What
temperature should the water be?
One factor that needs to be
taken into consideration is the target audience.
- If your clientele is older, or unfit,
the water may need to be warmer: 85 to 86 degrees F.
- If the clientele is very fit the water
could be between 83 and 85 degrees F.
- If this is gentle ROM class for therapeutic
purposes, he water needs to be warmer: 88 to 92 degrees
F.
back to top
Is a class broken down
into sections?
Yes, to ensure a total body workout the
instructor will lead you through 4 phases during your session,
those being warm up, cardio, muscle strength and endurance and
stretch. Each phase has a purpose and your instructor will ask
you to do each exercise in a specific way depending on the
phase. You should always follow your instructors leads while
working at your own level.
Phase 1 - Warm-up is used to do just that.
It warms up the body and muscles, lubricates the joint and
starts the kick starts the heart.
Phase 2 - Cardio
Phase 3 - Muscle Strength and Endurance.
Your leader will take you through a number of exercises that
will help build your muscles and increase their endurance.
These exercises may include repeated movement with one leg and
then repeated on the other leg. These exercises may be
repeated 4 times with a break in between to allow the muscle(s)
to relax. An example is repeated hamstring curls. You
may do 4 sets of 15 seconds on each leg and then 1 minute of a
variety of swivels.
Phase 4 - Stretch - Your leader will lead
you through stretches and holds that will ensure the full body
is stretched before you leave the water. It is important that
these stretches be done at the end of a session.
Do I have to be fit to
participate in Aquafitness?
Fitness level and experience are of no
consequence. An interest in learning and a love of water are two
ingredients which will make your Aquafitness experience fulfilling. You
should always first check with your doctor before commencing
any exercise. Depending on certain medical conditions you may
need to alter some movements to ensure your safety (these
include but not exclusive to: natal, hip replacement,
arthritis).
back to top
What are the benefits of
Aquafitness?
Water
workouts are a great way to keep fit. Because of its unique
physical properties, water provides the ideal environment for
exercise. The natural buoyancy of water reduces weight bearing
stress, allowing greater ease of movement with less strain on
bones, joints, and muscles. The increased density of water
creates even and fluid resistance, comfortably toning and
strengthening muscles with greater balance and efficiency
CALA has provided an extensive list of benefits
on the Aquafitness page.
Aquafitness allows you to do similar to land exercises without
the impact that may injure your joints.
back to top
Aquafit Questions and
Answers
Question
Do you ever do water
running in chest depth as an alternative? The pool in this
hotel is chest depth so good for aqua but does not have any
deep water. I would like to do 2 sessions together and I am
thinking about an alternative for the 2nd session. Any
suggestions? What do you do in Canada? It could be mothers
and toddlers.
Answer
Yes, I have done water
running at chest depth, you have to cue a 'toe ball heel'
landing if you are running at speed, or you need to
integrate half tempo moves with deliberate 'toe ball heel'
landings to ensure the calf (gastrocnemius/soleus) muscles
do not tighten up. Add some walking as well in the warm up
and cool down, which is a 'heel, ball toe' rolling landing.
Get in the water yourself
and see what you feel works with regards to running in chest
deep water. Although deep is best for water running, because
of the zero impact, chest deep can work really well, if
carefully designed. You will not need tethers or flotation
belts.
Mothers and toddlers is
super fun too. I could do a workshop on that topic the next
time I am in Wales. You might want to put those two topics
forward for Fitness Wales... 'chest deep water running' and
'mothers and toddlers'. I would love to do those workshops.
.1.
Questions: There is OA and there is
Osteoporosis. I believe that Osteoporosis is not
arthritic...
- Would you take a person
with Osteoporosis in the deep, deep suspended or would
the pressure be too much on their fragile sternum, spine
and rib-cage?
- Would you stay chest or
shoulder deep on a noodle instead?
- Would you have light
contact exercises to build bone density?
1.
Answer: Charlene Kopansky, CALA Master Trainer, Founder and
President:
First of all,
osteoarthritis and osteoporosis are two different
conditions.. OA involves arthritis in the bones, caused by
wear and tea. Osteoporosis on the other hand, is a decrease
in bone density to a level considered to be a medical
condition. People with advanced osteoporosis are prone to
spontaneous fractures and susceptible to injury of the bone
when doing any impact activities, or quick movements.
Yes, I would take people
with osteoporosis into deep water. I would design exercises
to increase muscle and bone density. I would offer a variety
of exercise intensities (primarily using surface area
manipulations) and ensure the individual listens to their
own body and chooses the level of intensity appropriate to
their condition and stage of osteoporosis. I would avoid any
quick changes in direction or exercise and simply change one
aspect of a movement at a time.
