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.