Virtual Fitness Wii Fab (for Absolute Beginners)

Featured guest: Ray Bolden   Greetings! What do you know about the video gaming world? Do you wonder what game your child is playing? Do you feel clueless about the video gaming world? You're not alone. Many of us judged video gaming as bad without ever really knowing why.  Ray has been a gamer for a number of years. We met when I was running an summer camp circa 2008. In my ignorance and arrogance, I was trying to open up more songs. My friend brought her son over, (Ray) and he opened up DanceDanceRevolution Hottest Party for the Wii for mii! He did it quickly, effortlessly and with amazing rhythm and grace. We could only hope to be as good some day. DanceDanceRevolution is the gold standard of exergames. It also happens to be a game changer for the fitness industry, if we have anything to do with it. You heard it here first... Tune in. Hopefully you will learn something. Questions? Contact Wii Fitness Examiner on Facebook! Respect to all gamers! Penda, Goddess of Virtual Fitness Wii FAB (VFF) Penda

Call me crazy, and you wouldn't be alone, but I've been at this Wii exergaming business since 2007. That's, well, I have to go get my calculater, but that's a long time.  Yes, the Wii U is out and yes, no one is talking about the Wii console, and yes, I know you have one that is sadly collecting dust. Why else would you be tuning into this show?  PendaGoddess turned 60 years old and is still flying high and kicking butt. Virtual Fitness Wii FAB, a comprehensive program of Wii exergaming, is still evolving and refining techniques and training curricula. I'm going to talk about some new games I purchased recently. Tune in to find out which ones or I guess you can just look at the slide show.  If this is your first time listening in, welcome. This show is geared to group fitness professionals and is an ongoing effort to inform and recruit fitness instructors to train in Wii exergaming. Make money training Wii exergaming teams! Yay!  

Greetings! If you've been following the saga of the Wii Balance Board then you will want to tune in to this segment. I actually speak to a Nintendo Customer Service representatitive. And I sneeze; I need to learn how to edit a show for real... Questions asked and answered Does Nintendo repair Balance Boards?How much does it cost?What's the process?What did I miss when I was troubleshooting the Balance Board?What happens if your Balance Board cannot be repaired?How to spell my name and my email address. Even though I'm disappointed that my Balance Board has to be repaired, I'm okay with packaging the Balance Board and sending it in. Will, of course, keep you posted. In case you are wondering, I purchased the Wii Fit Plus Balance Board accessory package at Burlington Coat Factory. Less than $20! Connect with me: @pendagoddess Wii Fitness Examiner on Facebook

Since yesterday, I have been unable to get my Balance Board working correctly.  Have you ever tried to weigh yourself and kept getting an error code telling you to just stand still? I kept getting these messages as I tried to weigh myself. This short segment describes how I tried to correct the problem and didn't succeed. Yet, I still managed to get my workout done yesterday and today with a malfunctioning Balance Board. This show includes: steps to troubleshoot your Balance Board suggestions for workouts with Wii Fit Plus even when your Balance Board is not working properly. In the podcast I mention that I will include several links: Virtual Fitness Wii FAB stepping Virtual Fitness Wii FAB running Virtual Fitness Wii FAB hula hoop Don't judge me. I'm not a professional videographer; I'm sure you get the point of the exercise though. Go ahead and try these techniques and let me know how they work for you. My dream is to get a group of us together with Balance Boards and have a little fun! Visit my F

Greetings! Recently I was asked to provide interactive entertainment for a Destress Recess day. A range of activities offered included massages, a movie theater to watch old sitcoms while eating popcorn,  a golfing instruction station, a room to play board games and more. Because Virtual Fitness Wii FAB is not widely known, I took this opportunity to educate the participants about Wii exergaming protocol, techniques and becoming a professional WEE. Tune it to hear how I planned, practiced and prepared for the event. I'd love to hear your feedback! WEE on my way out the door

Greetings all! Hope you have gotten your Wii on today. I sure have. I wanted to share a review I wrote on a book I received: Teach Math with the Wii. There is so little educational Wii literature that this book is a welcome addition. The authors love technology and they wish to engage students in the math classroom at the highest level. How to get a greater buy-in? Why, bring the Wii into the classroom, of course.Imagine the students response when they see a Wii in the classroom! What about you? Do you play the Wii seriously and professionally? Please, we'd love to share your story. Contact Raina at wiifitnessexaminer@gmail.com. Let's schedule an interview on BlogTalk Radio.  For more Wii Exergaming Expert information please click on the links below National Wii Fitness Examiner Wii Fitness Examiner Facebook @Penda on Twitter

