Kiley Spoth, senior in kinesiology, is a lot like other students.

Her favorite junk food is peanut M&Ms, she’s afraid of sharks and her pet peeve is people wasting food. She loves to adventure, swim, hike, travel and be crafty. Her favorite kid’s movie is “The Incredibles,” and she enjoys spending time with friends and family.

When Spoth was young, she wanted to be a princess. Now she’s set on a career in fitness.

Spots is a fitness instructor at Iowa State’s Recreation Services and has taught fitness classes including Boot Camp, Rock Bottom, Jump Fitness, Barr, Kettle Bells, Sculpt and Tone, Insanity Live and Extreme Abs. Spoth also teaches a Power Pump class through the City of Ames. 

Exercising for an appearance-related goal is contrary to Spoth’s ideology, who believes that one cannot just look at someone on the street and know how healthy they are.

“I’ve learned there’s more to it than that,” Spoth said.

Spoth said that what happens on the inside is more important than what is happening on the outside, as well as the difference between fitness and fatness. Someone who looks overweight but can run a half-marathon may be healthier than someone who appears to be skinny.

“It goes back to finding something you enjoy doing rather than having an appearance goal because those don’t reflect your health and what’s going on underneath [the exterior],” Spoth said. 

Insecurity about appearance is a prominent contributor to feelings of intimidation at the gym, but Spoth said worrying about the opinions of others only makes working out harder and less enjoyable, as she too has experienced this type of intimidation before. However, becoming more comfortable with herself has minimized the feelings of insecurity. 

Spoth also said that worrying about what others think shouldn’t be the reason why someone is at the gym in the first place. 

One of the most important things Spoth wants is for her students to enjoy fitness, as enjoyment helps people adopt fitness and workouts as part of their lifestyle, which is especially important for college students who are in the middle of developing lifelong habits. Making healthy decisions now can have a big impact later, Spoth said.

Determining the best way to encourage people to make positive change is what Spoth considers to be the most difficult part of the kinesiology field. People are not necessarily motivated or educated, and some have a difficult time finding enjoyment in exercise, she said.

Spoth will graduate this spring, but she isn’t entirely sure what she would like to do. She enjoys teaching fitness classes and wants to incorporate it into her career. She is also passionate about improving the nation’s health.

“It’s continuing to get worse,” Spoth said.

She said the obesity epidemic is affecting younger and younger children, and the leading causes of death in the nation are preventable.

“We could do a lot to save lives and improve the health care system by just adopting healthier lifestyles,” Spoth said.

Spoth started an internship with EMC Insurance Companies in Des Moines on Monday, and also finds that the biggest obstacle to her own personal fitness training is finding the time. Since she has interned at EMC Insurance previously, she is excited to work with some of the same people again and for the challenges that lie ahead.

To incoming freshmen and other students, Spoth advised to get involved early. Since Spoth started getting involved at Rec Services her freshman year, she had the opportunity to grow and develop in the program, as well as find opportunities to work elsewhere. Spoth also said that her job as a fitness instructor has improved her confidence and instructing skills as well. 

While getting involved applies to all students, Spoth said students in kinesiology can teach fitness classes or get involved with personal training even if they do not intend to pursue those ventures as careers. This kind of involvement still teaches students a lot about jobs and about the kinesiology field in general. 

“Everyone has the same amount of time in the day, it’s just how you choose to spend it,” Spoth said. “It’s just keeping your health and being fitness a priority.”