How Becoming a Fitness Professional Changed My Life
“Always be a student,” is a central mantra Coach Maura Doherty truly embraces. She is an energetic, seasoned ACE Certified Group Fitness instructor with a specialty certification in Mind Body. Maura teaches home studio classes, as well as cycle and barre at The Dailey Method.
As the youngest child of eight kids, I was introduced to many sports and activities. Before formal sports teams were available to me, I already had experience in downhill and water skiing, playing tennis, and running pass patterns with my brothers - and had an affinity for competition. When the time came for school sponsored sports, I was able to participate as long as I was responsible for my own transportation to and from the practices and games. There was not a sport the school offered that I didn’t play. Volleyball. Basketball. Track. Softball. Cheerleading. I can honestly say that I enjoyed them all and particularly loved practice just as much as the games. So, when my school sports team career came to its natural conclusion post-college, I longed for that same drill sensation in my workouts.
It was serendipitous that indoor cycling arrived at my health club, just after my fourth child was born. Carving out time for exercise was a huge priority for me. To get to class, I had a precise routine established. I’m guessing some of you know what it is like to wrestle a young child, let alone four, into a car seat under a time constraint. The daily routine included a tightly choreographed dance of feeding and preparing my children for the morning, dropping off the oldest at preschool and ushering the remaining 3 toddlers into the babysitting room at the local YMCA so that I could get a bike before they were all taken. After attending a few indoor cycling classes, I knew I was going to pursue a certification in “spin.” Indoor cycling had the drill component that I missed from sports practice, the appealing music factor, and a sense of perceived competition amongst classmates. I was hooked.
Eventually, I began teaching classes and developing my own style of instruction, which resonated with my students. Besides, teaching was practical. Why not get a free gym membership, free babysitting and make a few bucks? But underneath the practicality was a simmering passion for entrepreneurship that I did not realize I was unearthing. While big box gyms were the industry standard in the 90’s, a dear friend encouraged me to partner with her in opening a boutique fitness studio in her hometown. I jumped at the chance to develop our brand, Good Karma Fitness. We had very few class modalities, but the quality and personal attention our clients received was creating a buzz. Our successful run was impactful, but brief.
My partner returned to the corporate market, leaving me with the confidence to take this fitness model to my town.
Necessity, attractive earning potential and my competitive nature to succeed fueled my desire to pursue my passion for teaching fitness and maximizing our home space while still being a stay-at-home mom. I could eliminate the child care issue which often plagued my ability to teach and I could reduce my overhead exponentially by retrofitting our 800 square foot basement into a studio space. My commute time was zero and I could still find time to volunteer at my children’s school.
As class demands grew, so did my bike inventory and class offerings (yoga, strength, and personal training). At the peak of my 17 year home studio run, I was teaching upwards of 12 classes a week and pulling in enough revenue to send my children to private high school and eventually contributing substantially to each of their college tuitions. I never raised my fees once in the tenure of my company nor did I ever miss a day of work because a child was sick. These practicalities were very motivational, but only scratched the surface of what my fitness career has meant to me, my family and my community.
One of the byproducts of small group fitness is the camaraderie that develops amongst clients. This dynamic is unparalleled to any other work environment of which I have been a member. New friendships continue to bloom. Together we celebrate births, graduations and marriages. We mourn divorces and deaths. Life happens in and out of the studio. My neighbors stay fit and healthy and my family’s financial health is robust. This unique community was an unexpected resource of information, support and strength when I was diagnosed with autoimmune disease in 2013, giving me confidence to manage my symptoms. I received these gifts gratefully.
After more than 20 years in the field, I can see how my role in the fitness industry is ever-evolving. The pandemic has unveiled a spectrum of untapped virtual fitness opportunities that I believe will be a part of the health and wellness experience after COVID-19 has been tempered. Just as we ask our clients to trust us to facilitate change, I too will adapt and reinvent my career to stay current and usher fitness into a new realm of virtual reality. While career motivations evolve as I age, my underlying need for fun, fitness, and competition drives me to pursue new professional milestones in a creative, healthy environment. I hope to share that passion with all of you.
By surrounding herself with health and wellness mentors who reflect her values, Maura truly embraces the always-a-student mindset. Check out her Mindful Cycle classes on the Struct Shop!