Instructor Blog

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Fill out the quiz and email Instructors@pietrafitness.com to receive CEC's!

INSTRUCTOR MEETUP 2024 SCHEDULE + LINK

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You must register in advance for each meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZApdOmoqzwrHdehqDi2-npTrWyC9yTxQUFi

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After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

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Schedule

January 15 - 1.0 Physical CEC: Dr. Rachel Leskosky, DC (PF Instructor) - The Marvel of God's Creation - Us! (One of our new water bottles will be raffled off for those in attendance)

‍February 19 - 1.0 Spiritual CEC: Jeff Zimmerman - Mandalas – Their History, use in Hinduism vs. Hildegard of Bingen’s art-inspired visions, and their differences.

‍March 18 - 1.0 Spiritual CEC: Susan Pieper - Preparing us for a grace-filled Lent

April 15 - 1.0 Physical CEC: Meghan Ashley Sokolowski of Meghan Ashley Styling - Dressing for Success

May 20 - 1.0 Physical CEC: Judy George (PF Instructor) - Joyful Feet - taking care of the foundation for your body; self myo-fascial release (A set of myo-fascial release balls will be raffled off for those in attendance)

June 17 - 1.0 Physical CEC: Christine Wisdom - PTSD and How it is Stored in the Body - How Pietra Fitness can help

July 15 - 1.0 Spiritual CEC: Cathleen Filipski - ASK: The Biggest Little Word

August 19 - 1.0 Physical CEC: Dr. Jillian Stecklein - Topic TBA

September 16 - 1.0 Spiritual CEC: Fr. Augustine Wetta, OSB - Pray. Think. Act. - make better decisions with the Desert Fathers (A signed copy of Fr. Wetta's book will be raffled off for those in attendance)

October 21 - TBD

November 18 - 1.0 Spiritual CEC: Fr. Noah Carter - Preparing us for a grace-filled Advent

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We hope to see you there!!

How can we help kids stay healthy and strong, calm their nervous systems, and pray, all at the same time? Pietra Kids, of course!!  

A good portion of the kids today are practicing yoga at home or in schools. Unfortunately, they are learning that yoga is the answer to their physical, mental, and spiritual troubles! That is scary!!

Many of our instructors have shown an interest in teaching kids classes. We encourage all of our instructors who are Foundation 2 or 3 to consider offering Pietra Kids at your local Catholic Schools or with homeschool groups. There is no specialty training at this point because we feel with a few minor changes, our instructors can lead an effective class for kids.

You must read this blog in its entirety, read the "Letter to Parents About Pietra Fitness (letter attached to this blog which can be edited to fit your situation. Find it at the bottom of the blog), and read the Teacher Handbook (attached to this blog at the bottom of the blog) thoroughly before leading a class.

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Ages for Pietra Kids

Pietra Kids can be for K-8th grade, so you may need to adjust your wording depending on the ages of the students. 7th and 8th graders may do better with some of our adult classes. You be the judge with the group you leading.

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Set the tone

The children may come into your class wound up, tired, happy, sad, hungry, or they just don’t want to be there. While adults may hide their feelings and not react on them, many kids will behave according to their emotions.

Take your lead from the class. If you see that the kids are rambunctious, stay calm, and change your plans just a bit. For example, you may want to start by having the kids march in place for a while to get some of that energy out, or you may have them sit in a circle and sing a song or introduce themselves, or talk about the saint of the day. Anything that will help them to quiet down and refocus would be good. Shortly we will have Pietra Kids Flashcards that would be fun to use before class. Please share with us any ideas you may have.

The effort you put into setting the tone before class will be well worth it!

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Intentions & Prayers

As in adult classes, we always begin with intentions, but they are a bit different.  For Pietra Kids we say, “For our pope, bishops, priests and religious, parents and family, teachers, and the chaplain of Pietra Fitness. If you are not in a school, you do not have to add teachers unless you would like.    

The prayers for the kids class are a little different, so make sure you are using the correct meditation sheets.

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Breathing

As you all know, relaxed deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps participants feel calmer, reduces anxiety, and helps them focus. All of these benefits are crucial for adults as well as kids!! Be creative with this part. Tell them to think of their belly as a balloon that fills up when we inhale.

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Less cuing more praising

You will not give as many alignment cues as in an adult class. Look around the room, make sure everyone is safe, and say the most important things they will need to hear to get into the pose. Mainly, they will be watching you anyway rather than listening. If you give too many cues, you may lose them to boredom then will start acting out. Keeping them safe and engaged is the way to go. Please keep it simple!

