Water Aerobics Isn’t Just For Moms
The class that everyone should take
I drove to the class that was pitched to me as something that only moms and grandmothers do. My friends told me that their moms and grandmothers did this to bond. They were right. The price of $7 was cheap, but was I willing to be uncomfortable?
The aquatics facility played pop music, Bruno Mars’ Finesse, and the lifeguards were tall and lean. The lifeguard behind the counter smiled when I told him I would be doing the water aerobics class. The others, behind him, turned and faced me. I learned that the class is the most popular class that is offered by the Fort Myers Beach Pool.
The parking lot was beginning fill with more cars and more women began walking towards the facility. The women were white-haired and seemed to be 60 years old.
Anyone could easily be intimidated by the camaraderie the patrons had with each other. From the conversations they were having, this was not their first experience with water aerobics. Two women on their way to the pool spoke about what they did over the weekend and others spoke about how they weren’t ready for the class.
There wasn’t a dress code for the class, but swimming attire was encouraged. I wore a white shirt and red polo swimming trunks. Since the class was at 9 a.m., my hair and facial expressions demonstrated that. I didn’t have time to take a shower, so my face was oily and my hair was reminiscent of Alfalfa from The Little Rascals.
At this point, the 20 person class began to seem like something I was going to regret doing because everyone seemed liked they knew what they were doing. However, when the music began there was newfound hope.
The weather did not match my dread. The hot, humid Florida weather was inviting to getting in the pool.
Spots at the front of the pool were taken. The pool’s large space created a sense of intimidation and so did what the people inside of it were saying.
“Who is he? Do you know him? What is he doing here?” they said. The class was grouped together on the bench across the pool. Is this how it feels like to be an outcast? I breathed and thought of doing a poker face, but I thought I’d look silly without a facial expression and my hair having its own show. It would have been a fail.
I decided to go to the back of the pool and tried to avoid eye contact with everyone. The class was filled with women and two men, including me.
The instructor, Erin Johns, began the class a few minutes after the set time. She said that some people are always late and need more time. Beside her stood a lifeguard chair that easily doubled her stature. Her energy level was the opposite of mine. She smiled and waved, pageant-like, which was odd, but fitting.
Johns teaches the class with music that resounds throughout the pool. The small speaker she uses plays high-pace electronic music. The type of music that makes you wake up.
The class starts with stretching. The first of these is to bend forward and reach across the opposite leg to the opposite arm. The people at the front of the class did this without hesitation. However, the deep side of the pool allowed me to stretch with my face underwater.
The class progressively became harder. Balance was the next thing to conquer. Johns instructed to balance with the right leg and pull the left leg towards the chest. I was amazed at how many people could actually hold the position. This was short lived when everyone started losing balance.
This was followed by splashing and laughter. The short lady with curly gray hair hesitated to do the same exercise but with closed eyes.
“You wish!” she said. “I’m here for a reason. I learned my lesson.”
The laughter continued as the class moved into using water weights. These are shaped like a dumbbell, but are larger in size. They are foam dumbbells that look like caricatures of real ones.
Initially, the water weights seem easy to handle. However, this changes when you add the speed and the resistance when they are placed under the surface of the water. The splashing caused the water to appear to have a white foamy texture. My arms and shoulders felt like noodles and I decreased the intensity.
I never thought water noodles could be used in a class, but water aerobics does. There was a sense of relief when the class transitioned from the weights to noodles. I rushed across the pool with a mixture of a hop and run.
The music changed and so did the ambiance in the pool. The noodles were placed in between our legs. The instruction was to relax and float. I tried, but there was a concern of colliding with others while I did so. I didn’t run into someone, but I did hit my head against the pool deck.
I tried and finally relaxed. The speaker had a remix of Dua Lipa’s New Rules, which is my favorite song and I got lost in the moment. I closed my eyes and stopped analyzing. Within what felt like a minute, the instructor blew her whistle and the class turned around to see me look dumbfounded and embarrassed.
Somewhere in the class, I began to accept that I was not going to be good and I started enjoying it more. As I moved from side to side with a noodle in between my legs, I smiled because everyone seemed to be having fun.
The last exercise called for there to be partners. I didn't know anyone in the class and felt like the kid who gets chosen last to play. However, Grace Workman chose me. She wore white hair, a black one piece swimsuit and a few wrinkles. The smile she work made me feel welcomed.
It was awkward touching another person within minutes of meeting them. The groups moved into the shallow end of the pool and were instructed to squat and hold hands with the partner. Workman grabbed my arm and said this was her first class and didn’t know what was happening. I sighed with relief and told her it was my first time too.
We laughed and squatted. The next step was to put both of our right legs up and hold the position for a minute. We started tipping over each other within seconds.
Workman said that she was hesistant to come to the class because she didn’t know what to expect.
Johns said that most of the people in her class started by being the loner and then they eventually become friendly with the class.
Although the experience did cause nervous sweating and pain, the water aerobics made me more dynamic. As I left the facility, the annual membership I had just purchased kept me in a joyful mood. I could not wait to interact with the class and not be the loner anymore. The membership included access to other classes and that meant more challenges. The $7 became a great investment.
