As a kid in the 80s, I remember being drawn to the world of song and dance. At the time, there was a wildly popular show on Disney called Mousercise. It may sound corny as hell for those reading now, but remember… this was before kids drew 90% of their entertainment from devices. My siblings, my cousins, and I ate it up!
Also important to note… video on-demand wasn’t a thing yet. So those who had cable had to watch shows at their scheduled times or arrange to record them on the spot using their VCR.
Dancing at Dawn
I’ll have to confirm with my mom, but I remember camping out in the kitchen with my cousins (yes, we had the Mickie and Minnie Mouse sleeping bags) and waking up before the sun rose to get our mousercise on! We weren’t early birds by any stretch, but when it came to Mousercise, we were willing to bite the bullet.
In the morning, we’d push aside our linens and spread out across our tiny kitchen to dance with Mickey, Donald, and the show’s host and dance fitness instructor Kellyn.
A Note on Kids’ Fitness
I’m not currently trained in fitness for kids (although I plan to be in the near future), but it takes a gifted, confident instructor to facilitate exercise in a room full of miniature energizer bunnies. You have to:
- Provide a fun and engaging workout
- Manage disruptive behavior
- Maintain a positive attitude and demeanor throughout
In my opinion, that takes skill and a whole lot of compassion! But from what I’ve heard from those doing the work, it is hugely rewarding. In addition other perks of being a group fitness instructor, they have the satisfaction of knowing that they’re nurturing healthy habits in multiple generations of growing human beings.
I’d love to know… Do YOU remember Mousercise? If so, share your memories in the comments! And share this blog with a friend. Also comment if you’re a kids’ fitness instructor or thinking about becoming one 😉
Till next time,
Nadia
PS – If you’re interested in learning healthy nutrition and behavioral habits that you can share with your family and/or your clients, click here.