Kids respond well to praise, so commend them in a language that will relate to the age group you are leading. While “good job” is nice, try finding other words that you can mix in there: well done!, Wow! Amazing! Beautiful!, You guys are awesome!, You’re a superhero!, just to name a few. Please share with us any kid-friendly language for commending them on a job well done.

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Remember: keep your eyes on the students!

You learned in P-FIT that this is not your exercise time, so keep your eyes on the class. More so in a class for kids. Kids are not always listening or paying attention to what they are doing, so they may be in a position to hurt themselves. Or they may be in someone else’s space and could potentially put them in harm’s way. Responding calmly, lovingly, and maybe even playfully, impede the situation by verbal cueing them into a safer position or inviting them back to their own space. Hopefully, if you are teaching at a school, the teacher and/or gym teacher will be present as well.

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Have fun but keep the prayers reverent!

Don’t take yourself too seriously and realize who you are talking to. You will not speak to a 1st-grade class the same as you talk to an 8th-grade class. Keep the class structured but playful. But, when it comes time for the prayers and meditation, be reverent and respectful. Read the scriptures and meditations slowly and clearly. Give them a little bit of time to think about what you just said. Having that time with God is the most important thing we can give them, so take full advantage of it.

Remember, you are planting seeds, and God will allow those seeds to grow and blossom!

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CECs, CPR TRAINING, AND CERTIFICATION - How to prepare and plan instead of waiting until the last minute!

By: Betsy Hoyt, Foundation 3 Pro Certified Pietra Fitness Instructor

Each year upon re-certification each Certified Pietra Fitness Instructor is required to submit CECs per the requirements listed in the Instructor Portal . One item that seems to fall to the bottom of my priority list is my CPR/AED Certification. I seem to go along thinking “oh, I’ll get to that.” Then… like a bolt, the time has come to re-certify and I am scrambling to get everything completed in time to avoid any extra charges!!

A few years back I came up with this simple routine to help in my annual recertification process. My routine is on-going throughout the year. Hopefully, this will assist you in creating your own routine so when re-certification time arrives you can peacefully and intentionally complete the process stress-free!

My re-certify date is in March 1st.

FOR CECs:

First, I have set a monthly reminder in my calendar that notifies/reminds me to check my CEC certs for the month. If I haven’t already dragged the emails over to the specific email box I have made, I will go ahead and take 5 minutes or less to move those emails to the “re-certify” folder in my email account.

Second, If there is a missing Cert, I take care of it right then by sending a message to the appropriate person so I can begin to track it down (if you need to contact Pietra Fitness for a missing cert please have the following info available: the name of the CEC, the date of the CEC and send the request to instructors@pietrafitness.com).

Third, if I attended any CEC opportunities with Avila I make sure to pull those over to the file as well. Also, if I have attended any training outside of Pietra Fitness I make sure I fill out the PETITION FORM  and submit that now. After receiving that Cert I will move that to my email file.

FOR CPR:

I have also set an electronic reminder in my calendar for my CPR recertification as well. For some people, the certification you received is good for 2 years. Remember that the 2 CECs you receive for your CPR will only be counted in the year in which you received the certification. See the Continuing Education Credits and Petition Info Document

SPECIAL NOTE:

During the past 10 months meeting in person for the classroom portion of this certification has been a challenge. Here are some suggestions for finding a CPR course that has classroom instruction*:

1) Log on to Red Cross , or the American Heart Association -   here you can search for a class in your area.  If they do not have classes, they may have a list of private instructors you can reach out to. Many nurses are certified to teach these classes.

2) Call your local YMCA or a local Gym and ask if they are offering a class. The Group Fitness Manager (GFM) should have a good idea of when they will be offering a class for their Group Fitness instructors. You could even ask this GFM if he/she knows of any private instructors who you might reach out to as well. These facilities are REQUIRED to have all of their trainers and instructors up-to-date with their CPR/AED certifications (including the in-person portion!).

3) Call your local fire department and ask if there is a class coming up which is open to the public. Again, they may know of private instructors you can reach out to.

RECERT SUBMISSION

When mid-February rolls around I prepare all of the CEC certs and my CPR Certificate from my email into ONE File on my computer. I label the file “Recertify 2021.” After the electronic file is complete I set a reminder to RECERTIFY in March.

