Category: holiday ideas

As the holiday season approaches, it is time to plan for a little holiday fun with your water fitness class. Start by breaking out the holiday music. If you don’t have a holiday playlist, you can download one from any of the fitness music companies. Yes Fitness Music has: Xmas Buzz, SS Classic Christmas, FREE Holiday Medley, and Super Happy Xmas. Dynamix has Christmas Pop Hits 2, Winter Wonderland 1, and Winter Wonderland 2. Fit Mix Pro has Christmas Party, Christmas Party 1, Aqua Freedom Christmas, Cardio Christmas and many more. Muscle Mixes Music has Core Christmas and Core Christmas Vol. 2, Christmas in Motion, and Christmas Jingles. Power Music has Tabata Power Mix (Holiday Edition), Tis the Season (Best of Christmas Hits Remixed), Tis the Season 2 (Christmas Power Mix Step), Tis the Season (Christmas Power Mix Aerobics), Christmas Hits Remixed, and Christmas Hits Remixed Vol. 2. If the playlist you like is not the right beats per minute for your class, then download Tempo Magic from the app store. It adjusts the tempo of your playlist without making it sound like you are playing the music in slow motion when you lower the beats per minute, or making it sound like Alvin and the Chipmonks when you increase the beats per minute.

Now for the fun. Here are two ideas to add some holiday sparkle to your water fitness class:

The Twelve Days of Christmas

Select an exercise to go with each of the twelve days of Christmas, and teach the class as add-on choreography. You can pick any exercise you like, but here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Partridge in a pear tree – Jumping jacks
2. Turtle doves – Inner thigh lift doubles
3. French hens – Jog 3X and hold
4. Calling birds – Kick forward 4X, kick backward 4X
5. Golden rings – Jog in a circle
6. Geese a-laying – Pelvic floor exercise
7. Swans a-swimming – Jog with crawl stroke
8. Maids a-milking – Steep climb with milking arm motions
9. Ladies dancing – Swing a partner
10. Lords a-leaping – Leap
11. Pipers piping – Wide jog with side stroke
12. Drummers drumming – Wide jog, hands press down in front as if drumming

Holiday Obstacle Course

Set up stations like a circuit class around the pool in advance. Then divide your class into two groups. Group one will be helpers while the second group runs through the obstacle course. After the second group completes the course, they become the helpers while the first group runs through.

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• Starting Gate. Two helpers hold the ends of a noodle up to form an arch that the participants run through to begin the obstacle course.
• Station One. Cross-country ski to the North Pole using Aqualogix Bells. If you do not have bells, you can use foam dumbbells or paddles.
• Station Two. Make snow angles by performing jumping jacks with foam dumbbells.
• Station Three. Decorate the tree. Cut some pieces off a noodle that has a hole in the middle. Slice the pieces just to the hole. Attach the pieces to a hula hoop so that it will float, as in the photo. If you don’t have a hula hoop, you can rubber band the ends of two noodles together to form a circle. A helper has pool toys or balls in a bucket, and the participant stands some distance away and tries to toss the toys into the hoop.
• Station Four. Stir the cookie dough. Hold a paddle in the freehold position and perform a stirring motion. If you do not have paddles, then you can paddlewheel like an electric mixer with foam dumbbells instead.
• Station Five. Test the bicycles in the toy shop. Straddle a noodle and bicycle some distance away and back.
• Station Six. Load Santa’s sleigh. Have two or three helpers stand in a line each holding a ball. The participant tosses a ball back and forth a few times with each helper.
• Station Seven. Pull Santa’s sleigh. A helper plays Santa by holding the ends of two noodles under his/her arms. The participant stands with his/her back to Santa and pulls the sleigh to deliver the toys to the finish line.

The finish line. The same two helpers who held a noodle up to form an arch at the beginning of the obstacle course, now serve as the finish line. This activity is sure to bring your participants lots of giggles and leave everyone in the holiday spirit.

Here’s wishing everyone a happy holiday season! See you in the pool!

There is a lot to do during the holiday season: shopping, wrapping presents, decorating, baking, holiday parties and more. You know your water fitness class participants need to maintain their exercise routine to help them manage the holiday stress, but sometimes exercise moves near the bottom of their priority list. Try some of the following ideas to make your water fitness class more festive and encourage everyone to keep coming:

Holiday Music. Break out some holiday music to get everyone in a festive mood. All the fitness music companies have Christmas music playlists for sale. Check out:

(1) Super Happy Xmas Step (128-130 BPM) and Xmas Buzz (135 BPM) at Yes Fitness Music www.yesfitnessmusic.com.

(2) Tis The Season – Best of Christmas Hits Remixed (130 BPM) and Christmas Hits Remixed (135 BPM) at Power Music www.powermusic.com.

(3) Core Christmas (128 BPM) and Christmas in Motion (135 BPM) at Muscle Mixes www.musclemixes.com.

Holiday Themed Games and Activities. Add fun activities at the end of your fitness routine to have everyone laughing and looking forward to the next class. Here are two ideas:

(1) Santa’s Sleigh Relay – Divide the class into two reindeer teams. Each person has a noodle around his or her waist. The team members line up behind Rudolph at the front of the line, holding the ends of the noodle belonging to the person in front of them. They run to the back of the pool and return. Rudolph then goes to the end of the line, and the second person in line becomes the new Rudolph. This continues until the original Rudolph is again at the front. The first reindeer team to finish wins.

(2) Twelve Days of Christmas – This Christmas song is perfect for add-on choreography. Select an exercise for each of the 12 days, for example jumping jacks for the Partridge in a Pear Tree and inner thigh lift doubles for the Two Turtle Doves. Sing or speak (if you do not have a good singing voice like me) the lyrics, doing each exercise 8X.

Costumes. This is the perfect time to wear your red swim suit, a Santa hat, a Frosty the Snowman top hat, a red nose or a hat with reindeer antlers.

Holiday Gifts. Show your appreciation for your class by giving them each a small gift. Some gift ideas include a Clementine tangerine, a tree ornament, a peppermint candy cane, a Christmas cookie, a package of hot cocoa mix, or some kind of homemade goodie. Here is an easy recipe if you would like to make your own treats:

Pretzel M&M Hugs

Ingredients: 70 mini pretzels, 70 Hershey’s Hugs (12 oz pkg.), red & green M&Ms

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place pretzels on the cookie sheet in a single layer then top each one with a Hershey’s Hug. Bake 4-5 minutes until chocolate is soft but not melted. Remove from oven and place one M&M in the center and press down to spread the chocolate. Chill for 5 minutes. Place several in individual baggies for each class participant.

Merry Christmas!

Chris Alexander