Good Neighbor Podcast: Cobb County

E63: From Pool to Pole: Sheila's Aquatic Fitness Revolution

• Milli M.& Sheila Sellers • Episode 63

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Dive into the refreshing world of aquatic fitness with Sheila Sellers, founder of Let's Move Fitness, as she shares her remarkable journey from first-time Zumba participant at age 53 to international fitness instructor offering groundbreaking water workouts.

Sheila captivates with her story of discovering Aqua Pole—an Italian fitness innovation rare in America—and bringing this unique water exercise to communities across metro Atlanta. Her hybrid business model combines in-person classes like Aqua Zumba, Aqua Tabata, and Aqua Bar with virtual options, making fitness accessible to everyone. The conversation bubbles with enthusiasm as Sheila dismantles fitness myths, explaining how water workouts create inclusive spaces for everyone from pregnant women and seniors to individuals with joint replacements or amputations.

The heart of the episode surfaces when Sheila vulnerably shares how teaching fitness classes became therapeutic after losing her son in 2021. "That smile just comes right on and everything just goes away during the class," she explains, highlighting how movement can heal during life's most challenging moments. Her mission statement—"have fun, fitness and fellowship"—perfectly encapsulates the joyful community she's created through Let's Move Fitness. Whether you're fitness-curious or seeking a lower-impact workout option, Sheila's passion might just inspire you to take the plunge into aquatic exercise. Check out her class schedule at https://sheila2.zumba.com and discover how fitness can feel like play in the pool!

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Millie.

Speaker 2:

M. Hello everybody, welcome back to the Good Neighbor Podcast. I'm your host, millie M. Are you in need of some aqua fitness or group fitness classes? Well, some might be closer than you think. I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, sheila, sellers of let's Move Fitness. How are you, sheila?

Speaker 3:

I'm doing great. What about you, Millie?

Speaker 2:

Doing quite well. Super excited to hear about you and your business. Tell us more about let's Move Fitness All right, let's Move Fitness.

Speaker 3:

We are a hybrid company. We do classes in person as well as some virtual classes, so we have aqua fitness. All of our aqua fitness classes are in person. We have aqua Zumba, regular aqua fitness, aqua Tabata, aqua bar, as well as aqua pole, and we also do regular land classes such as Zumba, line dance um all kinds of different formats of zumba, such as zumba gold, zumba um chair, zumba, kids. We just pretty much do everything dance fitness, aqua fitness so let me get this straight.

Speaker 2:

You are doing pole dancing and zumba, and all of this in the water yes, we have classes doing all of that in the water how did you get into this? What made you say I'm gonna put a pole in some water and we're gonna do?

Speaker 3:

this okay. So, as I mentioned, um, I was teaching Aqua well, teaching Zumba period and the AquaZumba. Well, teaching Zumba period and the AquaZumba instructors have. We have a little group chat and one person on the group chat, somebody asked what other formats of Aqua Fitness are you doing besides Zumba? And she put Aqua Pole. And I had seen it before. But I could not find a class in the United States, only one class. It was actually in the northeast. So I sent her a message and asked her where was she teaching her aqua pole and how did she start? And she said well, she's in the UK and aqua pole classes come out of Italy. It started in Italy and she said they are getting ready to do a US tour soon. So I got her information. She sent me the info on when the class starts, so I flew up to New York, took the course. After taking the course, I bought the poles, which are quite expensive, and I started teaching aqua pole.

Speaker 2:

So what got you into fitness in general? Have you always just been a fitness advocate, or Okay?

Speaker 3:

not really. I didn't start doing anything until I was about 53. So I'm kind of like a late bloomer with the fitness. I was online looking at YouTube videos and came across this great video with this lady dancing at a company function and it was Zumba. But it was way back in 2006 or 2007. And nobody really heard that much about Zumba. But three years later I just happened to go into my gym because I used to love to just get in the water and just get in the pool, and it had Zumba coming soon and I looked at it. I was like wow, that's that funny name thing that I saw on YouTube and I said I got to go.

Speaker 3:

So I'm a school teacher, I'm retired now and whenever I would have a chance to go doing breaks or whatever, I would go to that class. It was so much fun and it started August of 2009 when I started taking the classes. So After the first class I said I've got to be able to do this. I've got to get my training for this. So they had no trainings in Georgia. Like I said, it was just starting out. So I went to Knoxville Tennessee, of all places to get my license to teach, taught three other friends into going with me, so we drove up. It was snowing, the weather was horrible. Got there and they thought about canceling the class because of the weather. Weather was horrible.

Speaker 2:

Got there and they thought about counseling the class because of the weather, and we were like no, you can't do that yeah, we were able to take the class, uh, for the training and all and uh.

Speaker 3:

From then I've just been right at it. So, with that being out, right after I got my license to teach, I started doing, um, pretty much events for people, then started started teaching at gyms and churches and I would go to other people's classes because I was just starting and one girl in our class she was another participant, she knew I had just gotten licensed to teach. So she said I want to talk to you after class. So I said okay. So we talked after class and she said I was just wondering if you're able to do a party for me. I'm having a party and I would like for you to, you know, hire you to teach the class. And I'm like, fine.

Speaker 3:

And she said, well, that's one problem is not here, it's in Panama City. So I'm like great, okay, I'll be able to go to Panama City, nice little chance on the beach, you know. She said, well, actually it's not in Panama City, florida, it's in the country of Panama. Panama. That was later in the year and that was my first international class. So I taught a Zumba class for her. It was a really, really nice event, but it was in Panama City. Panama did that class. Since then I have done classes and where else in Samoa.

