Making big life changes is never a comfortable ride, so it isn’t surprising that we would sometimes prefer to cruise along in our personal comfort zones rather than stretch our limits. Fortunately, it is rarely necessary to make drastic upheavals to our lives in order to start moving towards the future we desire. Whether you already have experience in a dance, teaching or fitness-related industry; are a talented hobbyist or simply like the idea of starting off in a whole new direction, there is a way into the dance fitness industry for you.

The Professional

There are many professional backgrounds that are relevant to a career in dance fitness. If you have a performing arts background you will quickly be able to adapt your body awareness and choreography skills to a fitness workout, while personal trainers should have the physical co-ordination and stamina to master the rigours of dance.

Dance fitness also requires an arsenal of personal skills: the ability to control a class of different personalities; the patience to work with those of limited ability; the creativity to come up with new and stimulating routines and the organisational skills to keep your business running efficiently. Therefore teachers, artists and even accountants should find something in their professions that will stand them in good stead for a dance fitness career.

If you already work in the industry, you are in a prime position to make valuable contacts en route to starting out on your own two feet. As long as you’re careful not to allow a conflict of interests to undermine your employed role, you should be able to do some valuable market research simply by talking to the people you come into contact with on a daily basis. Find out what classes they do, what they like and dislike about them and what kind of classes would suit them best. You might also be able to get an idea of reasonable venue prices and good quality suppliers.

The Hobbyist

There is no reason why a passionate dance hobbyist can’t reach the lifestyle potential of a seasoned pro. The younger you are, the easier it will probably be for you to adjust your life to incorporate more of what you love to do. That doesn’t mean that it’s ever too late to become a dance fitness instructor, it just often requires more planning and negotiation (e.g. if you have family commitments to work around).

It is important to understand that teaching dance fitness professionally requires the development of a range of technical, business and personal skills. For example, you will need to learn about the anatomy of the body, how to avoid injury by following good practise and skills in effectively communicating to a diverse group of people. While the Street Fit® Instructors’ Course will give you the foundational skills and certification you need, it is your own determination and willingness to develop that will ultimately bring you success.

The Uninitiated

Even those who have marvelled at the skills of a street dance troupe but never visited a street dance class could end up making a living from dance fitness. Street Fit® Instructors’ Courses are affordable and open to anyone, although we do recommend you take part in a few preliminary classes before taking on our ultimate Hip Hop Workout®. If you’re lucky, there may be a Street Fit® Instructor teaching classes in a town or city near you!

No More ‘Job for Life’

We’re living in uncertain times. There was once such a thing as a ‘job for life’, and many of our parents (or at least grandparents) expected to get a job straight from school and slowly advance through the ranks as they gained experience. Not any more. According to research from global market analysts, Mintel, one in three workers now remain in a job for less than two years.

Although the quest for money was the most popular reason for  the one in five respondents looking to move on, taking on a new challenge and starting a new career were also cited as motivation. Then there are those who inadvertently find themselves in the job market as a result of redundancy (there were 172,000 redundancies in the first three months of 2012, up 2 per cent from last year*). With government public service spending curtailed by national debt, and cash-strapped companies outsourcing and offshoring work, these trends are not set to reverse any time soon.

Even those who can hang on to their jobs may find themselves underemployed as employers reduce hours, and with interest rates low, the money they do earn will do precious little in a savings account.

Two Types of Change

What does all this have to do with Street Fit®?

If there ever was an ideal time to reconsider your career options, it’s right now. Are you secure in your job, happy in your work and confident in the prospect of making a comfortable living from it? If the answer to any of these questions is no, then perhaps it’s time you took matters into your own hands.

There are two ways in which life can change: through external circumstances or through internal effort. In today’s economy, external circumstances rarely change in the employees favour.

Google’s statistics have picked up on a search trend which highlights what many people are doing to effect change in their finances: they are exploring new ways to make money. In 2011, the number of self-employed people in the UK topped 4 million for the first time in recorded history. People are clearly becoming disillusioned with the world of employment and are looking to do it for themselves.

The Entrepreneur Effect

You won’t need reminding of the popularity of dance fitness and, in a supply-demand economy, that bodes well for entrepreneurs who want to break into the industry. With the ability to charge a healthy fee for class membership, Street Fit® instructors can anticipate annual earnings of £20,000 or above.  Add to this the intrinsic value of doing a job you love, and you can see why so many people are taking control of their futures by becoming street dance fitness entrepreneurs.

Are you ready to be a player in the new age of the entrepreneur?

* ONS Labour Market Statistics, May 2012

Not just a dance instructor

Back in the Seventies and Eighties, when aerobic dance was becoming established as a commercial success, most instructors had enough on their plate learning the fundamentals of their chosen form, attracting customers and coming up with choreography. In today’s fickle, high-paced market, the rules have changed.

Enter the hybrid instructor. Today’s professionals in the dance fitness business need to know more than ever before as the previous division between dance instructor and personal fitness trainer becomes increasingly blurred. The terminology has also changed: the term ‘aerobics instructor’ is rarely heard now, with many fitpros marketing themselves as ‘group fitness instructors’.  Dance instructors now need to have a good understanding of physiology and motivational techniques, etc. which is why Street Fit® Instructors are encouraged to take advantage of monthly membership to access exclusive content and build upon the strong foundations built during the Instructors’ course.

What value can you add?

Understanding the changing requirements of fitness professionals will give Street Fit® Instructors the advantage over competitors who think it is enough to learn the moves and perform in front of a class. In a previous post, we talked about the increasing popularity of small group training and this is the ideal platform for demonstrating your knowledge of how diet, exercise, posture and mental attitude combine to enable people to reach their fitness and weight loss goals. Adding extra value to your classes in this way will go a long way towards building a loyal and committed customer base.

