Get Ready… Get Wet… And Go!!!

Almost everyone, regardless of age or physical condition, can benefit from aquatic exercise. Even if you don’t know how to swim! Just being in the water has inherent benefits. From improvements in circulation to relieving joint pain, the rewards of aquatic exercise are numerous. Many physicians and therapists recommend aquatic therapy because it can advance individuals to a higher level of muscle fitness and mobility, sooner offering advantages over land-based exercise and therapy:

Buoyancy provided by the water allows you to move more easily with decreased stress on muscles, joints, and bones while increasing flexibility and balance. In chest-deep water, you take 70% of your body weight off your joints. The “support” your body receives makes exercising easier and less painful, allowing you to exercise longer without increased effort or joint and muscle pain.

• Exercises performed in the water allow the heart to work more efficiently, making it a great cardiovascular workout.
• The pressure of the water on your joints and muscles comforts your body while you exercise, leaving you feeling less fatigued.
• Support provided by the water reduces the fear of falling.Resistance of the water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so as you walk, you’re really strengthening and building muscle and allowing for higher workout intensities with less impact on your body.

Water walking: If you are new to exercise or can’t swim, don’t worry. Aquatic walking is designed for anyone, including non-swimmers.

How it works: You’ll stand about waist-to-chest deep in water. Walk through the water the same way you would on the ground. Try walking backward and sideways to tone other muscles.

Try it: Stand upright, with shoulders back, chest lifted and arms bent slightly at your sides. Slowly stride forward, placing your whole foot on the bottom of the pool (instead of just your tiptoes), with your heel coming down first, then the ball of your foot. Avoid straining your back by keeping your core (stomach and back) muscles engaged as you walk.

Add intensity: Lifting your knees higher helps boost your workout. You also can do interval training – pumping arms and legs faster for a brief period, then returning to your normal pace, repeating the process several times.

We offer three types of Water aerobic classes. On Mondays and Wednesdays at 8:30 is a higher impact /intensity class and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:30 is a Men Only Class and at 9:30 is the Arthritis Foundation Water Aerobics Class (Women and Men) which emphasizes range of motion for every joint. All the classes help with balance and strengthening and stretching. The pool is open 7am to 7pm for water walking/jogging or your own routines. Never use the
pool alone. Have someone nearby just in case you need help.

The Oasis has two nice changing rooms with showers and lockers. Towels are provided.