When March 1st is here I will log into the Instructor Portal  and go to “Renew Certification.” Here, I will fill out the electronic form upload my file of CEC & CPR Certs, put in my payment info, and voila! I’m done!

Be sure to watch for your receipt and your New & Update Instructor Certificate. The responsibility for re-cert each year is each of ours individually.

*Instructors may take a CPR class that has part online instruction and then hands-on instruction in the classroom. Instructors may NOT take an exclusively on-line class for this re-cert requirement.

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Continuing education programs are required in order to promote continued competence, instructor development, and enhancement of professional skills and knowledge as a Pietra Fitness Instructor. To ensure Pietra Fitness Instructors are growing in skills and proficiency, they must recertify every year and complete 10 CECs (10 hrs. of Continuing Education Credits) within that year.

4 of the CECs each year must be from the approved Spiritual Courses Category

6 of the CECs each year must be from the approved Physical Courses Category

Does CPR/AED Certification Count for CECs?

The Physical Course CECs include 2 CECs from the mandatory CPR/AED certification in the year you take the course. When it is time for your CPR/AED certification, completing the course will be 2 of your CECs for the year in the physical category. Most CPR/AED certifications are valid for 2 years, and will NOT count for CECs on off years. You will need to upload your proof of CECs at the time of renewal, even on off years.

Where do I Find Available CECs for Pietra Fitness?

We have tried to make it super simple by including either a physical or spiritual CEC into each of our instructor monthly meetups.  They will each be worth 1 CEC, so if you attend all of the meetings, you will have all of your requirements fulfilled.  You will receive a CEC certificate if you attend the entire meetup.  If you do not receive a certificate, please contact us at instructors@pietrafitness.com to let us know.  Hold on to the certificates and upload them when you recertify.

If you can not make the meetup, you can still achieve the CECs.  We send out a link for the meetup along with a short quiz that you can fill out and email to instructors@pietrafitness.com.

We also have some articles on the website if you need to make up a CEC or 2. We do not have enough material out there for all of your CECs. The majority of them should come from the workshops at the meetups.

PLEASE NOTE: Pietra Fitness does NOT keep copies of your CECs. It is your responsibility to save them and upload them at the time of recertification.

What CPR/AED Courses Are Accepted for Certification and Re-Certification?  

Pietra Fitness requires that everyone complete an adult CPR/AED class with a hands-on skills assessment verified by a qualified CPR instructor. This means you have to go to a class that has a live instructor who will be evaluating your skill performance. An online-only CPR course will not be accepted.

Petitioning Courses Not Pre-Approved by Pietra Fitness

CEU/CEC providers that are not pre-approved by Pietra Fitness will require a petition. Petitions allow Pietra Fitness to review the material covered and make a value determination for the CECs.  Please print out this document for Petitioning a course.

By: Columbus Spine and Sport Clinic

In the fitness world there is a large emphasis on flexibility, but sometimes we leave out the important aspect of mobility.  Flexibility refers to a muscle’s ability to move through a range of motion, whereas mobility is concerned with a joints motion and how easily it can move and glide in relation to surrounding joints.

The thoracic spine, or the mid back, is an area that often times lacks proper mobility.  This not a surprise considering that most people spend their day in a hunched forward position while working on a computer, driving in a car, or sitting in a classroom.  This hunched position leads to tight pectoral muscles, fatigue in the paraspinal muscles (the postural muscles that line your spine), and a lack of extension in the thoracic spine.

So how could this be affecting you and your workouts and daily life?

The motion in our body is part of a kinetic chain.  When one area of this chain is not moving properly, that motion will be compensated for in another area of the body.  In this case, the two areas most commonly affected by a lack of thoracic mobility are the shoulders and the low back.

A lack of extension in the thoracic spine will make motions like deadlifts and squats more challenging and cause the low back to move more to achieve the same range of motion.  Over time this increase in low back range of motion can lead to instability and increase risk of strains, sprains and chronic low back pain.  Additionally, the shoulder blade and shoulder joint rely heavily on proper thoracic mobility.  When this motion is compromised during exercises like an overhead press, you are putting your shoulder at a greater risk for problems like impingement, tendonitis and rotator cuff injuries.

