What is your background with exercise and fitness training?
Prior to taking the Exercise To Music qualification I was a Zumba Basic and Zumba Gold Instructor
Why did you choose the course you did?
Partly because it was becoming more and more apparent that the ETM was going to become a requirement for teaching Zumba, but also because I wanted a new challenge and it would open up more career opportunities for me.
Why did you choose HFE to deliver your training?
Initially because HFE ran a course in Doncaster and they were competitively priced. Also because when I read more on their website and spoke to a member of the team, the ETM course they offered appeared very comprehensive and gave you the maximum number of REPs points available.
What did you enjoy most about your course?
The weekends of training and assessment. The two instructors, Lindsey and Tim were extremely knowledgeable and gave great encouragement but also constructive criticism when needed. I also thoroughly enjoyed meeting and working with the other students on my course who were all Zumba instructors like me. In the end I even enjoyed my practical assessment!
What did you find most challenging about your course?
Without a shadow of a doubt it was the Anatomy and Physiology exam. The Cardiovascular system in particular is complicated to revise and 25% of the questions were on this system, which in all honesty I wasn’t expecting.
How would you rate the quality of teaching provided by your course tutors?
All three instructors were great. Gregg Travers was my support tutor and he would guide me through any questions I was struggling with so that I would find the answer myself or if there was something in the A+P section that I didn’t understand he would talk me through it in a calm and logical way. I have already commented on Lyndsey and Tim and their knowledge and positive attitude, but I would also say that they were very approachable, outgoing and friendly which made for a very relaxed atmosphere to work in.
To what extent did you feel supported during the home-study phase of your course?
Gregg was always at the end of the phone if I needed him and we had a regular one to one every Tuesday. He would set me targets each week, i.e. to complete a worksheet or read two chapters of the A+P manual and that really helped to keep me focused.
How would you rate the teaching and learning materials provided to you?
Overall very good. There were quite a few typos in the manuals however, which I did point out to Gregg and sometimes things didn’t seem to flow in a logical way.
What is your current role?
I am still a Zumba and Zumba Gold instructor but now incorporate a lot of what I have learned on the ETM course into my classes.
What are your future career plans?
I have already signed up with HFE to do my Level 3 Pilates course. I will then look at a GP referral course and a working with older adults course, both with HFE