Water workouts buoy up exercise

Marsha Kay Seff
Sun, 04 May 2008 21:00:00 -0700
Lifestyle

I can't think of a better way for aging parents and their adult children to work the kinks out of their tired bodies than in the swimming pool.

I've been aqua exercising and jogging for almost a dozen years, teaching a class for nine of them. Unfortunately, logistics prevented my mom from getting into the pool more than a few times. But it has done me a world of good - for stress relief, general fitness, aches and pains and weight loss.

So I was thrilled when MaryBeth Pappas Baun, who is certified both by the Aquatic Exercise Association and the Arthritis Foundation, published her second edition of "Fantastic Water Workouts." When she came to San Diego recently from Houston, I offered to meet her poolside. I know, tough job, working out in the Hotel del Coronado's heated pool by the beach.

Baun, like myself, suffers from fibromyalgia. When her body started balking at hiking, canoeing and the likes 20 years ago, she started cross-training in the water. "Water workouts have changed my life."

And, Baun says, they've changed the lives of those she has taught, including a woman with a degenerative brain condition. Water exercise allowed her student to move from a walker to a cane and, eventually, nothing.

"Everyone who gets in the water feels free and liberated," Baun says.

Improving range of motion is important.

"Stretching is so important, because it helps you to live a more pain-free life. It helps you to function better. You sleep better."

Water trumps land, she says, because of the extra resistance. Water improves strength and flexibility. Water allows you to work within your own range, instead of the range of a piece of equipment, and water workouts help rehabilitate or prevent injury to your muscles. And my favorite reason for diving into the pool: Aqua aerobics helps to maintain or improve body weight. Remember, my mother didn't recognize me when I lost 40 pounds.

Also, the pool usually involves social interaction, a key ingredient for getting you to stick with the program.

Don't complain about having to pour your tush and tummy into a bathing suit. If you're not comfortable in one, wear shorts and a jog bra or T-shirt, Baun advises. An old pair of sneakers will protect your feet and give you traction on the bottom of the pool. I bought my mother a swimsuit two sizes too big; it was easy to pull on and off.

Oh, another important point: Working out in the shallow end or even the deep end doesn't mean getting your hair wet. I do an hour of aqua jogging every morning before work - in full makeup, with my long hair tied back.

If you can't find a public pool near you, Baun suggests, find a neighbor with one. Offer to exercise with him or her and then go to lunch.

It's important, she stresses, not to compare your ability with others.

"Don't worry if you can't keep up. Do what feels good to you."

And, remember, what feels good today might not feel the same every day.

After checking with your doctor to make sure you're safe to start, check out the pools and classes in your area. If you can't find a class, pick up a copy of "Fantastic Water Workouts." You might even want to hire a personal trainer or physical therapist to help you choose the exercises best for you.

The Arthritis Foundation offers dozens of classes. For the one nearest you, visit www.arthritis.org. And have fun.