Category: water fitness

Take Care of Your Spine

3

Eighty percent of Americans will suffer back pain at some time in their lives. Back pain often develops without a cause that shows up in a test or imaging study. According the Mayo Clinic, risk factors for back pain include age, lack of exercise, excess weight, diseases such as arthritis and cancer, and improper lifting. People prone to depression and anxiety and smokers have an increased risk of back pain. Regular low impact aerobics and abdominal and back muscle exercises that strengthen the core can help keep the back healthy and strong.

Exercises that improve posture is a good place to start. Bring the neck into alignment with chin tucks. Put a finger on your chin and, keeping your chin level, pull it away from your finger. Some people have trouble with this exercise and tend to pull the chin down. Another way to cue the exercise is to say “lift the sternum” which accomplishes the same thing. Next relax the shoulders and bring the shoulder blades down. Turning the palms forward can help accomplish this. When you stand, stand tall with your body weight evenly distributed between both feet and the knees pointing forward. When you sit, keep both feet on the floor with the knees bent at hip level or below,

Exercises to improve posture are exercises that strengthen the core. Although many people associate crunches with core exercises, the core includes all the muscles of the trunk. The pool is the perfect place to work the core because immersion in water activates the core muscles. It is a discreet but constant activation, and you do not feel it the same way as an abdominal crunch. The core muscles most in need of strengthening for good posture are the muscles of the upper back, the erector spinae and the glutes. Always stabilize the core before moving the arms and legs. The best exercise to strengthen the posterior muscles is to travel backwards in the pool. Some other exercises to try in the pool are:

  • Upright row. Cup the hands and pull the water toward you. You can also use webbed gloves, drag equipment or kickboards.
  • Lat pull-down. Hold resistance tubing overhead and pull the ends down to the sides. Or do jumping jacks with foam dumbbells or drag equipment.
  • Rear delt fly. Hold resistance tubing chest high and pull the ends apart.
  • Shoulder external rotation. Rotator cuff sweep out with thumbs up.
  • Straddle a noodle with the end of the noodle between the thighs; adjust the height of the knees to find the difference between extension, neutral and flexed.
  • Abdominal pike and spine extension. Go only 45 degrees to the back to avoid hyperextending the back. Use a deep-water belt. Do not try this exercise with just foam dumbbells. (See the previous post on the shoulders.)
  • Back rotation. Upper body twist or hula hoop.
  • Squats with feet hip distance apart or a narrow stance.
  • Hip extension. Skate kick or cross-country ski.
Good posture in deep water running
Poor posture in deep water running

In addition to strengthening the core, there are some cautions to help you avoid an injury. When running in deep water, maintain the spine in neutral alignment. In this position the spine is off-loaded because of the buoyancy of the water. However, people often lean forward which reduces the frontal resistance and allows them to travel faster, but this position also causes spinal compression even though there is no lower body impact.

Good Posture in Shallow Water
Poor Posture in Shallow Water

It is also important to maintain good posture in shallow water. Other things to avoid include prone flutter kicks at the wall. This compromises the grip, the neck, and the lumbar spine. Do not hang on the wall and do double leg lifts; this overloads the lumbar spine. Wall-hanging sit-ups do not exercise the abdominals and it is too difficult for many water exercise participants to get into that position. The risks outweigh any benefit. Crunches in a supine position put stress on the neck and use the hip flexors instead of the abdominals. Do not do rotation and forward flexion at the same time (opposite elbow to knee) as it puts stress on the lumbar spine. Participants with compressed discs or osteoporosis should avoid trunk flexion. It is better to work on core stabilization by bracing the core and emphasizing good posture.

The supine position puts stress on the neck
Supine crunches work the hip flexors
Avoid forward flexion & rotation

Working on good posture and strengthening your core muscles are good ways to take care of your spine and reduce your risk of back pain in the future.

Resources:

Ruth Sova, MS – Backs Mini Session 9-1-22

Pauline Ivens, MS & Catherine Holder, PT Do No Harm 2011

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

Back Care / Good Posture / water fitness

Take Care of Your Shoulders

2
What are the Rotator Cuff Muscles? - Brace Access

We don’t usually think about our shoulders, but we use them all the time to do things like lifting a bag of groceries, opening the car door, wiping the kitchen counter, picking up a child, lifting a drink, combing our hair, reaching behind our back to thread a belt through the loops and more. Two major bones of the shoulder are the humerus or arm bone, and the scapula or shoulder blade. The four muscles of the rotator cuff stabilize the shoulder joint or keep it in its proper position. Muscles in our chest and back and the deltoids on top of the shoulder are responsible for moving our arms in all the multiple directions they are capable of. Our shoulders are complex and amazing!