2.
Question:
Pam wrote: I am a FM
sufferer and would like more information on your FibroMoves.
I want to try it and ask the college pool trainer if they
will import this program in their schedule.
My name is Kathy and
currently I am the only FibroMoves instructor. The program
was originally created by McMaster University (Hamilton,
Canada) and the Kitchener YWCA however they discontinued it
because of funding issues. I was a participant in the
program at that time and found that it was the only thing
that helped me to deal with my fibromyalgia. Since I couldn’t
cope without it, I contacted local pools to run it on spec
with me as the voluntary leader since I have a teaching
background and was a lifeguard…I was not unqualified. The
program has grown and I became a qualified CALA instructor.
We now have a one hour class five days a week with over 75
participants on my list. We run the program through the
Canadian Aquafitness Leaders Alliance Inc. (CALA).
If your pool trainer is
interested, they can contact Charlene Kopansky at CALA, cala_aqua@mac.com
regarding having a trainer come to start up a FibroMoves
program. Kathy Zador, CALA Certified, Clearly
Qualified
3.
Comment
Hi Charlene, I
thoroughly enjoyed your recent full day of workshops in the
UK! Wow, inspiring.
I don't know if you
remember I was talking to you about a guy in Morgan & my
classes who has lost an impressive amount of weight using
aqua (he was not keen on dieting). The client, Ian was
taking up to 200 painkillers for arthritis and with the use
of glucosomine and aqua is not only active but no longer
requires medication. He is still a very heavy guy but keeps
up his 5 - 6 aqua classes each week as he travels between
Hampshire and Kent. but keeps up his 5 - 6 aqua classes each
week as he travels between Hampshire and Kent. It is so
great to see the how positive Ian has become! Aqua is
awesome!
4.
Question
Certified Instructor, Deb
Cole (Group Aquafitness and Healing Waters: Aqua Arthritis),
Garden Bay, British Columbi
"Are there any concerns about pregnant women and
wearing the Aqua belts? I would imagine it would be okay to
wear it above the belly and have it where it is comfortable.
We haven’t really had anybody who is pregnant come to the
programs so thought I should check on this and, if there any
particular exercises not recommended for a pregnant
lady."
4.
Answers
Three CALA Trainer
perspectives:
Kim
Magnan, CALA- BCRPA Trainer, Duncan, Vancouver Island:
"I saw that you were asking about wearing aqua belts
during pregnancy. I attended Aquafit classes up until one
week before I delivered my daughter. I was fine wearing the
belt high (above my belly). I found that I was able to wear
the same size belt through my entire pregnancy...the foam
parts ended up being further apart as I got bigger. Some
women I have talked to found the belts very uncomfortable,
they said they were unstable with the belts and didn't have
the core stability to hold themselves vertically in the
water. Other women claim the belts make them float too much.
One woman I talked to said she preferred to ride a noodle
when she was pregnant and attending classes. You will find
that it is really an individual thing, so make sure you give
lots of options to the pregnant women in your classes and
keep reminding them of options as the pregnancy progresses
and their body changes."
Charlene Kopansky, CALA
Master Trainer, Founder and President, Toronto, Ontario:
"Regarding preggies and belts... do the Specific
Gravity test, if the person can remain vertical, in deep
water, not touching the floor, not moving any body parts and
the water is at the tips of the shoulder, they usually don't
need a belt. If they sink, while doing the Specific Gravity
Test, they need a flotation device of some sort. I prefer
the use of a flotation belt, however it needs to be
comfortable. I have noticed that most pregnant woman wear
the belt just above the belly, while some wear it just
below. I think it depends on how the individual is actually
"carrying" and at what stage they are in their
pregnancy. In most cases, I ask the preggie to assess where
the belt is most comfortable and let them make a decision on
their own. Also, there is the choice of using a noodle,
between the legs. Again, it becomes personal choice and
comfort level."
Connie Jasinskas, CALA
Master Trainer, Cambridge, Ontario: "Aquanatal is one
of my specialties. I would prefer pregnant women ride a
noodle like a horse rather than use a belt. A belt above the
bump will restrict breathing and blood flow. If riding a
noodle is not comfortable for the pelvic area (some people
do find this), test to see whether she passes the
"T" test - float vertically, with arms abducted to
just below the surface of the water, legs straight down
& still. If body fat is high enough, many people can
float in this alignment. If she is a sinker and can't ride
the noodle, I would recommend trying a belt around the hips,
below the bump."
|