Aqua aerobics classes
offer fun and fitness
Last Monday,
with the thermostat reading 30 degrees, Cheryl Armitage-Bergeron put
on her bathing suit and jumped in the pool. And she wasn’t alone.
Several pairs of flip flops lined the edge of the pool on that
cold, crisp January morning. Among the people joining her were
Claudia McLaughlin and Phylis Goldberg, an instructor at the North
Shore Jewish Community Center (JCC) in Tompkinsville. They were
among the members of the aqua aerobics class that meets every week
for a workout in the water at the center.
“More people use the pool in winter than in the summer,” said
Meghan Luxhoj, aquatics director at the center.
The fitness and age levels of the class are mixed. “We have a few
senior citizens and a younger crowd too.”
At the College of Staten Island’s recreation center, two classes
meet twice a week for a water aerobics class. The group, both men
and women who are predominantly over 50, benefit from the health and
social benefits of the class, according to Pat Mahoney, an adjunct
professor at the college and aquatics instructor at the recreation
center. “Everyone gets something out of it. We keep it light. People
don’t realize how hard they’re working.”
“There are so many benefits” to working out in the pool, said Ms.
Luxhoj, highlighting the sociability of the women in the class.
Participants at the JCC chatted almost constantly during their
workout.
“It’s a very nice core group of people, like family,” said Ms.
Mahoney. “We laugh among ourselves. It’s like when you work out with
a friend, you’re enjoying the company also.”
While socialization is a positive aspect, physical fitness is the
most important thing, the instructors said. “The main focus is
flexibility,” Ms. Mahoney said. The class also concentrates on bone
density and some aerobics.
Ms. Luxhoj maintained that the resistance from the water is
beneficial.
The temperature in the pool is between 81 and 83 degrees, Ms.
Luxhoj said. Cold water that would cause an initial shock isn’t good
for seniors or children, both of whom use the pool on a daily basis.
The warm water is also good for the muscles and joints.
For patients with arthritis, “this is the best place for them,”
Ms. Luxhoj said.
“Generally people with arthritis – if they hit the ground – it
hurts their joints. There is no resistance in the water, there is
not that constant pounding on the floor,” said Bill Homan, aquatics
director at the South Shore YMCA in Eltingville. The pool, he said,
which is kept at 84 degrees, accommodates about 40 people with
arthritis on a regular basis, all of whom say “they feel 10 times
better afterwards.”
Homan suggested that people suffering from arthritis attend a
class in the water, which lasts from 45 minutes to an hour, three to
five times a week, to improve flexibility.
“It’s therapy,” said Ms. Luxhoj. The great thing about the class
is that it can be tailored for individuals, she said. The instructor
can speed it up or slow it down depending on the rhythm of the
class.
“I am always ready to modify,” said Ms. Mahoney, who tries to
incorporate methods from the Arthritis Association into her programs
and caters to participants with different ailments.
The water offers both resistance and buoyancy, which makes for a
great workout. The classes, which work various muscle groups, also
use other equipment, including aquatic barbells and/or foam noodles.
While the pool at CSI is kept slightly cooler because of the
competitive swimming that goes on there, constant movement during
the class gets everyone warmed up.
The entire class is done in the water, said Ms. Luxhoj, adding
that the sessions are ideal for expectant mothers.
At the YMCA, a class designed especially for moms-to-be meets on
Sunday mornings. The class is mostly stretching and a light workout,
“just for the mother to try to keep in shape,” Homan said.
