Water aerobics offer alternative to swimming laps

By Paula J. McGarvey for The Montana Standard - 05/31/2005

Sandi Morris laughs as she does abdominal exercises during her water aerobics class at the Uptown YMCA recently. Derek Pruitt / The Montana Standard

If you love the water but hate swimming laps, Butte has some other options for those wanting a wet workout.

Sarah DeMoney, spokesperson for the Butte Family YMCA aquatics program, says the Uptown Y offers variety of low-impact, aerobic, water-based activities that can help to improve fitness, while remaining gentle to the joints.

DeMoney said the buoyancy of water allows those who aren't stable exercising on land to achieve the same aerobic benefits without the fear of falling. "They're also toning and working the different muscle groups," she said.

DeMoney said the gentlest class offered though the Y is the Arthritis Class for Water. Considered no-impact, the class is led by instructors trained by the Arthritis Foundation.

For optimal benefits to those with arthritis, the class is conducted in water kept at a temperature of at least 89 degrees Fahrenheit.

"There's no jarring of the joints," explained DeMoney, who added that the class is also beneficial to those with other ailments or injuries that limit their mobility. The class meets each Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. until noon and focuses on exercising all the joints in the body from the shoulders down to the toes.

Water Walking is the next step up from the Arthritis Class for Water, said DeMoney. The low impact class provides an aerobic workout, while incorporating water weights to help strengthen the arms, shoulders, upper chest muscles and upper and lower back. DeMoney said that the class exercises opposing muscles as participants move forward and backward in the water. "It's therapeutic in addition to exercise," said DeMoney. The 45-minute Water Walking classes are offered each Tuesday and Thursday at 1 and 5 p.m.

For a low-impact, medium to high aerobic option, the Y offers two water aerobics classes. DeMoney compared water aerobics to a land aerobics class with out the impact. "You're doing similar movements in the water," she said. "They're also toning and working the different muscle groups," added DeMoney.

Typically, instructors demonstrate the moves from the pool deck and class participants follow suit in the water. Movements are performed in both the shallow and deep ends of the pool. "Once you're in the deep end, you use your legs as if you were on land, but you don't touch the ground so there's absolutely no impact," said DeMoney.

DeMoney said non-swimmers can still participate in water aerobics using floatation belts provided by the Y. "A non-swimmer can get in the deep end (of the pool) and get the benefits a lap swimmer would," she said. DeMoney added that all instructors are certified by either the YMCA or the Arthritis Foundation and are trained in water safety. "Instructors have to be certified life guards," she said.

Water aerobics classes are offered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 to 9 a.m. with instructor JoAnn Tomich and Tuesday and Thursday from 8 to 9 a.m. with instructor Ashley Woy. For more information, contact the Y at 782-1266.

Ristene Hall, owner of The Park Street Gym, says the benefits of aquatic exercise aren't just limited to those with injuries or disabilities. "It's a safe workout, but it is extremely intense," said Hall, who has been offering water aerobics at the Park Street Gym since 1987.

Hall said that the resistance experienced when exercising in water creates a more intense aerobic work out than the land-based alternative. "If done correctly it's actually 30 percent more efficient at burning calories," she said.

The Park Street Gym offers water aerobics classes Wednesdays at 6 a.m., Monday through Saturday at 9 a.m., Monday and Wednesday at 4:15 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday at 6:15 p.m. For more information, call The Park Street Gym at 723-3223.