Is pursuing a side-job as a zumba instructor worth it?

April 25, 2013 12:21 PM

I am thinking of enrolling in a zumba instruction course in order to begin the process of getting licensed/certified to teach zumba.

My goal is to be able to teach zumba on the side of a career and earn some extra money while staying in shape. Has anyone successfully done this who is willing to share their experiences?

posted by OnTheWing to Health & Fitness (9 answers total)

My dad's home health care aide does this. She started taking Zumba classes to stay in shape and liked it so much she became an instructor. If it stays popular, it is probably worth a try.
posted by bedhead at 12:32 PM on April 25, 2013

Best answer: I have a friend who's done exactly this - she's found it hard on the knees, and that in order to do it well she needs to spend a fair bit of time coming up with new songs and choreographies. Zumba is also a bit more restrictive than other fitness classes (as an instructor you might have to buy their clothes, use songs that are somewhat restricted by them).

I've done something similar (teaching spinning) and found that it was a great way to get in some extra exercise and funds, even though certification costs money and you should be spending more of your energy on instruction than on your own exercise - it's still extra money and workout.

If you have the money to get certified, I'd say you should try it. I found it a lot of fun to motivate others.
posted by ldthomps at 12:37 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

My coworker does this. She spends a lot of time coming up with new playlists and choreography, and the money isn't fantastic, but she has a heck of a lot of fun, and says she'd be taking Zumba classes anyway, so why not get paid for it?
posted by xingcat at 12:39 PM on April 25, 2013 [2 favorites]

On preview, exactly what xingcat said. I have a friend who is a jazzercise instructor and she LOOOOOVES it. She'd be going to classes anyway, so why not get paid? Plus, she's made some great friends with the other instructors and keeps in shape. Win, win, win.
posted by Elly Vortex at 1:48 PM on April 25, 2013

My friend does this. She loves it, I think the only downside is that you have to pay hundreds of dollars to stay "certified" each year and use the Zumba brand name when you advertise your classes.
posted by winterportage at 2:58 PM on April 25, 2013

One of my college age interns is a fitness instructor and teaches 2-3 classes a day. Her knees have gone out from 1-2 months of teaching in this schedule, so be aware of the cumulative impact that teaching more than one class a day might have.
posted by dottiechang at 8:19 PM on April 25, 2013

I've done it - and loved it. Certification is easy (1-2 days) and cheap ($200-$300 each time). You don't HAVE to come up with choreographies, you can use the ones they provide you. It's good income, people love it, and you stay REALLY fit. Get really great shoes! Get public liability insurance! Stay enthusiastic about it! Good luck!
posted by shazzam! at 8:20 PM on April 25, 2013

One of my good friends owns a Jazzercise studio in the third largest city in our state.

She loves it (I saw a video of her teaching a class when she was literally due to have a baby any day and I almost died) and employs quite a few girls. I don't see her often but I assume it's a viable way to make some extra side cash. She runs the studio as a full time job and I have no idea if her employees do other jobs but she seems to be able to make a decent living.

Give it a shot!
posted by youandiandaflame at 5:10 AM on April 26, 2013

My friend does this and absolutely loves it. I'd say go for it! She rents a school gym in our neighbourhood for a reasonable fee and now has a large group of Zumba addicts needing their fix. It's great, go for it!
posted by futureisunwritten at 1:54 PM on April 26, 2013