As part of the #festivalof50, I was curious to find out what aqua aerobics is like – can you believe I got to the age of 50 without ever trying it?!
Setting out bright and early one morning was a great idea – I was in the pool and moving before my body knew what had hit it, so it didn’t have time to protest 😉 .
I arrived at 7.30, a little early as it turned out – the class wasn’t set to begin til 7.45. But there were already other middle aged mamas like me waiting around, and as women tend to do, we got chatting. Turns out I wasn’t the only first-timer, which was a relief!
The indoor pool was only waist high, and heated slightly so getting in wasn’t a rude shock to my system.
Once the instructor arrived she soon put us through our paces. Of course she had an amazing body – heck, I hope mine ends up like that if I stick at this aqua aerobics lark! I looked at the clock and couldn’t believe it was almost eight already – wow, how had half an hour passed! This wasn’t so bad after all …
And then it hit me – we didn’t actually start til 7.45am (insert emoji face with tears streaming down cheeks!). After another eternity I happened to look at the clock again and only another 5 minutes had gone by. In other words, don’t let the water fool you – this is actually hard work.
What is Aqua Aerobics Like?
We did lunges, jumps, squats, kicks, stretches, jogging, cycling, and stepping exercises all while in the water.
In fact by the end of the session I was quite hot and perspiring, despite being in a pool.
If your last experience of any type of exercise class was high school phys ed, then no need to fear, you don’t get yelled at for slacking off, or not doing it properly. Because your body is pretty well hidden by the water, nobody can tell if you’re not doing the exercises right (always a worry for me – I am sooo uncoordinated), or are just faffing about.
I will admit – I might have faffed a little – sure you get more out of it if you put more into it, but I was *there* – I figured that was a great start!
The other women (and one or two men) were mostly older, and really friendly, telling me about the deep water classes, explaining exercises to me (oh dear maybe it was obvious I had no clue what I was doing), and inviting me to attend another session …
I wasn’t even sore the next day! So Miss 20 and I returned the next evening for the deep water aqua aerobics class, which was made up of mostly younger women.
Deep Water Aqua Aerobics
Again, it was fun at the time – but this time I was in agony only a couple of hours afterwards. Using my arms so much had triggered the bursitis in my shoulder and I barely slept that night, despite using heat rub, a hot wheat pack, and taking paracetamol. We were out of ibruprofen which is what I usually take for this sort of pain, so hubster popped out to get me some first thing the next morning and at last I was able to get some relief.
Miss 20 on the other hand reported that she slept like a baby (humpf!).
I’ve now bought a pass for the next month – but will be sticking to the indoor pool classes from now on …
Are you an aqua aerobics fan? Deep or shallow water?!
Linking up with Denyse Whelan for Life This Week.
I was going to aqua aerobics at the gym I joined mid 2016 and I enjoyed it, although I was one of the youngest as well.
I like that you can work as hard as you like as – as I got fitter I found I could do more and push myself more.
I let the gym membership lapse as it was near my old apartment but possibly should consider some aqua aerobics again while it’s still summer!
It’s great during summer so I’m making the most of it – have already been to 4 classes this past week or so1
I’ve never tried Aqua Aerobics but enjoy swimming on occasion, although I do prefer exercising on land 🙂
But good for you for committing to another month of it; I hope you enjoy it
So far so good 🙂
I’ve never tried it because I have a bit of a water phobia. Glad you liked it!
Ness – I can’t swim properly, and hate putting my head under water. So not a full blown water phobia but still not in my comfort zone either. So far so good though …
I went to a class this morning at Coolum. I’ve had a few goes at it through the years and the first day I feel nauseous afterward and this time was no different. I’ll keep going and see if that persists. I liked it apart from that although most others were older than me, everyone was friendly and the music was good too. I love exercising to music.
The classes I go to don’t have music! That would be fun!
I did a few classes some time ago and found it strange just how heated I became in a pool thanks to the exercise. I don’t like the idea of public pool any more so won’t be doing any water based exercise except walking in the waves on the beach when I am there. I have some bursitis and I hear you on the pain. I only have to move a certain way and ouch. I am putting off the injection the doctor says I can have. I also think as she said, in my case, it is ‘age-related’ sigh. I hear that a lot from her now..and I am 67! Yikes.
Thanks for linking up for #lifethisweek 6/52. Next week: LOVE. Denyse
Yeah I got the “age-related” comment from my doctor last year too when I was all of 49. Seriously. I’ve had the injection and it did nothing though some people swear by it …
I’ve never tried Aqua aerobics but it looks really fun! xx
Jacq
jacqwritesworld.com
I love the camaraderie 🙂
I used to be an obsessive swimmer (don’t you hate comments that start as ‘I used to be?’) but never tried aqua aerobics – except for one time in the pool in Bali. I remember thinking it was harder than I’d expected & swam off for a beer instead.
I actually don’t mind comments that start like that, I like getting to know my readers better! LOL about swimming off for a beer instead!!!
Aqua aerobics are always “sold” as gentle and easy on the body. Obviously deep water ones take it to a whole new level. Now I know I’ll stay away from any that might be on offer near my place. I keep thinking about getting back into some swimming and you’re inspiring me 🙂
I’m loving it in this hot weather, have done 4 classes now 🙂
Oh bursitis – ouch!! I have it in one of my hips, fortunately these days I generally find that stretching helps as long as I do it as soon as I have a twinge. Aqua aerobics sounds like fun, I like the idea that one’s lack of coordination might be hidden, but not so sure I would enjoy the ‘help’ from other participants.
For a long time I would baby my shoulder but eventually I realised that using it regularly if gently was a much better solution. Otherwise that’s how people get frozen shoulders. I’m really uncoordinated but am loving aqua!
Aqua aerobics sounds like fun, I wish we had an indoor pool a little closer to home. We do have a swimming lake and I have seen some middle aged mammas there in the mornings, mainly walking through the water waist height or doing something! Bit chilly for me!
I’m loving it Alicia, I’ve been to 5 sessions now!
Hi Janet, I could have sworn that I left you a comment on this post. Well done you! Glad to see you enjoyed this. I love aqua classes… I bought myself some aqua dumbells, which are great. I also bought one of those flotation things you secure around your waist, but I no longer need it. Happy swimming. xx
Some of the people in the deep water class used the waist floatation belt, they were saying otherwise they get a sore neck, head and shoulders trying to keep themselves out of the water. I wonder if I could manage deep water aqua without hurting my shoulders if I wore one?