How did I get here?
Isn’t that a question we all ask at some point? How DID I get here??? Or maybe it’s more like “How in the WORLD did I get here??” Well, I can tell you that there have been a bunch of dots - a variety of my experiences over many years - that have connected to create this moment.
Connecting the dots
I have been a group fitness enthusiast since the early days of high-impact aerobics (picture this: 1980’s style wearing my Reeboks, scrunchy leg warmers, and sweat band!) I took classes at a place called “Fantasy Island” (seriously, that was the name, I don’t even want to know what the owners were thinking when they chose that name!) It was a store-front with one large room and I remember thinking “Wouldn’t it be cool to own a place like this one day (with a much better name…)?” I was never serious about it, but I must admit over the years every now and then it would cross my mind, even as recently as the past 5 years.
“Back in the day” you didn’t really need a certificate to teach aerobics -- if you were one of the front-row students (guilty as charged), got to know the teacher, and were interested, you could start teaching. And so it began -- I taught at a really small gym while in grad school which was a great way to exercise for free (and even make a few dollars).
My formal education is a Bachelors of Business Administration/Marketing and an MBA/Masters of Computer Science which doesn’t exactly shout out Yoga or Fitness Instructor. But yet, here’s that dot again...
My yoga journey began over 20 years ago when I started taking yoga classes to address an achy upper back and shoulders caused from too many hours working at a computer (can you relate?). At the time I was taking classes that were very physically challenging, and although my muscles would be shaking at the end, I felt calm and relaxed. It was just what I needed to manage the stresses of working and raising two young kids (with one more still to come). After practicing yoga for 10 years, I decided to share my love of yoga with others by becoming an instructor in what I called my “hobby” job.
In the meantime, I left the world of high-tech and turned to my community to work part-time at local non-profits in marketing/communications/ fundraising. This afforded me time to teach a few more classes - dot, dot, dot…
Fast forward to 2015 and another dot - I was approached to teach a Keep it Moving class at Washington Hospital Wellness Center. Teaching this class has brought such joy to my life as it aligns perfectly with my beliefs that we need to age actively, it’s never too late to start, and that socializing is an important component of staying healthy.
Then 2020 arrived -- need I say more? On day one of shelter-in-place I attended a training on how to use Zoom to teach classes, and by the end of the week I had contacted my current students to get virtual classes going. Ah-ha, that tech background did come in handy....(see how the dots are connecting?)
The last dot is that the time is right for Keep Moving with Sherri. My youngest daughter graduated high school and I’ve been ready to figure out what’s next for me, and how to expand my fitness and yoga teaching so that even more of you can feel more energized, more balanced, stronger, and calmer. We’ve all experienced the benefits of doing this at-home-virtual-exercising thing, and honestly for me, it’s been more fun than I expected.
Which brings me right here — a bunch of connected dots plus supportive and encouraging family, friends, and students. I am super excited to be launching Keep Moving with Sherri and excited to have you create more dots with me!
Fitness credentials: YogaFit Teaching Certificate, Yoga Alliance approved 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training from MindBodyZone, AFAA Group Exercise Instructor Certification, SCW Fit Active Aging Certificates
Teaching experience: Washington Hospital Wellness Center (current), Mission Hills Racquet and Swim Club, Club Sport Fremont, Mansion Grove Apartments (Santa Clara, CA)