Health Fitness Philosophy essay-final version

My health and fitness philosophy is derived from my career as a classical musician. While I am currently a personal trainer, Bootcamp and group fitness instructor for a health club in San Francisco, I have 25 years' experience as a private flute teacher, chamber music coach, public speaker and national presenter. Although the two professions may be different, my passions have been the same: understanding how people learn and then using my understanding to be of service to them.

My philosophy is summed up in one motto: "Yes, you can". I believe that peoples' mindsets, children or adults, are a critical determinant to whether they achieve their desires. My own temperament is naturally up-beat and optimistic. I have a can-do attitude and expect success in most situations. I believe that from beliefs flows action and behavior. The adage "whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" is absolutely correct in my opinion. From teaching flute as well as training clients, I have seen people with exceptional talent and skill underachieve due to a lack of faith in themselves. Conversely, less talented folks have reached seemingly impossible goals through great intelligence, determination and perseverance.

The specifics of my philosophy include: working with people as part of a team, assisting them in identifying their goals, meeting them where they're at and helping them create a realistic plan in which to achieve their goals. I am their collaborator, not a fitness guru. Clients may want to follow me thinking that I have more knowledge and/or experience. However they are the experts on their own lives. I am not interested in being blindly followed, therefore I prefer to walk along side my clients and gently guide them towards better health and well-being. To me, an effective leader is one who leads by example. In evaluating leaders, I ask the question: do they "walk the walk and talk the talk"? In my opinion, leaders' beliefs and attitudes are best demonstrated by their actions. My fervent desire in working with clients is to promote their self-awareness, cultivate independent thinking and increase their self-confidence.

I also include a healthy dose of humor. I love to exercise and understand that many of my clients do not. A light-hearted quip from me will often get clients laughing. Perhaps they start to have fun during our sessions. At the very least, humor can be a positive distraction from endless lunges and squats!

My health and fitness philosophy has also been influenced by my personal reading. I am a voracious reader and have read material on sports psychology, martial arts, Eastern philosophy, applied positive psychology, nutrition, food production, brain fitness and neuro-plasticity. Authors I have read include Terry Orlick, Don Greene, George Leonard, Martin Seligman, Jeffrey Schwartz, Sharon Begley, Norman Doidge, the Dalai Lama, Daniel Goleman, Michael Pollan, Gary Taubes and Eric Schlosser among others. In addition to reading about martial arts, I trained in kempo karate, chi-gung and T'ai Chi for a number of years earning the rank of brown belt in karate and becoming a certified T'ai Chi instructor. My main goal at the time was to earn my black belt and open a dojo for women and girls, helping them become more emotionally empowered and independent through physical training in martial arts. A number of significant injuries prevented me from achieving my goal, however, this experience led to my current career in health and fitness.

The major theme in my reading has been the intersection of mind and body and how one influences the other. I continue to be enthralled with the subject matter. My on-going desire is to find ways to apply what I've read. The Health Promotion Management program at American University, particularly the multi-disciplinary focus, seems to offer the most effective structure and environment to assist me in synthesizing and building on my years of informal learning.

My career objectives are to continue helping people learn about themselves and apply that learning to assisting them in crafting more healthy, happy, satisfying lives. Given my interests and beliefs, the field of wellness is a natural progression for me and a culmination of my previous careers. Obtaining an advanced degree such as the Master's program at American University offers me the education, tools and skills I need to continue my work.