During a traumatic period in her life, Shannon Buscemi was able to find moments of relief in Zumba and fitness classes. As a guest on Lenard Team Connections, she shares how she has used fitness to give back and the reason why she started offering free classes during the pandemic.

Keep reading for more of Shannon’s inspiring story, or listen to the full episode here. 

Tell us about Muscle Blueprint and what it has turned into over the past several weeks.

Shannon Buscemi: Muscle Blueprint originated in 2013 when I was doing fitness full time. I was working in gyms and teaching Zumba classes, I was personal training, and I took my personal training outside the gym into people's homes. 

So my cousin and I sat and came up with the name Muscle Blueprint Fitness. And I stopped teaching fitness full time, I actually had retired from teaching Zumba in August, and was concentrating on running the New York City Marathon. When this pandemic happened, knowing how Zumba literally changed my life back in 2009, I wanted to bring this to people.  This was difficult for me because being virtual and being live is very outside the box for me. I actually was taping it and then posting it. 

And then I was like, You know what? I'm just gonna go live. I'm just going to be me, and I'm just going to dance.

So you were going into people’s homes on a private basis?

I was personal training people in their homes, correct. Then I left to like work full time, but fitness has always been my thing. Even if I was teaching one class, I kept it going. Muscle Blueprint didn't actually come back into fruition until October when I partnered with an athleisure company called Zyia. I used my business name to promote and do my little side hustle.  

Then the pandemic happened and I was like, You know what? I'm an instructor, I am going to do what I know how to do. 

When faced with a crisis, people are going to and find a place where they can contribute. It sounds like that is what you did.

It's exactly what felt right because when I started teaching - I got into teaching after living through a very traumatic experience and life with my youngest daughter. 

Knowing that stepping into somebody else's class made me smile, I wanted to make sure that when I taught classes, I was gonna do the same for them. 

Because honestly, you don't know what anybody is going through. And if they can take an hour, 45 minutes to get out of their own head and focus on themselves, I was going to be the one to make them feel what I had felt when I was taking classes. 

Can you tell us about Cycle for Survival?

In 2009, when my youngest daughter was diagnosed with brain cancer, I didn't know she was going to survive. I had made it my mission that I was going to pay it forward in some way, shape or form. So when I had been at Sloan Kettering one day waiting to see our team, I had seen this pamphlet. In the beginning, I rarely spoke to people while I was there, because it made her illness real. 

I didn't want to accept that I was actually sitting in Sloan Kettering and my daughter is now getting chemo for brain cancer. So I saw this pamphlet and it just sang to me. It was something that I had been looking for - something to go and pay forward. 

Cycle for Survival is a four hour cycle event held by Equinox gym and this would have been my 10th year riding. Because of the virus, it was cancelled. We were the second to last ride of the cycle season. 

What I personally love about Cycle for Survival is that 100% of their donations go right back to Memorial Sloan Kettering for rare cancer research, and trial drugs, and literally every single penny that is raised every year is used within six months. They have made such progress and it's beyond near and dear to my heart. And as you both know, Stephanie has been cancer free since December 8, 2017. So we are beyond blessed.

You're a very special guest for us. Because you have an energy about yourself that just like you're going out there to help people. For example, back to your virtual Zumba classes - how much money have you made so far from it?

Zero. I will not take a penny when I am literally standing in my living room and teaching a class. I'm not working, so you know, I don't want to pay for classes right now. I don't think you should have to pay for classes. We are living in a chaotic, uncertain time, and if I can give 45 minutes or an hour of myself to it - I'm selfishly doing it for myself also because it makes me happy. Then to see all the comments and thanking me, that’s why I do it.

What's your advice for people who are having a hard time staying motivated to work out at home?

Honestly, working out at home for me is very difficult because I just do better outside the house. However, even if you aren't wanting to work out physically, like lifting weights or dancing or anything, just take a walk down the block. 

I think the biggest thing for our heads at this point is just move. 

Just keep moving - walk up and down your stairs - just something to clear your own head. 

Another thing I have found helpful for myself is journaling what I'm grateful for and being held accountable. Call your friends, have an accountability partner and say, I just need you to tell me to get up off this couch and just go step outside and you move. You step outside. You got some fresh air. It's very difficult when you’re in your head. I tend to get in my head and feel anxious. 

Having experienced what my family has gone through, my PTSD from my daughter’s illness is right here. And I will not sugarcoat it, it is real. And it is very difficult to get up some days because it is so present. But, you know, I have to be there for my family. The one thing everybody should be doing daily is just moving.