Speaker 1:

I did yes, and up here Samoa.

Speaker 3:

So yes, and up here Samoa. So I did a class fundraiser there in addition to so many lessons to be learned from your story.

Speaker 2:

Just, you know it's never too late to start something new. How you were able to combine, you know, fitness with something you loved, which was the water. How, once you stepped out, how your business just started to bloom naturally from people taking you to the side and inviting you to different places. So I love that. So what are some of the myths and misconceptions about your industry or what you do specifically?

Speaker 3:

Well, some people think that. Well, especially women. You find more women in group fitness classes as well as in aqua fitness, but men also take it. So I have a lot of men in my classes, including my aqua pole, but one of the myths is that you have to. They feel that aqua fitness is for older people, but it's for everybody. So I have a lot of men in my aqua fitness classes, as well as in the aqua pole classes, believe it or not, as well as regular Zumba and ladies. Some of us don't want to get our hair sweaty, but they find out that it's so much fun they get in there. My mission statement is have fun, fitness and fellowship. Because they are having fun while they are in the class, they are fellowshipping with everybody and they're getting their fitness workout on. So it's for everybody. You don't have to be older, you don't have to be younger. Everybody, you all need the fitness.

Speaker 2:

I love that. I love that. I can't wait to check it out and see if I look, see if I can find me a little male friend while I'm in there. You say it's for everybody, so is that your target customers and how do you reach them? Are you just for anybody who wants to stay fit and looking for something fun to do?

Speaker 3:

I would say anybody who wants to stay fit and looking for something to do. I'm all over the metro area. I have classes in Fayetteville and Douglasville and College Park and Powder Springs. So a lot of the senior centers have me come out and teach their residents and we do Zumba Gold there. Some of the centers where the people are older we may do chair Zumba because there's a lot of different formats of Zumba and then with the pool everybody can come. So I even have young adults, pregnant women have come into my classes, kids, teens and all. As long as the water is well, you're not under the water.

Speaker 2:

I would imagine, for people who have even, maybe, sports injuries, like you know, I would seem like the water would be easier on the knees.

Speaker 3:

It's really easier. Um, with you saying that. I've had amputees in there, a lot of people who've had knee replacement, hip replacement surgeries um the shoulder. Um it's, it's good for everybody because the water buoyancy does help people with their mobility. So where they can't maybe stand up and do a regular zumba class, they can get in the water and do aqua zumba or aqua bar or even just walking the water.

Speaker 2:

So we have did for everyone, yes, yeah. So have you ever thought about maybe starting a podcast to get all this information out to your customers or potential customers? I haven't, but that might be a good idea it just sounds like you just have such a, like I said, unique story that could be definitely inspirational to others, as well as getting the word out to people that this type of fitness class exists. So let's just switch gears a little bit. What do you do for fun outside of?

Speaker 3:

work. I love to travel, so with people asking me to do classes in other countries or wherever, I don't have a problem with it because I love traveling. But let's just take one. I love traveling with my friends and family, mostly with the family. But last year, just take one. I love traveling with my friends and family, mostly with the family, but last year alone, I think, I went to like five different countries. I was in South Africa, east Watini, I went to Turks and Caicos. Where else did I go?

Speaker 2:

You make me jealous. I'm gonna need this list to stop. I just love traveling. It's fun. It absolutely is. So let's switch again. Describe a hardship or life challenge that you overcame and tell us how it made you stronger.

Speaker 3:

Okay, I would have to say the biggest life challenge and that would be for anybody was losing one of my sons in 2021. And with I was doing classes. At that time, you know I still had my business and all but you can imagine. With losing a child, you're going to just become overcome with grief. Doing the classes. It actually works as a therapy because once I hit whether it's a land class or an aqua class that smile just comes right on and everything just goes away during the class and when the class is over you know I'm good, but it really is a great therapy, a great therapy. So I would say for me, the class is a therapy.

Speaker 2:

I believe that I've danced off and on my entire life and I think people sometimes feel like meditation is sitting in a room, crisscross applesauce, chanting a mantra. But for me, dance is meditative and, as you're saying, zumba and your classes are meditative in that it clears your mind and that's the whole point at the end of the day. So for sure, I could see how it could be great therapy for you. Well, tell our listeners, sheila, one thing you would like for them to always remember about. Let's Move.

Speaker 3:

That we are there for them to make sure that they are getting their fitness while having fun and while fellowshipping with everybody else. So pretty much everybody in our class gets along. You know they all love each other because we're in that class and if they came in with an issue it was gone during that class and usually when they leave they are fine until probably they get back home.

Speaker 2:

Well, I'm sure they appreciate you for that temporary relief and you're helping people stay fit as well as helping them spiritually as well. So thank you for what you do, and if someone wants to join your classes, how can they get in touch with you?

Speaker 3:

OK, they can go to HTTPS colon slash, slash, and that's S-H-E-I-L-A Number two, dot Zumba dot com, so two dot, zumba dot com.

Speaker 3:

Yes, and when they go on to that site it's going to give a list of all of my classes, upcoming classes, my virtual classes are listed weekly so you won't see a new schedule until the beginning of each week. But the land classes and the aqua classes, they will be on there for maybe scheduled months at a time so you will have a real time view of all of the classes going on. It will give you information on where the classes are, what time they are, what type of class and the price.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, so much, ms Sheila. I have enjoyed your bright spirit and telling us all about what you have going on, wishing you and your business the best, moving forward.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much and thank you for having me.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to GNPCobbCountycom. That's GNPCobbCountycom, or call 470-470-4506.