Les Mills instructors have a lot to be thankful for

Everyone has a lot to be thankful for this time of year, whether it be having a roof over our heads, a decent job, food on the table or a supportive family.

Even us BodyPump instructors and fanatics have a ton to be thankful for as the holiday crunch bears down on us. We’re not as fortunate as others out there, so we should all feel blessed that we can go out there and teach or participate in our favorite group fitness classes on a weekly basis.

Personally, as an instructor, husband, friend, brother, uncle and son, I have tons to be thankful for this time of year. But since I don’t have a heck of a lot of space, I’ll narrow it down to the five reasons I feel thankful to be taking the stage. These are in no particular order, of course.

5. Wendy and Sherry, my former and current club owners. Wendy took a chance on me in 2010, and Sherry did the same last fall, and my progression up the Les Mills food chain reflects their professionalism and passion into keeping Maine fit.

4. My supportive wife, friends and family, without whom this wouldn’t be remotely possible. They put up with a heck of a lot, from skipping off to quarterly workshops and AIMs, to Les Mills music at a wedding reception and long hours of workouts and preparation. IThe aforementioned AIM was on my last birthday, and nine states away to boot, and it involved rearranging a ton of schedules so I could get to Virginia on time. That shows how much they put up with and the support they show.

3. My fellow tribe members around the world. Who knew that going to an AIM for a mere two days would strike up friendships that last a lifetime, in addition to instructors as far away as New Zealand and Wales reading this space. We may be off in different states and countries, but we are a family. When quarterlies and AIMs come around, it’s like we were never apart. Heck, one inspirational story in this space written earlier this month started a friendship between two instructors 3,000 miles apart. That’s the power of the tribe.

2. The crew at Team USA. It’s an honor to go to battle on a daily basis with such a talented and hard-working group. We push each other to get better on a daily basis, and it has showed in our teaching.

1. The participants. We would be nothing without you guys filling the room every week. You guys are the reason we put in these long hours and devote so much blood, sweat and tears into these programs. You guys happily tolerate all the pushups, power climbs and planks we dish out, realizing its all for you, not for us. You guys are the reason I taught on a broken toe for three weeks.

Happy Thanksgiving, and don’t forget to get your workouts in before stuffing your face with turkey, mashed potatoes and pie.

Ryan McLaughlin

About Ryan McLaughlin

BDN sports reporter Ryan McLaughlin grew up in Brewer and is a lifelong fan of the New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins. In "The Boston Blitz" he'll be sharing his perspective with BDN readers about what's happening on the Boston professional sports scene.