Water Aerobics 101

Since I skipped yesterday, I'll do TWO today. Let's start with water moves. I know not all of us our blessed to have a pool in our backyard, or even access to a pool all the time, but how many times have we found ourselves on vacation, dying for a workout and lacking our running shoes? Or maybe your gym does have a pool, but you think the water classes are strictly for pregnant ladies or people 70 years old and up? Yesterday I taught two vastly different water aerobic classes. The first is hard core, high intensity, high cardio. The class members ranges from a girl in her 20's up to a couple in their 70's. The second is for people who have extreme arthritis, fibromyalgia, recently had hip or knee replacements, etc. I have the credit of having the oldest member of the Amarillo Town Club as a regular in my class! She is 88 and I see her at least 2 of the 3 days a week I teach. And you know the best part of these two classes, I don't change anything but the intensity.

Water aerobics is low impact so it's nice to your joints, BUT you are constantly fighting the resistance of the water so you are doing an intense abdominal workout the entire time.  Regardless of your fitness level, you can get a stellar workout by taking it to the pool!

Basic Workout:

Start by traveling the distance of the pool: This can be walking, jogging, running, swimming laps, etc.
Jumping Jacks: Keeping your arms under water the whole time. I do many variations of the jack too, adding criss/cross legs, maybe a tuck (like cannonball) as you bring your legs in, speed jacks where they are little but you go as fast as you can, etc.
Jumps: Cannonball jumps (called tucked jumps), frog jumps (knees out/feet under the body), mogul jumps (jumping side/side), bunny hops (big jumps forward and back, like you are hopping over a log),  and basketball jumps (where you jump straight out of the water like you are shooting a basket).
Ballerina Legs: Keeping the legs straight, kick forward, straight to the side, straight back, etc. I stick in one direction for about a minute and do just one leg at a time).
Kicks: kicks forward and to the side, reaching for your feet with your arms and trying to get those feet to the top of the water.
Pushups: hold the side of the pool, feet on the floor. Keep arms wide (elbows out) for a chest pushup, and then have your arms be straight in front of you (elbows down) for a triceps pushup. Another variations is like you are jumping out of the pool, and then bring it back down.
Tread: Treading water is miserable and yet super beneficial. Go for even a minute and your arms, legs, and abs will have been attacked!

Finish ups with some good stretches and your done! I usually do each move for about a minute, and LOVE it! Give it a try the next time you are in a pool. I had one lady that has lost almost 20lbs by going to water aerobics 3 times a week and watching her diet! Love it!