Rotator cuff injuries are common and increase with age. Fifty percent of adults over 60 have rotator cuff tears. Thirty-four percent of adults who have rotator cuff tears have no symptoms. For more information about the causes and treatment of a rotator cuff tear, see this article from the Mayo Clinic. It is a good idea to take care of your shoulders by keeping your muscles strong before an injury occurs. The water is an excellent place to do this because buoyancy decreases joint compression and allows better muscle function and relaxation. When the shoulders are submerged, circulation increases which assists in removing toxins and bringing in nutrients. Start by relaxing the shoulders. When your shoulder blades are flat, the rotator cuff is in good alignment. With your arms by your sides, turning the palms forward helps to bring the shoulders in good alignment. Some shoulder exercises to try in the water are:

  • Lat pull-down. Hold resistance tubing overhead and pull the ends down to the sides.
  • Jumping jacks with the thumbs up.
  • Breaststroke with the thumbs up
  • Rear delt fly. Pull the ends of resistance tubing apart at shoulder level.
  • Shoulder extension. Bring the arms in front of the body at the surface of the water and press down. You can add resistance with drag equipment, such as paddles. Or hold resistance tubing at the surface of the water with one hand and pull the opposite end down with the other arm.
  • Cross-country ski with the palms facing forward.
  • Rotator cuff sweep. Bring your elbows down near, but not glued to, your waist. Sweep your hands out to the side and back to center. Or keep your hands out to the sides and walk backwards.
  • PNF. (1) Bring one fist to the opposite shoulder then sweep it diagonally out to the side near the hip with the palm facing back. (2) Bring one fist to the opposite hip then sweep it diagonally up to the side with the palm up, as if pulling a sword out of its scabbard and brandishing it.
  • Figure eights to the sides, to the front, or one arm at a time.
Do not hang from dumbbells
Do not position noodle too high
Do not position dumbbells in arm pits
Do not breaststroke with thumbs down

In addition to strengthening the shoulder, there are some cautions to help you avoid an injury. Look at the drawing of the shoulder bones. The head of the humerus is like a golf ball sitting on a tee (the glenoid cavity). This allows the shoulders to be extremely mobile, but they are not designed for weight bearing. Therefore, do not hang on walls, because then you are using your shoulders to support your weight. The photos demonstrate some other things NOT to do. You want to avoid impinging the shoulder, which means pinching the tendons of the rotator cuff. Impingement occurs when you hang from foam dumbbells with the arms extended to the sides and when you are suspended from foam dumbbells in a reclining position. Using a noodle around the torso can also cause impingement if it is too high. Position it mid-torso, just below the shoulder blades. Do not hang from foam dumbbells under the armpits as it damages the nerves in the armpit. Always wear a deep-water belt when using foam dumbbells in deep water. Keep your feet on the pool floor when using foam dumbbells in shallow water. Keep your shoulders relaxed while working with foam dumbbells. Impingement occurs when using the equipment with shoulders shrugged. If you have difficulty holding the dumbbells under water without shrugging the shoulders, use a smaller set of dumbbells, or switch to webbed gloves. Another instance of impingement occurs when the arms are extended to the sides with the shoulder internally rotated, that is with the thumbs down. That is why the breaststroke is done with the thumbs up. Yes, swimmers do the breaststroke with the thumbs down, but they are in a horizontal position, not in the vertical position of exercisers in a water fitness class. Be careful about bringing your arms too far back when doing a breaststroke. This exposes the head of the humerus, risking an injury. Keep your hands within your peripheral vision, unless you are doing a slow stretch.

Overhead reaches are functional, but do not sustain them for too long. The shoulder muscles fatigue quickly, so take a break after a few repetitions, or alternate arms. Do not bring the arms in and out of the water. As the arms break the surface, the resistance is suddenly gone, and the movement becomes ballistic. When you hold your arms out to the sides, do not continuously maintain a position between 80 and 120 degrees, because that can cause bursitis. It is better to have the arms at a 70 degree angle. Fast arm circles overload the small shoulder muscles. Slow the arm circles down. When holding a noodle in the hands for upper body work, it is best to have the hands shoulder distance apart. If the hands are too narrow, the shoulders are rounded. If the hands are too far apart, the shoulder blades are no longer neutral. Triceps dips with the noodle behind the back are also hard on the shoulders, and there are many triceps exercises that are more effective.