We're going to start a Wii Exergaming book club exergamers. Are you ready? It's not every day that I find a book dedicated to using the Wii with innovative programming.  Similar to Virtual Fitness Wii FAB which was developed by a professional fitness instructor, (yours truly),  this book is written by a mathematician and educators.  Meghan Hearn, to quote the back cover briefly is "a mathematics educator and specialist" and Matthew C. Winner a teacher librarian, former elemetary educator holding a BS in elementary education and MS in school library media.  Disclaimer: I did request and receive a Not for Sale/Preview Copy Uncorrected Sample copy of the book in the mail.  The book is available in a number of formats on Amazon.com. Please order through the Wii Fitness Supply Store . Links mentioned in broadcast: Khan Academy iste Music by JaBig can be found on YouTube Follow mii on Facebook - Wii Fitness Examiner Examiner.com - National Wii Fitness Examiner Twitter - @pendagoddess Support WEE's ever

Greetings!  The Wii is the best tool that is underused around the world. Listen in and perhaps you will be inspired to dust off your Wii and get playing again, seriously. Some topics we'll chat about today include: Wii Exergaming ExpertWiihabilitationSeniors and Wii exergamingWii Exergaming teams; You can always talk exergaming with us: Facebook: Wii Fitness Examiner Twitter: @pendagoddess Examiner.com: Raina Casarez, National Wii Fitness Examiner

Greetings, Everyone!  Today's show will be a presentation of sorts. Penda, Goddess of Virtual Fitness Wii FAB (For Absolute Beginners) will be taking you on a tour of her Wii charts and workouts for Wii Fit Plus.  Wii Fit Plus highlights include: Lotus Focus (uses Balance Board)Penda's Calendar statisticsMy Routine Leaderboards revealing Penda's most played games to least played  Yeah, over here, we take playing Wii seriously! Join the Virtual Fitness Wii FAB community. We'd love to hear from you.  Facebook: Wii Fitness Examiner Twitter: @PendaGoddess  Examiner.com: National Wii Fitness Examiner Website: MindBody Group Fitness Arts email: raina [at] mindbodyfitness [dot] ws  

Zumba Fitness for Wii is an effective workout and definitely will be added to the lineup of games for Virtual Fitness Wii FAB.  Join Penda, Goddess of Virtual Fitness Wii FAB (For Absolute Beginners) as she rants about how fun this game is and gives you tips and tricks so you can get your groove on! Rating: 5 stars!

Perhaps you have listened to previous shows with Chandra, who is the creator of AfrobicsTM, described as "the workout to a different beat" which uses African-dance rhythms to get you moving. Chandra has been a fitness professional for over 25 years and is now travelling internationally sharing her passion for fitness. Join us as we get an update on what the fitness scene is like in the Middle East, what the current gas price is and how living and teaching abroad has expanded her outlook on life.

Please join us today and tune in to listen to our guest host, group fitness professional instructor Annamarie House discuss a variety of topics important to you, the fitness professional. Topics may include: Being prepared and knowing your routine Training tips Finding a mentor and why it is important to have one. Have a question? Please type it in the chat room. You must register to participate. Registration is free and easy. Thanks for joining us!

Gail McFarland Gail McFarland is a fitness professional in the Atlanta-area who I've had the pleasure of knowing for a number of years. We used to bump into each other as we seemed to end up teaching at the same places. Here's her bio: Gail McFarland is the published author of more than 100 short romantic confessions and stories and eight novels.   She is also  the daughter, granddaughter and great granddaughter of African-American women who died of heart attacks. Making a decision to change her lifestyle in 1985 led her to aerobics classes in College Park, GA -- and the rest was history, and a life of majorly intense workouts.  A dedicated wellness/fitness advocate, Ms. McFarland is currently a nationally certified fitness instructor and consultant.  As an aerobics instructor with more than twenty-five years experience, she has taught widely throughout the city of Atlanta and counts body sculpting and Pilates as her current favorites, though she will always have a soft spot in her heart for Step.  Her commu

Please join us today and tune in to listen to our guest host, group fitness professional instructor Annamarie House discuss a variety of topics important to you, the fitness professional. Topics may include: How to a create a career as a group x instructor Music selection Finding choreography Do's and Don't's for group x instructors How to increase your class size How to get more classes How to deal with difficult members professionally The importance of having a national certification and why to keep it current Have a question? Please type it in the chat room. You must register to participate. Registration is free and easy. Thanks for joining us!

