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When it comes to the four classical elements, I'm all about earth, air and fire. Not so much water.
When I was a kid, I *hated* getting water up my nose with a passion. So I developed something of a phobia about it. I never got the hang of rhythmic breathing no matter how many swim classes I took at the municipal pool and Girl Scout camp. By my last year of Girl Scout camp, I was the *only* girl in my unit still at the Advanced Beginner level. Everyone else was at least an Intermediate. True, I had the Advanced Beginner counselor all to myself, but I'll bet that she would have rather had the time slot to herself.
Anyway, I'd lived here in Maryland for many years without setting foot in my current community's municipal pool, but I'm glad I've started taking water aerobics classes there. I don't have to put my face in the water, but I still get some exercise.
The secret: a flotation belt that straps around the waist. (OK, so it rides up a bit during the class.) You get into the deep end of the pool and you are just suspended there like an astronaut training for an EVA in a neutral-buoyancy tank. No weight on your feet, no pounding on your knees, but you can get lots of great abdominal exercise by lifting your legs.
Some days, like today, I haven't felt like exercising, but then I drag myself to the pool, and afterwards I feel better and I'm glad I've done it. After all these years, I guess I've become a pool rat!
When I was a kid, I *hated* getting water up my nose with a passion. So I developed something of a phobia about it. I never got the hang of rhythmic breathing no matter how many swim classes I took at the municipal pool and Girl Scout camp. By my last year of Girl Scout camp, I was the *only* girl in my unit still at the Advanced Beginner level. Everyone else was at least an Intermediate. True, I had the Advanced Beginner counselor all to myself, but I'll bet that she would have rather had the time slot to herself.
Anyway, I'd lived here in Maryland for many years without setting foot in my current community's municipal pool, but I'm glad I've started taking water aerobics classes there. I don't have to put my face in the water, but I still get some exercise.
The secret: a flotation belt that straps around the waist. (OK, so it rides up a bit during the class.) You get into the deep end of the pool and you are just suspended there like an astronaut training for an EVA in a neutral-buoyancy tank. No weight on your feet, no pounding on your knees, but you can get lots of great abdominal exercise by lifting your legs.
Some days, like today, I haven't felt like exercising, but then I drag myself to the pool, and afterwards I feel better and I'm glad I've done it. After all these years, I guess I've become a pool rat!
