Wellness Coach

For five months I had a part-time job as a YMCA Wellness Coach. After much deliberation I decided last week to leave my position. My basic duties were to help clients with the various aerobic and weight machines. In addition we had set equipment to deep clean depending on what day we worked. The facility I worked at was modern, large, inviting and took cleaning very seriously, which I had no problem with.

The people I worked with were all nice and wanted to help the clients as best they could. Most of the clients were nice too, some seemed to be there more for social reasons than exercising, but that was okay. It was always surprising to me how much personal information some of them shared, especially the older men (men even older than me).

Most of the shifts I worked ended with me having to help close the facility, at least the weight room and aerobic machine areas. I never found that fun as there were always 1-5 people who just wouldn't leave no matter what you said. Several times I would have my coat on just waiting for them to get off the treadmill or elliptical so I could hit the lights and go home. This especially bothered me when we closed at 10pm and I had to be back at work at my "real" job by 7:30am the next day. It's also amazing how often I would have to pick up the free weights because people just wouldn't put them back. It was like working with a bunch of toddlers.

In general though it was a good job. A low paying ($9/hour) job, but not overly stressful. The main reason I left was probably being forced to take some online training classes that lasted 2-4 hours each, all within two weeks, including one that I had just completed the week before in an in-person class. Also the Y wouldn't let me take my re-certification for AED/CPR unless I paid the $55 for their class. Let's see, I need it to work, I make $9/hr, and you want me to spend $55 for a class? I don't think so. That's over six hours of work.

Someday I may go back, I left on good terms. But right now it's not the second job for me.