Author: dancingcougarnc@gmail.com

I can’t swim. Can I still do Aqua Zumba?

Absolutely! Aqua Zumba is danced in the shallow part of the pool. To get the full benefit of buoyancy and moving your arms against resistance, you are encouraged to stand in water that is as high as your armpits, but you can stand in water that only reaches your waist if you are uncomfortable at first. Your head will never go below the water line and you usually won’t even get your hair wet (unless you splash yourself).

I can’t dance. Can I still do Aqua Zumba?

You sure can. There is an old saying among the people of Zimbabwe: “If you can walk, you can dance.” Believe it or not, if you are able to walk, you already know some of the movements we commonly do in Aqua Zumba and you will be able to pick up variations of those movements very quickly during your first class. I have only two rules for Zumba classes: 1) Keep Moving. 2) Have fun. As long as you are moving, you are doing it right. If a particular movement does confuse you, fill in with something else and see me after class to get an explanation of how to do that troublesome move.

Do I need special equipment?

No equipment needed. In fact, you are discouraged from using equipment that you might have used in other aqua exercise classes because it might make it harder for you to move through the water.

Can I join in a class that has already been meeting?

The short answer is “Yes!”

We now offer two different Aqua Zumba classes at the William G. White Family YMCA — Gentle and Exp.

The Gentle class is intended for beginners and those of us who like to dance but also like to take it easy. You are always welcome to drop in on this class.

The Gentle class meets on Fridays at 2 PM.

The second Aqua Zumba class is Exp, which stands for experienced. I assume people in this class are comfortable with moving in the water and have stronger arms and legs than typical members of the Gentle class. You can also give this class a try anytime, but you might find it useful to attend the Gentle class for a few weeks before you try the Exp class.

The Exp class meets on Wednesdays at 2 PM.

I’m afraid of falling. Will that be a problem in Aqua Zumba?

No! In fact, water exercise is a perfect way to improve your balance, walking gait, and muscle strength to make you less likely to fall on land. Consider these factors —

• You can’t fall down in the water. I actually spent time in the pool one day trying to fall down. I couldn’t do it. After 20 minutes of throwing myself against the water, I concluded it is impossible to hit the bottom of the pool once you are actually in the water. You can fall over, but you won’t hurt yourself doing that.
• Bouyancy keeps you floating and prevents falling. I discuss the buoyancy property of water in another post on this site, but the short story is that the water will try to push you up and keep you floating, which makes falling down impossible.
• Hydrostatic pressure helps you with balance. I discuss the hydrostatic pressure property of water in another post. The short story here is that the water pushes against you and makes it much easier to maintain your balance, even if you are standing on one leg.
• Many dance moves have the effect of making your balance better. New dancers are usually not aware of this, but most of the moves you make in Aqua Zumba require you to balance on one leg (the “anchor leg”) while moving the other leg (the “active” leg). The balancing only lasts for a short time in any given move, but repeatedly balancing on an anchor leg makes that leg stronger and more fit, which makes it easier for you to avoid falling both on land and in the water and to recover quickly if you begin to fall.
• Moving in the water helps to convince your brain that you are not going to fall. “Fear of falling” is usually as much a “brain” problem as it is a physical problem. If you have fallen in the past, your brain stores a message that moving leads to falling and falling leads to injury. As a result, your brain launches a warning to discourage you from doing anything that might cause you to fall. As you practice movement in water without falling, your brain will be less afraid that you will fall, so that fear will begin to recede. At the same time, moving in the water will build strength in your leg muscles, making it less likely you will fall. It’s a win-win kind of thing. By all means, give water exercise a try.

Zumba Fitness Corporation used to describe Zumba as “exercise in disguise”. On this, I totally agree with them.

I was an expert-level couch potato from the time I was six until the year I turned 65. That was when I was told I had Type 2 Diabetes and needed to change my eating habits and get more exercise.

I hate to exercise, but I love to dance. So, when I was told dancing counts as exercise, I was overjoyed. It took me a while to get build up the strength in my arms and legs and lungs and heart, but I now can dance 60 minutes at a time enjoying every minute.

So…I would say that Zumba can be right for you, particularly if you too hate to exercise. Somehow, dancing and moving to the music are worlds apart from squats and knee bends and reps and that stuff they talk about in exercise classes and training sessions.

Will it hurt?

The number one reason people don’t like to do physical activity is they are afraid it will hurt and/or they are worried about making physical challenges they already have — like arthritis, joint pain, or other conditions — worse.

I am a doctor but I’m not a physician. (I have a PhD in government.) Please see your primary care person (doctor or PA) or your trainer (if you have one) before you get too hooked on Zumba. They know you and your body and they will tell you if you can exercise. There’s a very strong possibility they will be delighted you want to get moving and will encourage you to give it a try.

If you don’t have a physical challenge and/or if your PCP says it’s okay, you can do Zumba. If you’re a dedicated non-mover, it might take a while for you to get up to speed — by which I mean “get your muscles and joints used to moving” — but you really can do it.

More on hurt — Aches and Pains

“Hurt” is an odd word here. There are two kinds of physical hurt: aches and pains.

Aches

“Aches” are the result of moving your muscles when they aren’t used to it or having pushed them further than they are used to going. Aches are usually a feeling that one or more areas of your body are tender and painful to move or touch. Sometimes, that achy feeling will begin shortly after you exercise; sometimes, it doesn’t happen until the next day. They aren’t anything to be worried about unless they persist for more than three days.

What to do if it hurts

Usually, resting your body and the muscles that ache for a day and taking an over-the-counter (OTC) pain reliever will get your muscles ready to move. OTC pain relievers are sometimes referred to as “NSAID”, which stands for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. It’s pronounced “en-said”. They include things like aspirin, Tylenol, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve. I personally prefer Aleve because it seems to work better on muscle aches, but they can all be helpful.

Pains

“Pain”, on the other hand, is often an indication that an injury has occurred. It is often described as sharp, shooting, stabbing or stinging. It is most likely to occur while you are exercising, not afterward. It usually does not go away on its own.

If you feel a sensation like this while you are moving, STOP immediately. Don’t try to work through the pain — No Pain, No Gain is nonsense. Continuing to move will usually only make the problem worse.

What to do if it hurts

• Stop exercising. You can make the injury worse if you continue to move the muscle or joint.
• Think about what happened before you felt pain. Were you exercising? if so what were you doing? What kind of pain was it? Stabbing, shooting, stinging?Where did you feel it? Make a detailed description of what is happening to you will help your medical professional determine what went wrong.
• See a medical professional. They will examine your injury and assess how bad it is and what can be done to fix the injury and ease your pain.
• Follow the instructions your medical professional gives you. That includes continuing to take any medications they prescribe for as long as they tell you to take it and resting, using heat or cold on your injury, for as long as they say. Your body will begin to try to heal itself as soon as you injure it and will continue to heal even after what you felt as pain is gone.
• You might be able to continue exercising other parts of your body even while you are recovering from an injury. Ask your medical professional what movements you can do while recovering.