It's my pleasure to welcome my friend and professional fitness peer, Kwietha Bolden to the show. Kwietha offers the following services in Atlanta, GA: Life Coaching; Voiceover/Acting Instructor; Just Need Some1 to Talk 2?; Personal Chef; Personal Training. Kwietha is a multifaceted performer, personal development coach and an advocate for healthy living. Through her “Spoken Word” Kwietha indulges in sharing her thoughts, ideas and passion for life. With style and eloquence she expresses her loves, disappointments and accomplishments.  Her life is her love and she lives it fearlessly well. In addition to performing Kwietha is a Personal Media/Acting Coach, training clients and students of all ages in Acting, Modeling, and Image concepts.  Under the tutelage of this dynamic and inspiring artist her students are encouraged to leap out of their shells and think way outside of their boxes thus fulfilling their deepest dreams.   As an advocate for healthy and wholesome living, Kwietha lovingly helps others bec

Because of extenuating circumstances, I am unable to host my BTR show until further notice. Thankfully, Annamarie agreed to host the show today and share with our listeners more information on the ins and outs of the business of group fitness.

*delayed start, mic was on mute. my bad* Sure it's your business. But, do you remember why you got into this business? I do. I chose to be a Group Fitness Professional Instructor because I love to dance. All day. Every day. When I discovered that I could get paid and get my dance groove on, I was ecstatic! Fitness for fun and profit Listening to Annamarie share her story yesterday, I am reminded on how I lost my focus on fun and fitness and invited stress and more stress into my passion of teaching group fitness classes. How much money was I making? How many more classes can I teach? Oooh, my body hurts, but I can't stop now. What new format do I have to learn to stay competitive? What new specialty format can I learn to command more pay for the same length of time? Etc. The stressful thoughts were slowly poisoning my initially joyful journey into the fitness profession. No-role Role Model It's stressful believing that you have to be perfect as a fitness professional and that means (you fill in the list).

If you've checked out Annamarie's Facebook page, you will see some startling before and after pictures. Today, she will share her story with weight gain and loss and how it affected her career as a fitness instructor. Naked gym Did you know Spain has introduced a gym for nudies? Yeah. Would you go work out in the nude? Body image and ego go hand in hand in the fitness business. How accepting are we of others and ourselves when we feel we are 'fat'? How does it affect you? Fitness is more than the outside As fitness professionals, we know that it is more important what is going on inside our bodies than what might be going on on the outside. You can be fit at any age, any size, with any illness or chronic medical condition. Fitness starts and ends within. Do you care what other people think? If you are outer-focused and waiting on others to approve of you or applaud you, then you are depriving yourself of your power. You are the only one that needs to approve and applaud you. Have you done that today? Chat

Since this is my public 'verbal journal', I'd like to share a bit about my own journey into the fitness industry. I hope what I share will inspire you to commit to your own fitness journey. Every body is a star Each one of us has our own unique physical body with its innate capabilities and possibilities. How far you develop your body is a personal choice and commitment. Commit I've been a BTR show host since 2007, but that doesn't mean I've been broadcasting all that time. Since I've been recently broadcasting regularly, I'm seeing immediate benefits. Same with my body; the more regularly I'm moving, the more I'm commiting to a healthy, balanced, joyful lifestyle. Group Fitness is key  inspiring me to move. Get paid to move It's a no brainer. Why not get fit as a professional? Get paid to get fit. That will keep your attention and energy focused. Create a fitness lifestyle What does a professional fitness lifestyle look like? It can look many ways. That's why I've developed Group Fitness Team Training. F

Group Fitness Professional Instructors' (GFPI's) classes are generally open to the public. That means anybody and any body can join the class. So, what if you are facing a room with differently-abled bodies, as is almost certainly the case? How do you teach every body with the proper modifications? Emphasizing Function A blogpost entitled Emphasizing Function written by the NCPAD discusses the fact that "that any person can experience peaks and valleys in health, and therefore any person is prone to experiencing some kind of disability. It shifts the focus from what caused a disability to the impact that it has on the person." What does that mean for Group Fitness Professional Instructors? Join in the convo. Meet you in the chatroom. Love to hear your comments.