Get up and Dance

                           Photo credit: Tony Atill


Name

Judith Jacob

Profile name

Judith Jacob

Occupation

Actress and Fitness Instructor

Is this your own enterprise?

Yes - I work freelance as an Instructor and have several different venues that I work at. 

How many years have you been doing this job?

Longer than I realise, probably over ten years. Maybe twelve or thirteen.

How did it all start?

I've always trained and done martial art / keep fit. A friend suggested I do a course at college so I did. I enjoyed doing it so I did another. I never really intended to set out and go and teach others but because it was something I enjoyed I ended up doing quite a few courses which eventually led me to teaching.

What does the job involve?

You have to work with a person to gain the maximum amount of benefit for them. Because everyone is different I usually work closely with them to find their strengths and weaknesses so as to help them achieve their goal. If a person has an injury then this can change the dynamics slightly but you can usually work on various aspects of their body, so that they can keep fit whilst at the same time not aggravate the injury. I also run Spin classes, Boxing and High Intensity Training (HIT). In addition I help people do Body Weight Training which is where a person gets to the stage where they are able to lift up their own body weight.

What qualifications do you need?

Things have changed since I started. There's a whole variety of different courses you can attend where you would normally do 3-4 things in one go. There's no single course that will cover everything as different educational establishments do different things. But it's definitely a good idea to get more than one course under your belt. It's not just a case of doing fitness as you need to know about nutrition too. I did that part at Morley College. 

What’s the best part of the job?

I like to see someone who is determined at the beginning of their fitness trial with me and watch their transformation as time progresses. It's also amazing watching someone who think they can't do something and teaching them how to achieve something. It's usually the women more than the men who say this such as being unable to do a press up. I show them how to do it and they usually shock themselves when they give it a go. This happens quite a lot. 

What’s the worst part of the job?

Every day you are somewhere else. Knowing what you are doing on a particular given day and focusing on what you are doing can sometimes be a little confusing. 

What advice would you give to someone who was looking to do this as a career?

Get as many qualifications as possible. You have to have a passion for fitness otherwise you will leave, especially when your body says no more. Be prepared to carry on breaking the barrier and you will love the outcome. 

About the interviewer:

David Walker spent over thirty years working as a technician with the Theatre, Film and TV industry before deciding to change career and move into journalism. He studied with the BCJ and received his Diploma in 2016. Now he works freelance covering online, print and radio broadcast. His specialist areas are Motorsport, Travel, The Arts and the Mars One Project, although he is never afraid to try anything new and relishes a challenge wherever possible.

To contact David please email davidwalkerfj@gmail.com

Click here for David’s LinkedIn profile.

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