Move It Or lose it - Instructor Spotlight

We are excited to share that Amanda was featured in the Instructors Spotlight at Move It Or Lose It this month. You can read her interview here:

Instructors Spotlight - Move It Or Lose It
This month we had a catch up with one of our instructors, Amanda Abbott, who runs her classes at various locations in Lincolnshire. We asked Amanda a few questions and here's what she had to say.

How did you find out about the FABS course?
I saw an ad on Facebook.

What did you do before becoming a Move it or Lose it instructor?
I'm a level three personal trainer and hold Level 3 Designing Exercise Programmes for the Senior Population too, so I did personal training and a couple of "chairobics" classes.

What made you want to do the FABS course?
It seemed like the natural progression from the courses I'd already done.

What do you love most about being an instructor?
Seeing people improve. Seeing their faces when something 'goes right'.

Have you had any funny moments in your classes?
So many! Once doing the pass the baton around the circle game, I had left my bag of spare batons behind a gentleman (the group joker!). Every time I called 'stop' to get the group to do a move in between the passing there seemed to be an extra baton! Then there were two extra batons.

Every time there were more and more batons in the circle. The gentleman in question kept dipping into the bag of spares and adding them into the circle. It took me quite a while to work out what was happening. Meanwhile a few in the circle had worked it out or had seen the extra batons being added.

I couldn't believe I was so slow to pick up on what was happening. We had a great laugh that day!

What's your favourite music track to use in a class?
I don't really have a favourite. I plan my routines to last for around 6 weeks. Every routine has a bit of a theme, so at the moment I'm doing Autumn/Halloween.

Amongst the tracks being used at the moment we've got Time Warp and Thriller for the aerobic section; Ghost Town by The Specials for the strength section and Autumn Leaves for the cool down. I like a good box step to the right music as you can really get into the beat - my groups like it too!

What would you say to anyone thinking about doing the FABS course and becoming an instructor?
Be prepared for a lot of hard work, working out playlists and routines are very time consuming. But the sense of achievement when you deliver a good routine; when the group all works together in unison; the smiles on the clients faces and the laughter make this a very rewarding occupation.

What are your hobbies?
Open water swimming, cycling (road and off-road), taekwondo. gardening, baking and sewing.

What is your favourite food?
Any recipe with lamb!

What is your favourite TV programme?
Tricky this - I always forget when dramas are on so I'll watch one episdoe then forget it's on. I'm not good with catch-up tv.

The Great British Sewing Bee and Great British Bake Off are my 'must see' programmes though.

What is your guilty pleasure?
I love going for long walks with my dog (Cocker Spaniel called Bailey) and will organise my weekly schedule so that I have one afternoon a week to go for a lovely long walk in the local countryside.