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.”
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