One student turned a vision into reality when he fused a passion with living a healthy lifestyle.
Brian Hood, a fourth-year in environment, economy, development and sustainability, is a fitness instructor at the RPAC and teaches students how to shake their hips and burn calories through his dance-fitness videos known on his YouTube channel as “BFit with BHood.”
“When I choreograph moves for my videos, I sneak in conditioning exercises around movements and that’s what makes it more than just dancing,” Hood said. “When people shake their hips to the beat, they don’t realize they’re working their glute muscle because dancing doesn’t feel like work. It feels fun.”
Brian Hood, who choreographs fitness videos on his youtube channel “BFit with BHood,” instructs a dance fitness class at the RPAC. Credit: Courtesy of Lauren Ando, Office of Student Life
Prior to becoming a YouTube dance-fitness teacher, Hood didn’t know dance fitness existed until attending his first Zumba class at the RPAC, which inspired his YouTube workout videos.
“I thought it was super cool to combine the two. People always forget they are working out because they are having a great time,” Hood said.
After his first experience, Hood became inspired to start his own dance-fitness ideas.
One of his recent workout videos is to the song “Bodak Yellow” by popular rap artist Cardi B. Other popular videos include workouts to Top 40 hit songs, including Yo Gotti’s “Rake it Up,” Luis Fonsi’s “Despacito” and Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry.”
Hood hopes to build “BFit with BHood” as a brand to empower and reach people who wish to work out in private environments or those who have difficulty heading to the gym due to a busy schedule.
“With my workout videos, you can exercise from anywhere and not have to worry about other people watching or judging you,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how good you are, you can just dance, sweat and have fun. You work at your own pace and feel good about yourself.”
Lindsey Roncone, a fourth-year in animal sciences, is one of Hood’s background dancers who participates in filming the dance-fitness videos.
“As someone who is very busy myself, to have access to this type of workout is perfect. As a college student, I don’t always have free time to just get up and go to the gym,” she said. “The dance workout videos are perfect because I can workout anywhere on my own free time, and without having many eyes watching me while I work out.”
