrition for sport clubs, yoga for men and much more! As we all know, all universities are different yet we all want to see each other succeed and make an impact on the students’ life. Our One Goal: to encourage students to stay engaged in a healthy living lifestyle. 

The must know about Connecticut, TIP #2: Hartford had the beautiful sightseeing and weather, so forget that dunkin’ donut and hit the city, take a walk!

Well, I hoped you enjoyed this blog and cannot wait to hear what your thoughts are! 

Stay fit, thanks & Gig ‘Em!