Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Woodley.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Fitness has been a part of my life from a very young age. Dad was a successful multi-sport athlete in high school and played some in college, so attending sporting events was commonplace for our family. Although I did play some traditional sports like soccer and basketball when I was young, dancing was most encouraged by my Mom, who was raised in Manhattan with a great love of music and the arts. When I was five years old, I took my first ballet, jazz, and tap classes and had dreams of being a professional ballerina shortly after starting. I loved everything about it – moving to music was like breathing for me. I danced on and off through HS, took some ballet classes in college and then life took over in a different direction. After several different career paths, marriage, and two children, I found a myself a tired, frustrated, unhealthy entrepreneur with a baking business that grew bigger than I could effectively manage. A dear friend and neighbor encouraged me to take some fitness classes at a nearby gym, and I fell in love with movement to music all over again. Eighteen months later I attended my first instructor certification class and knew I had found a career path that truly spoke to my heart. More importantly, though, fitness gave me my life back. I started to sleep better, make healthier food choices for my family, and now had the energy I desperately needed to keep up with managing a household and being fully present as a wife and mom. I know these are the goals of many members who take my classes too, and I want to make sure they know I’ve been there and it is possible!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Finding my way to the health and fitness world was not a smooth road. When you’re growing up, people tell you all about careers in business, science, medicine, engineering, education, etc. Mention a career in arts, though, such as dancing and painting or dream of becoming a professional athlete, and most tell you there is such a small chance at “success” and that your time is better spent elsewhere. So, I followed that advice and got my degree in science. I bolted out of college determined to save the world by finding a cure for cancer and less than 4 years later, decided to go back for an MBA in Human Resources. Eight years, three “perfect” jobs, thousands of dollars in debt later, and the guilt of drowning as a business owner in a field completely outside both my degrees, left me in a very unhealthy place both physically and mentally. Something had to give. During college, I had spent many hours just running the track at our campus Rec Center and worked part-time as a lifeguard at a community pool, where I also got paid to swim laps to stay in shape. Those are some of my most vivid memories during those years, and looking back I believe it was the first whisper from that voice inside that tries to lead you where you are meant to be in life. So, when that friend, also a former dancer, tapped me and said I know what you need to do, it spoke directly to that inner voice. My advice to women thinking of a career in the fitness industry or related fields is to know most don’t find it right away. You don’t go to it for the money – you go to it because it calls you. It starts as a whisper and if you choose to ignore it early in life, eventually it screams until you listen.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
The classes I teach are for Group Fitness and most are choreographed to music. My first certification was PiYo, followed by Insanity Live, POP Pilates, bootybarre, and bbarreless. I have also earned general Group Exercise certifications from both AFAA and ACE and recently completed coursework to become a Functional Training Specialist. Although I have worked for several large fitness chains and small studios over the last 5 years, I now work exclusively as a Master Instructor for Cowboys Fit, a fitness facility started by the Dallas Cowboys organization. The classes I teach are primarily Barre and Pilates-based, which speaks directly to my dancer’s heart. Barre is a fitness format created back in the 1950s by a former professional ballerina to help in her own injury rehabilitation. Using ballet-inspired movements and Pilates-based principles of body alignment, barre is a low-impact workout focused on building total body strength, muscle endurance, joint stabilization, balance, and improving both joint mobility and posture. Although, probably most well known at Cowboys Fit as that crazy Barre girl, I am most proud of helping members connect not only with their inner dancer or athlete but with each other. Group Fitness is a very different experience than the treadmills and weight rooms. Those who walk through those studio doors generally seek connection and derive energy or motivation from others. I believe my job as an instructor is not just creating a safe and effective workout for people to achieve their fitness goals, but also creating a safe space for members to be themselves and find their “fitness family.” When you have people who cheer you on and know your name, you are more likely to keep coming back and work toward those goals. I make a point to schedule fun themed classes and meet-ups outside of class to help build those connections. I love that Cowboys Fit supports this philosophy as well with events like Barre and Bubbles and Ride Up Wine Down for our cycle enthusiasts.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well positioned for?
I understand that women face many challenges in today’s workforce and embrace efforts to close the gaps where needed. I see Fitness, though, as a world where both women and men have forged incredible paths to success and a space where I believe we have equal opportunities to do so. As a stay-at-home mom, the ability to work part-time in this field while the kids are in school is a huge selling point for me, as I know it is for many of my colleagues. However, men and women alike can find places to teach or personal train clients even if they have a full-time job. Becoming a fitness instructor or personal trainer does not require any previous experience, but begins with a passion for exercise and a dedication to helping others through their own health and fitness journeys. Additionally, there are a wide variety of formats and venues out there to appeal to all fitness goals and workout preferences – from dance fitness to CrossFit to yoga to cycling. Some may try to tell you a particular workout is more suited for women over men, but I am quick to point out that Pilates and Zumba, two of the most popular workouts women choose, were actually created by men. We risk creating mental biases to exercises that equally benefit both genders if we allow such ideas to go unchallenged.
Contact Info:
- Email: cwoodbfit@yahoo.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/cwood_bfit
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/christina.p.woodley
By Fujiko
Image Credit:
Fujiko Photography, Victoria Shapow, POP Pilates Official
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