Fitness instructor leads workouts with energy, enthusiasm

Music fills the room and a group of women begin swaying from side to side, tapping their feet to the beat of a catchy fitness tune. They are warming up for a cardio-kickboxing class at the Student Recreational Sports Center.

In the front of the group, instructor Natalie Robertson enthusiastically engages participants in the warm up.

She fills the room with energy as she bounces from side to side, progressively increasing her tempo. 

“Welcome to cardio-kickboxing,” she says with a smile. “I’m Natalie.”

Robertson, a second-year graduate student, draws consistent crowds to her group exercise classes with her high-energy workouts and upbeat attitude.

The 23-year-old began teaching group exercise classes six years ago at the YMCA in her hometown of Evansville on the advice of her supervisor. She’s enjoyed teaching ever since.

“I tried it out and never stopped,” she said.

Robertson leads two group exercise classes on Tuesdays at the SRSC, a 30-minute cardio-kickboxing class at 5:45 p.m. followed by a 30-minute core class at 6:30 p.m.

According to the class descriptions, Robertson’s core class falls under the category of “strength, flexibility and balance.” It focuses primarily on working the shoulders, lower back, abs and glutes and aims to “improve posture, decrease back pain and increase stabilization.”

Freshman Sally Beard, core class participant, said Robertson’s classes are always a workout. “This class kicked my butt,” she said.

Red in the face and moistened with perspiration, IU graduate student Audra Harker described Robertson’s kickboxing class as the best she’s ever taken.

The length of class – just 30 minutes – makes it appealing, too, she said.  
“It’s easy to fit in,” she said.

Robertson does more than teach group exercise classes. She’s also a fitness and wellness graduate assistant who handles payroll, scheduling and training for group fitness instructors at the SRSC.

To keep up with her busy, active lifestyle, Robertson focuses on nutrition. To eat well, she plans her meals in advance for the entire week.

She also stays energetic throughout the day, despite only getting five to six hours of sleep a night.

At home, she maintains a collection of more than 30 workout DVDs.

“Anytime she sees a new one, she has to buy it,” said her roommate, Sara Walker. “Every day I walk into the living room and Natalie is doing combos for class or a workout DVD. It’s kind of annoying – but that’s Natalie.”

Robertson said in addition to owning a plethora of fitness DVDs, she has a gym in her bedroom. She owns a step with risers, a few sets of free weights, a medicine ball, an exercise band and an exercise ball, which she also uses as her desk chair.

Robertson’s exercise obsession began when she was little, watching Saturday morning cartoons on PBS. After the cartoons ended, a workout show called “Body Electric” would come on.

“I would sit in my room and do all these exercises,” she said.

In high school, Robertson participated in gymnastics and cheerleading. As an undergraduate pre-law major at Purdue University, she taught group exercise classes and competed on the club gymnastics team.

As for the future, she doesn’t know where she’ll end up. She said she would like to remain in the university setting working with recreation sports if possible. She might also enjoy running her own club like her favorite fitness mogul, Jackie Warner, who owns and operates the Beverly Hills gym Sky Sport and Spa.

Group exercise instructor Rebecca Petrushww said the SRSC staff will feel Robertson’s loss after she graduates. 

“We will miss the heck out of her,” Petrush said. “She’s irreplaceable.”