Take care of your shoulders so you can continue to lift those grocery bags, open the car door, wipe the kitchen counter, pick up a child, lift your drink, brush your hair, and reach behind your back to thread your belt through the loops without pain.

Resources:

Ruth Sova, MS – Shoulders Mini Session 9-8-22

Pauline Ivens, MS & Catherine Holder, PT Do No Harm 2011

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

Shoulders / water fitness

Troubleshooting: Problems in a Water Fitness Class

1

Water fitness instructors may spend a lot of time preparing for their class, coming up with a lesson plan, selecting music, showing up early, getting out the appropriate equipment, and being ready to greet their participants with a smile. It is rewarding when everything goes smoothly and you end the class with a feeling of accomplishment. Alas! Things don’t always go smoothly. Here are some common problems that might crop up and some possible solutions:

  • Some participants don’t seem to be able to follow your cues. Allow your participants to perform each exercise at least eight times before moving on to the next exercise, at least the first time around. Some people will not be able to keep up if you pace the exercises too quickly. If that doesn’t solve the problem, try using a variety of cueing techniques. Cues can be visual or audible. Visual cues include physical demonstrations and hand signals. Audible cues include spoken instructions, hand claps, and whistles. Consider using a deck microphone if possible. Cues can also be physical, such as pointing to the muscle you want your participant to focus on, but never assist anyone to perform an exercise by touching them without permission.
  • A participant does not follow your directions. It is not uncommon to have a participant who does not put much effort into the workout, or who always seems to be doing an exercise different from the one you are cueing. She may have some kind of physical issue that she has not told you about, such as arthritis or an injury. Give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she is doing the best she can.
  • A participant asks you a medical question. Always know your limitations. Do not give medical advice. Refer your participant back to his own doctor.
  • Some participants spend more time talking with each other than exercising. This might be a good time to teach in the pool. Circulate among your participants and give them some individual encouragement, especially the talkers. This may be all that is needed to get them involved in the class. Sometimes, however, participants come to a class for the social aspects. If this is their objective, then you need to have patience with them. You might try encouraging them to socialize during the warm up and the cool down, but ask them to focus on the workout during the main set.
  • A participant shows up to class who is afraid of water. Suggest that the participant work close to the pool wall in the shallowest part of the pool. You can give her a pool noodle to hold onto for stability. Tell her that she does not need to travel until she feels comfortable doing so. Do not allow her to turn her back to the wall and hang by her arms with her elbows on the deck, because this has the potential of injuring the shoulder joint. After a few classes the participant may become more comfortable in the water.
  • Some participants are afraid to lift their feet off the floor during suspended moves. In that case, let them perform the exercises standing upright or offer them options in the neutral position, with their hips and knees flexed. When they are comfortable in the neutral position, encourage them to lower their shoulders below the surface of the water, which allows them to experience their center of buoyancy in the lungs, as opposed to their center of gravity in the hips. Teach them to scull, which helps provide lift during suspended moves. Later you can ask them to pick their feet off the floor for only a brief moment, perhaps with a jacks tuck or a tuck ski. Finally, cue them to hold the tuck for a longer period of time. They have become suspended!
  • Your participants fill up the space in the pool and their is not enough room for traveling. This problem has more solutions than you might imagine:
    1. Quarter turns: Perform an exercise 4 times and turn to the left side of the pool, perform the exercise 4 times and turn to the back of the pool, perform the exercise 4 times and turn to the right side of the pool, then perform the exercise 4 times and turn back to the front.
    2. Half turns and full turns. Perform an exercise 4-8 times then turn toward the back of the pool, perform it 4-8 times again and turn back to the front. Full turns require a quick spin that can be both challenging and fun.
    3. Perform an exercise 4 times while traveling backward and 4 times while traveling forward, continuing to travel back and forth. The quick change of direction challenges core strength and balance.
    4. Divide the participants into two groups facing each other on opposite sides of the pool. Have them travel forward to the opposite side of the pool to change places, and backward to return to their original location.
    5. Have the participants stand in a big circle. They can travel a few steps toward the center of the circle and a few steps back, or a few steps sideways to the right or to the left. They can also travel around the circle clockwise or counterclockwise, but avoid traveling this way too far because a current quickly forms that can sweep some participants off their feet.
    6. Avoid creating a current by dividing the participants into two concentric circles. The inner circle might travel clockwise, and the outer circle counterclockwise. This creates a lot of turbulence that increases the intensity.
    7. If you have something similar to four lap lanes, divide the class into two groups. One group travels down the first lap lane and up the second lap lane, and the other group travels down the third lap lane and up the fourth lap lane. The effect will be travel in two oval patterns side by side.
    8. Have participants travel in a scatter pattern, over all parts of the pool area.

