Conference FAQ  

This international educational event provides an opportunity to bring together fitness and other health care professionals with an interest in utilizing water as a tool for training and/or healing the body, mind and spirit.

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A variety of diverse workshops and classes are offered featuring general and unique forms of aquafitness, aquatic rehabilitation and specialty water exercise.

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Workshops vary in format and topic. Each conference includes areas of interest for participants, new and experienced leaders, coaches, lifeguards, aquatic facility supervisors and managers.

Workshop topics span areas of interest which include aquafitness and aquatic rehabilitation plus specialty water exercise. While reading a past CALA "Exclusively Water" conference brochure you may find some of the following topics on offer. This list provides a limited sampling of the diverse topics that CALA offers: 

• Water Yoga
• Aqua Cycling
• Maximum Aqua Abdominals
• Aqua Africana
• Aqua Kick Box
• Aqua Sport
• Aqua Arms: Training the Upper Body
• Aqua Arthritis Update
• Aqua and Fibromyalgia
• Aquafitness for Breast Cancer
• The Healing Power of Water
• Diaper Fit
• Aqua Natal
• Deck Tech: Fine tuning Leadership Skills
• Communicate to Motivate, Educate and Stimulate
• Bridging and Linking - Smooth transitions
• Aqua Interval Training
• Low Impact and Non-impact Water Running
• Seniors Strength Training
• Aqua Personal Training
• Use Your Noodle
• Maximizing the Aquafitness Workout
• Stability Training in Water
• Water Running and Aqua Jogging
• Tethered Training
• Gentle Range of Motion Aqua

And many more...

Workshop Formats: Workshops range in length from 1.5 to 5 hours in length. During a 2 hour workshop, the following agendas are utilized: Pool - refers to chest deep, deep or a combination of chest deep and deep water sessions.

• Two hours of pure lecture based applied theory, in a classroom setting
• One hour of applied theory and one hour of active land based movement
• One hour of active land based movement and one hour of pool
• One hour of applied theory and one hour of pool
• Two hours of active land based movement which applies theory to movement

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What is a class?

Class themes include:  

• Aqua Africana
• Aqua Abba
• Mozart Does Water
• Fishy Tricks
• Aqua Calypso- Brazilian Style
• Aqua Yoga
• Aqua Boot Camp
• Aqua Muscle
• Extreme Water Running
• Aqua Team Teaching
• Aqua Rock
• Aqua Disco Daze

And many more...

Class formats are generally 45 to 60 minutes in length and are conducted in chest deep, deep or a combination of chest deep and deep water. 

Participants of any age, size, gender and fitness level are invited to jump in the water and have some fun, or take notes on deck while observing the creative ideas shared by presenters.

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Who can attend the conference?

Do I have to be fit to register for the conference?

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CALA has offered 11 successful conferences and several regional conferences, since 1993, all of which have welcomed and provided valuable learning opportunities for people of varying ages and levels of experience. The oldest conference participant was 78 years young and the youngest participant was 16 years old (In 1998, at the  7th Annual conference, hosted by the University of Guelph, a group of 10 children lead the Grand Finale Conference master class. The children ranged in aged from 5 to 14 years. The class participants went wild, hooting and hollering to encourage the young leaders and to show their appreciation for a wonderful experience and a job well done).

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Yes, you will earn one CALA CEC per hour of workshop or class that you attend. If you attend 12 hours of sessions, you will earn 12 CALA CECs.

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Yes, you can earn credits (CECs) with many provincial, national and international organizations. CALA actually applies for accreditation on an annual basis with various groups including:

• Ontario Fitness Council (OFC)
• Canadian Association of Fitness Professionals (CanFitPro)
• YWCA, YMCA 
• SPRA (Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation)
• BCRPA (British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association - renewal credits), AFLCA (Alberta Fitness Leaders Certification Association) 
• NSFLLA (Nova Scotia Fitness Leaders and Lifestyle Association), etc. 

Quite often other organizations will accept participation at a CALA event as credits to maintain certification. For example:

• H2OZ (Australia Water Fitness)
• LEAD (German Fitness Company)
• South African Water Fitness Association (SAWFA)
• Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) etc.

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Yes, you can earn Continuing Education Credits (CECs) at the CALA conference (and other educational events) and bank them for future use, when you do decide to complete CALA certification.

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A Trade Show is open during the event. This show highlights industry related vendors who offer their products at discounted rates. The vendors include companies that sell music, educational resources, clothing, nutritional supplies, beauty products, vitamins, and other aquatic and fitness related products. CALA always has an exciting booth which sells a variety of CALA merchandise at reduced rates (including aqua flotation belts, aqua matt, replacement straps, T- shirts, RYKA 2 Aquatic fitness shoes, water bottles, music etc). 

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We welcome new and experienced presenters. Contact CALA and request a presenter application. Email is the best method: cala@interlog.com . If you have any questions, include them in the email, or call the head office at 1-888-751-9823.
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We welcome hard working, committed volunteers to assist our team. Contact CALA, to receive a Conference Volunteer Application package.

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CALA needs volunteers before, during and after the event. Some of the volunteer duties include: assembling the participants packages, working the registration desk, taking attendance at each session, providing direction and assistance at the venue, calling members, processing conference registrations, reminding members and non-members of the event, securing exhibitors for the trade show, making arrangements for guest speakers, pre-arranging, setting up and serving food and beverages, taking pictures, gathering and collating feedback, ensuring all rooms and pool areas are properly set up for presenters and assisting presenters as required during their session, cleaning up the conference venue when needed - and many more. It is fun and rewarding, believe me! CALA has had some of the same volunteers for 11 years running.

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Yes, you will meet many new people at the event. Presenters interact with delegates before and after the sessions. You will feel like you have become a part of a big, happy, open and warm family. You can meet instructors from across Canada and from other countries. Many delegates continue to network in the months following the conference and look forward to meeting one another each year. The circle of friendship grows larger and larger with each event.

CALA will be finalizing the 2004 "Exclusively Water" Conference dates and location in the next few months. Stay tuned to the web page. As soon as these details are confirmed, they will be added to this site. CALA plans to return to the Etobicoke Olympium, but they are undergoing massive renovations which may preclude our booking. We are also researching locations for upcoming REGIONAL conferences - all over Canada.  CALA could be coming to your city!

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Yes, CALA welcomes all conference 2003 feedback and conference 2004 suggestions. Simply send your suggestions via email to  
with Conference suggestions noted in the 'subject' section of the email.

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Yes, CALA does film many of the sessions. Participants are told the session will be filmed and used for promotion and sale. Participants have the choice to be in the film or not. They can move their position to ensure they will not be filmed.

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While it is not promoted or encouraged, yes, if the session is not full, participants may change sessions by going to the registration desk on site or contacting CALA before the event. To get credit for a session you must be accounted for on the attendance list. If for some reason you are removed from the first session but not added to the replacement session, you would not receive credit for attending the replacement session. It is your responsibility to make sure you are on the correct attendance list.

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Contact CALA and we will indicate on your record that you would like to register. When the conference brochure arrives at your doorstep, be sure to fill it out immediately and send in your registration. This will ensure you get your first choices for each time block in the conference.