I am a gymnastics instructor and a high school cheerleading coach, so my jobs are quite physically demanding.
I teach kids from the ages of two to eighteen years old and physically spot them as they attempt different skills.
It’s my responsibility to guide and support their body in a way that the kids complete the various maneuvers without getting hurt. Sometimes, this only requires a light touch to give them confidence. At other times, I need to be prepared to catch their entire body weight. Because I know where to put my hands and how to adjust my own body to spot correctly, the kids are able to safely attempt more difficult skills. I keep them from getting injured. I need to keep myself very physically fit. It’s necessary for me to take especially good care of my body. I am diligent about working out every day. I focus heavily on stretching and strength training. At five feet, two inches and 118 pounds, I am not a big person. Most of the time, I have no problem handling the requirements of spotting. I am typically a bit sore and stiff at the end of the work day. Every now and then, one of the kids does something unexpected and I suffer minor injuries. I have been hit in the face a few times. I’ve sprained a few muscles. The very worst of the injuries was pulling my psoas muscle. I have never suffered such intense pain in my life. That injury prevented me from doing my job for several weeks. I struggled to stand, walk or even sleep through the pain.