Water Exercise is the Perfect Winter Workout
If you struggle to make it to gym class in the winter, or avoid exercise all together, you are not alone. Colder temps and shorter days can make it hard to summon the motivation to exercise that you have in the summer.
Luckily, BTV offers three pool-based exercise classes that make it fun and easy to stay fit when the mercury dips low. The classes are held at the indoor pool in the Aquatic and Wellness Center, which is accessible to residents from the main building without ever stepping a foot outside.
Fitness and Wellness Director Jennifer Neill said pool exercise helps improve strength, mobility and cardiovascular health with less wear and tear on muscles and joints. The buoyancy of water makes pool exercise easier than working out on land. Water exercise can also reduce the pain of arthritis and fibromyalgia, while limiting muscle soreness and the risk of a fall injury.
“One of my favorite things about pool exercise is that you can do some really good balance work without worrying about falling,” Neill said. “I’ve seen residents make huge improvements in their balance and master some very challenging exercises in these classes. Because you weigh less in the pool, and the water provides resistance, you experience less pain and more gain than exercising on land.”
Residents and Carriage Club members can choose from the following water exercise classes at BTV:
Aqua Strong
Tuesday & Thursday | 8:45am
Certified personal trainer Terry Delany is the guest instructor for Aqua Strong, a water fitness class developed by the National Academy of Sports Medicine. Participants use gloved hands, kickboards and water buoys to complete a series of transitional movements, focusing on posture and body alignment.
Benefits include better strength and endurance, improved mobility, and the potential to curb bone-density and muscle loss.
Water Zumba
Monday, Wednesday & Friday | 8:30am
Guest fitness instructor Jessica Angelica brings new meaning to the term “pool party” with this lively class. Participants perform a series of dance moves to upbeat, Latin music for an intense, cardio and body-toning workout.
Along with improving strength and endurance, Water Zumba benefits the brain due to the coordination involved in dancing. And, it’s just plain fun!
Water Aerobics
Monday, Wednesday & Friday | 9:30am
Neill leads this popular class she calls a “one and done” fitness program. Water Aerobics gives participants a wonderful cardiovascular workout without requiring the coordination called for by Water Zumba.
Neill leads participants through a series of leg and arm exercises, before adding intensity for maximum aerobic benefit, and then focusing on a balance and flexibility cool down.
For more information about these and other fitness classes, contact Jennifer Neill at jneill@btvillage.org.
