A world of water wonder

Bryce Alderton

Ever heard of water walking, deep water running and wall

exercises?

These are just a few of the various exercises of why people in

Newport-Mesa and around the nation are quickly flocking to pools to

move their legs, arms, torsos and whatever other body parts they want

to work out as part of “water exercise.”

Water exercise began about 25 years ago as a way for accident

victims to recover from their injuries and an exercise routine for

people with arthritis, according to Sally Kuledge, an active adult

coordinator at the Central Orange Coast YMCA in Newport Beach, who

has taught water exercise courses for seven years.

But now, more and more people from 19-and 20-year-olds to those in

their 80s are putting on swim trunks and jumping in pools to reap the

benefits of the water workouts.

Whether it be “water walking” that involves moving forward,

backward and sideways using short, quick or long steps in waist-deep

to chest-deep water, or performing “deep water exercises” that

involve slow, medium or fast-paced exercises without the feet

touching the bottom of the pool, there’s plenty of exercises to go

around.

“The buoyancy allows people to exercise in water since 90% of the

body is buoyant,” Kuledge said. “There is no pounding or jarring so

it’s easy on the joints.”

Benefits touch the physical, social and psychological spectrums

and include building up endurance, muscular balance, stress relief,

strengthening the heart, increasing circulation, renewing energy,

fellowship with other people and improving physique.

Kuledge teaches one aerobics class and three water exercise

classes each day at the YMCA and said many orthopedists refer clients

to the classes to help them rehabilitate their muscles.

Water exercise goes a step beyond swimming, according to Kuledge,

who said the draw of the classes she teaches has as much to do with

the environment as the exercises themselves.

“We have physical therapists using our facility and there’s a pool

of options to choose from,” Kuledge said. “It’s just come into focus

that younger people have realized the benefit you get from (water

exercise). People have always been swimming but water fitness

predominantly focuses on therapeutic uses in a comfortable atmosphere

that’s a stress relief. You enjoy yourself so you can’t be too strict

in the water.”

Water provides 12 times more resistance that land, according to

Sally Stanton, owner of Sally Stanton Total Fitness/Water Warm-Ups,

who has taught water fitness, or as she terms it, water aerobics, for

five years at places such as the Newport Dunes Resort and the Newport

Beach Tennis Club.

“You burn 400-500 calories an hour based on a 150-pound person,”

Stanton said.

Stanton has 24 years experience in both Newport Beach and Irvine’s

Parks and Recreation Departments teaching everything from ballroom

dancing and jazzercise to her new Power Water Workout.

Stanton will teach the United States Water Fitness Association

certification class Sept. 8 at the Central Orange Coast YMCA.

“(Water aerobics) is much kinder to your body,” Stanton said. “The

buoyancy the water provides makes it a perfect place for those with

hip, knee or back injuries and you won’t overheat because you have a

cooling mechanism in the water. The buoyancy of the water allows for

the cushioning of the joints so you minimize the impact to your

joints or have no impact if you’re doing a deep conditioning class.”

Younger crowds have got their heads wet as well in Stanton’s

classes.

“In our clientele we have people in their early 20s, two people

who are 19, men are getting more involved and the baby-boomer

generation is catching on big time,” Stanton said.

One of the draws to water aerobics according to Stanton is that

people can do the same exercise at their own levels and still reap

the benefits.

“You can be a very well-conditioned athlete standing or floating

next to a beginner and both swimmers achieve the same goal by the end

of the class,” Stanton said. “It makes working out fun and tones

every part of your body.”