If you have other solutions to problems that may have cropped up for you, send me a comment through my website at https://waterfitnesslessons.com/contact.html

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

Pools / Troubleshooting / water fitness

Holidays in the Pool

1

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.

  • Starting Gate
  • Station One
  • Station Two
Station Three
Station Four
Station Five
Station Six
  • 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.
Station Seven

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!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

holiday ideas / water fitness

CDC Guidelines for Pools

0
senior women led by female instructor at water aerobics A group of senior ladies take part in a water aerobics session. They are using pool noodles and are being led by a young female instructor. They are all laughing and smiling water aerobics stock pictures, royalty-free photos & images

The CDC is not aware of any scientific reports of the virus that causes COVID-19 spreading to people through the water in pools, water playgrounds, or other treated aquatic venues. The virus most commonly spreads from person-to-person by respiratory droplets during close physical contact. Droplets are released when an infected person coughs, sneezes or talks. They can then land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. The virus might also spread to hands from a contaminated surface and then to the nose, mouth, or possibly eyes. Infected people can spread the virus whether or not they have symptoms.

It has not been easy for many people to maintain their level of fitness while sheltering in place, and we are eager to get back to our regular exercise routines. If that means taking a water fitness class, the CDC has recommendations for you to be able to do that safely.

  • Correctly and consistently wear a mask that completely covers your nose and mouth. See my previous post “More about Masks” for more information https://waterfitnesslessonsblog.com/2021/01/30/more-about-masks/ Wear the mask until just before you get into the pool. You should not wear the mask in the water because a wet mask it is hard to breathe through. After class dry your hands and face and put the mask back on.
  • Arrive at the pool with your swim suit on, ready to get in the water. This eliminates or at least minimizes the amount of time you spend in the locker room.
  • Stay at least six feet away from others who do not live with you. Six feet is a few inches longer than a typical pool noodle which is a good image to help you visualize the proper distance. Six feet is a good separation if your class is low intensity, for example aqua yoga or light aerobics. However, if your class involves sweating and heavy breathing, such as high intensity interval training, then air is coming out of your mouth with more force and traveling farther. For that reason, you should spread farther apart. In my classes we use periodization, beginning with low intensity in the pre-season and working up to high intensity during peak fitness. If you want to go all out during peak fitness then you will want to be 12-15 feet away from other participants.
  • Avoid crowds. Do not congregate on the pool deck with other participants unless you have your mask on and are standing 6 feet apart.
  • Do not share equipment. Since there is a chance that you could pick up the virus from a contaminated surface, deep-water belts and pool equipment should be sanitized before using them again.
  • Stay home when you are sick.
  • Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.
  • Get vaccinated when the vaccine is available to you. Getting vaccinated does not mean that you can dispense with the previous recommendations. The vaccines are not 100% effective, so you might still get infected. New variants of the disease are circulating that are more contagious. It is expected that if you did get infected after you were vaccinated, you would have a mild case or perhaps no symptoms at all. Little is known about whether vaccinated people can spread the virus to others.
  • Get tested if you have signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or if you think you may have been exposed to someone with COVID-19.

For more information on CDC Guidelines, see https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/beaches-pools.html Additional information for this article comes from NPR November 20, 2020, NY Times 4/15/2020, The Dallas Morning News 2/8/2020 and 2/9/2020.

The last thing any of us want is a new surge of infections before enough people have been vaccinated that we achieve herd immunity. It is not known exactly what proportion of the population that would be, as the rate varies by disease. For now, continue to wear a mask, maintain social distancing, wash your hands, and sign up to get the vaccine when you can.

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo

Chris Alexander

Coronavirus / Health information / water fitness