How to Improve Thoracic Mobility:

An easy way to improve thoracic mobility is to use a foam roller and stability ball to achieve flexibility and mobility in the upper back.  We encourage this to be done in two ways, actively and passively.  Actively, you can foam roll along the upper back to increase flexibility in the muscles surrounding the thoracic spine.  Passively, you can lay on a stability ball with relaxed shoulders for 60-90 seconds to stretch the shortened pectoral muscles and encourage extension in the joints of the thoracic spine.

The following exercise can easily be incorporated into your class when on Hands and Knees:

Muscle cramps can be very common. If someone in your class is experiencing cramps in the middle of class, tell them to stop exercising and stretch and massage the area that is cramping until it subsides.  The muscles are contracting and failing to relax and can get knotted, so stretching and messaging the area can be one of the best immediate remedies.  Once the cramping is gone, they can resume with the class if they would like.

Causes

Cramping happens quite often with this style of exercise, especially for people who are new to it.  This can be for a couple of reasons. One is muscle fatigue.  We point and flex the feet often to engage muscles in the legs and feet, and also cue to engage certain muscles during specific postures. If someone is not used to contracting their muscles in this way, the muscles can go into a spasm which can be very painful.  Another reason can be a lack of flexibility.  Tight muscles are more likely to cramp. The solution is simple to both of these causes: keep doing Pietra Fitness in order to strengthen muscles and increase flexibility!  As the muscles become accustomed to the higher degree of stress and become more flexible, cramping is usually not a problem.

There are a host of other reasons why someone might be cramping during the class.  Here are a few:

• Dehydration – Dehydration, even mild dehydration (which can happen if you are sweating and not drinking enough), can cause cramping.  Suggest drinking adequate amounts of water or a sports drink enhanced with electrolytes for an intense workout.
• Potassium and/or Sodium Deficiency – Potassium deficiency is a common problem that leads to cramping, and eating a banana, which contains high amounts of the electrolyte, can help with that.  Choosing high sodium foods or sports drinks may be needed for the serious athlete or very intense workout.
• Carbohydrate Depletion – Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy during exercise, and adequate amounts are needed for muscles to contract and relax.

If someone continues to be plagued with cramps after trying all of your recommendations, you may suggest they consult their doctor to rule out an underlying medical problem.

Plantar fasciitis is very common, and chances are good you will at some point have someone come to your class who has been diagnosed with it or who has pain in that area and you might suspect it.

What is plantar fascia

Plantar fascia is a strong band of tissue (ligament) that covers the bottom of the foot and stretches from your heel to your toes. It supports the arch of your foot as well as acts as a shock-absorber in your foot.  If you strain the plantar fascia or over use it, the tissue can become inflamed and swollen, causing Plantar Fasciitis.

Symptoms

Pain is the main symptom, and it occurs around the heel of the foot. The pain is usually the worst first thing in the morning or after long periods of rest because the fascia is not stretched or used while resting.

Causes

Plantar fasciitis is caused by straining the plantar fascia. Repeated strain can cause tiny tears in the ligament and can cause severe pain.  Here are a few common reasons this may be more likely to happen:

• If you have high arches or flat feet'
• If you are overweight
• If you walk, stand for long periods of time or run, especially on hard surfaces. So, certain athletes may be more prone to it.
• If you have tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons.
• If your shoes do not fit well.

How can you help?

If someone comes to your class with the symptoms you just read about, you will never try to diagnose or treat the person.  It would be good to suggest that they have their doctor check it out so that they know what they are dealing with and how to treat it.  If someone comes to your class that has been diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis, they will most likely have directions from their doctor and clearance to exercise.  This is important because there are sometimes severe cases in which exercise can actually worsen their symptoms.  As long as they have been given the ok to exercise, having a regular routine of Pietra Fitness classes is one of the best preventative measures, because the exercises we do stretches and strengthens the calves, arches and Achilles tendon.  Other tips you may offer:

• Every time before they get out of bed, point and flex the feet a few times to stretch everything out. This may help lessen the pain first thing in the morning.\
• Explain to them that they can do a self-message at home by sitting in a chair and rolling the arches of the foot over a tennis ball or golf ball (of course, shoes are off!).
• Our lunge exercises can help, but if anything causes pain in class, they should stop the exercise and rest. They may want to go to “Legs up the Wall” Pose, or “Modified Shoulder Stand”, because it is good for resting the feet.
• Any pose on their toes like “Heel Sit on Toes” is great for stretching the plantar fascia.

Hopefully, you will be an aid in helping someone get through their bout of plantar fasciitis as well as help prevent it from coming back!