Water Your Community And It Will Grow
reprinted from AKWA Newsletter, April/May 2014 issue, with the permission of Aquatic Exercise Association.
In active fitness centers, schedules may include classes aimed at specific skill levels and intensities: Arthritis Aqua, Aqua Kick Boxing, Aquatic Pilates, and many more. If we are going to embrace aqua as a lifelong activity, we should occasionally offer a class or workshop which is inclusive. All ages, all skills, all active. The water is the ultimate equalizer. Most of our standard moves can be adapted to suit any level of intensity, so as long as working to a personal best is encouraged, nobody should feel out of place and everyone can work to capacity.
We have all had times when we taught classes to parents with children in tow. Sometimes the kids had a place to play away from the aqua class, and sometimes the kids would slip into the pool and try to stay close to their parents. Sometimes, a handful of seniors or parents or triathletes cluster in one corner of the pool and chat during the workout. The primary objective of the class is that the workout promote fitness. Talking, children, or other distractions need to be addressed out of consideration and fairness to the entire class, but there should be a level of tolerance, or at least an initial benefit of the doubt. We are modeling best practices when we grant the privilege of participation to everyone who gets feet wet.
Healthy people are important, but so are healthy communities. If we work to find a way for people to build networks beyond age groups, fitness levels, family or employment status; we will be building a stronger community. Watch the national news and it is clear that we are at risk of divisiveness if we are insular. Sometimes it helps to reach across demographics to offer encouragement and support. Maybe the conversations that start in the pool will continue in the locker rooms and out into the dry clothes world.
Why should community runs and walks have all the fun? Declare a theme day and assign an impartial staff member to be the Water Bottle Judge, Cool Shades Judge, or Top CoverUp Judge. Perhaps there could be special recognition for the member and guest with the greatest age difference. Extend a special invitation to gym members who have never set foot on deck.
Or triple-dog-dare them to risk scary hair and the scent of chlorine.