Of course, you should never overstep your boundaries and claim expertise in areas you have no real qualifications in, but it may be worth considering taking on extra training once you are pulling in a decent income; after all, you can usually claim the costs back against tax as an allowable expense.

Other ways to mix it up

Even if you prefer to stick to being a great Hip Hop Workout® leader, with minimal involvement in fitness training, there are other was in which you can diversify your portfolio and make use of non-dance skills. For example, if you are interested in the latest technology, you could explore the possibility of offering dance classes over the internet or creating DVDs. If writing is your forte, you might enjoy setting up a regular dance fitness blog and/or newsletter. Are you knowledgeable about diet and nutrition? Perhaps you could provide recipes or diet tips for your members.

The important message to take home is that the age of the hybrid instructor is upon us, and you need to make use of every opportunity to keep up with the best.

With all the literature floating around on the internet, you might be forgiven for thinking that detox is a modern invention. In fact, detox has been practiced for centuries by many different cultures, and the ayurvedic and Chinese medicine systems all place great value on detoxifying the body. But what are toxins and where do they come from?

Toxins Harm the Body

Toxins are natural or artificial chemicals that have been found to have a harmful effect on the interior or exterior of the body. They come from:

Many people now believe that certain additives in food (e.g. colourings, MSG and aspartame) are harmful to the body, although there is plenty of debate about exactly what is harmful and how bad it is for us. Pesticides, insecticides, heavy metals (e.g. mercury) and other toxic chemicals can also leech into food, while micro-organisms on food that hasn’t been stored safely can reproduce in enough numbers to cause food poisoning. It’s not just about the food we ingest: a low fibre diet increases the risk of constipation, allowing harmful micro-organisms to multiply within the intestines, while certain foods can break down into toxic substances like the infamous free radicals that damage cells.

In terms of fluid, water can be contaminated with all sorts of toxins, from ammonia and chlorine to Prozac! Alcohol is another toxin; its bi-products concentrate in cell membranes and affect the functioning of the body.

Air pollution includes carbon monoxide, a deadly gas created when fuel is burned without adequate oxygen, and methane. Our air is polluted in many ways: factories, cars and even smokers release toxins into the air.

Some toxins have an effect simply by being in contact with the skin, while stress itself can cause excessive amounts of certain hormones to be released into the blood. Not only are these toxic in themselves, they also slow down the action of detoxification enzymes in the liver.

The Symptoms of Toxic Accumulation

Apart from the severe symptoms associated with food poisoning and other acute instances of exposure to toxins (yes – including a hangover!), the need for a detox may be signified by chronic lack of energy, regular colds, aches and pains, mood swings and poor digestion.

How Your Body Cleans Itself

Although the liver is one of the main organs involved in detoxification (removing toxins from the blood), the body works as a unit to cleanse itself. The lungs, skin, white blood cells and intestines all work together to break down and expel harmful substances from the body. Unfortunately, there is only a certain amount of toxins that can be removed by the body itself and those that remain cause untold harm to the body. With humans having added over 120,000 chemicals to the environment and fresh natural food giving way to processed convenience varieties, there is simply too much for the body to handle.

How to Detox

Fasting, or changing to a liquid diet, can take the burden off an overworked digestive system, helping it to cleanse itself, but this should not be done to extreme and it is wise to consult your GP if you plan to significantly alter your diet. Abstaining from alcohol, cigarettes, refined sugars, saturated fats and other stimulating substances (e.g. caffeine) will benefit your system as you cut down on the amount of toxins entering your body. Keeping water levels high will also help to cleanse the system. Household cleaning and personal care products may also be toxic so consider switching to natural alternatives.

There are also lots of specialist detox diets on the internet and in health publications. Some recommend high amounts of fibre to scrape the intestines clear, while others include foods thought to have purifying properties. Some diets focus on particular organs, for example the liver, while others provide a more general detox. While some diets are backed by the latest research, others are more theory-based, so use your own judgement when choosing one to follow. Bear in mind the advice in previous posts about a dancer’s energy requirements. If you plan to fast, you should do this at a time when you are not training or teaching (e.g. during a week off).

The skin can also be detoxed: Saunas and ‘hot yoga’ are designed to increase the rate of perspiration, while skin-brushing removes toxins from the surface of the skin. Try out yoga, meditation and qigong if you have problems with relaxation.

Street Fit®, along with any other high-paced exercise workout, is itself a fun, effective way to detox – one of the best methods to follow! With your lungs and circulation working faster, toxins are removed more quickly from the body, while perspiration helps to cleanse the skin.

If you have some spare cash you might opt for one of the more luxury detox aids out there, for example colonic irrigation, a body wrap, massage or a facial. Some spars and retreats even offer specialised dietary and exercise advice.

Moving on:  staying clear of toxins

Whilst a certain amount of toxins are inevitable (and can easily be dealt with by a healthy adult’s body), consider implementing the following lifestyle changes:

1.       Increase fibre content

Buy organic fruit and veg (which will also have less exposure to pesticides) and substitute white for brown rice and bread.

2.       Care for your liver

A healthy liver is key to keeping clear of toxins. Protect it with herbs such as milk thistle, dandelion root and burdock. Try drinking green tea occasionally.

3.       Think C for cleansing

Vitamin C is involved in the production of glutathione in the liver, a compound which promotes detoxification. It is best to get your vitamin C from your diet rather than as a supplement.

4.       Breathe deeply

Deep breathing not only promotes relaxation, it aids in the flow of oxygen around the body.

5.       Exercise!

Fortunately for those in the street dance fitness industry, exercise is one of the best ways to detox, one more reason to kick out the couch and take up the Hip Hop Workout® habit!