PI indoor pool to offer pair of exercise classes

    Water exercise can benefit virtually everyone, according to Julie See, president of the Aquatic Exercise Association, based in Nokomis, Fla. Athletes use water to rehabilitate after injury or to cross-train. People with arthritis or other disabilities that inhibit land exercise use water to improve fitness and range of motion and to relieve pain and stiffness.
    Age and physical condition aren’t issues in the water. Kids love to play in water without realizing it’s good for them. Seniors who rely on a walker or wheelchair on land can stand in water with the help of flotation belts and water’s buoyancy.
    Water exercises provide less stress on the bodies of pregnant women. Also not at issue is the ability to swim: Most water workouts consist of exercise done in a vertical position (with the bonus of keeping your hair dry).
    Water’s buoyancy accommodates both the fit and unfit, according to See. Water cushions stiff and painful joints or fragile bones that might be injured by the impact of land exercises.
    When immersed to the waist, your body bears just 50 percent of its weight; immersed to the chest, it’s 25-35  percent; and to the neck, 10 percent. In addition, the lower gravity promotes the return of blood to the heart from the extremities.
    “Water provides at least 12 times greater resistance than air, and in every direction. No matter which way you move, it challenges you,” said See. “You don’t need equipment, you don’t need an Olympic-sized pool. All you need is your body.”
    Intimidation may not be the first thing you think of when you consider the differences between land and water exercise. But it’s important, because concern about appearance or proper technique prevents many people from being physically active.
    “Water is democratic, Once in the pool, we’re all the same,” said See. “There’s less intimidation than walking into an aerobics studio surrounded by mirrors. You don’t have to wear a swimsuit. If you’re more comfortable, wear Lycra pants and a T-shirt. And it doesn’t matter if you’re on the wrong foot. As long as you’re moving, you’re getting the benefit.”
    The Presque Isle Indoor Pool offers two types of water exercise classes: deep water jogging and shallow water exercise.
     Water Exercise classes are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 10 a.m. and Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. Water Jogging classes are Monday and Wednesday at 4:30 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 9 a.m.
    Call the Presque Isle Indoor pool for more information at 764-2564