Splash !
Ditch dry land workouts and dip your toe in the world of aqua aerobics
Sweat it out... Aqua aerobics is easy on the joints and spine, and the effort of moving in water consumes plenty of calories
In today’s fitness fanatical world
filled with increasingly bizarre and
cutting edge classes to keep trim, water
aerobics has slowly been pushed
into the shadows. So it was with a
nonchalant attitude, an inappropriate
fashion bikini and ready-to-scoff
attitude that we headed to our first
aqua aerobics session.
Tucked away in the Edgecliff’s
Temple of Body & Soul centre lies
the somewhat surreal, Greco/Romanstyle
salt water pool. Flanked by faux
arches boasting watercolour views
of the Mediteranean, stretch lounger
beds and soft sunny lighting, it’s not
the usual harsh strip lighting setting
for your average splash class. And
the group is far from the expected
gaggle of pearly old dears.
As an eclectic, not to mention
toned, mix of individuals flocks to
the water’s edge, the startling reality
that this may in fact be a real workout
begins to sink in.
Shortly after the thought enters our
head, in strides our instructor, Inga.
A professional swimmer in her native
Ukraine, Inga moved to Sydney 27
years ago, and has been teaching fitness
classes to Aussies ever since.
“I love putting the music together,”
she rasps in her deep, accented voice.
“It’s important to get everyone
in the mood and it works with the
moves that I choreograph.” Her
choice to open? ‘Mack the Knife’.
With the warm-up well underway,
she gathers her flock of ungainly
swimmers to face the front, ready to
embark on a wave-making array of
traditional aerobics moves, from star
jumps to leg lunges.
Thanks to the buoyancy, unlike the
dry land version of this cardiovascular
jump around, aqua aerobics is
easy on the joints and spine, while
the added strength needed to move
limbs through water burns away
the calories. By the time the class
is ready to move onto resistance
exercises (cue the foam dumbbells),
the heart is racing, face puce, lungs
heaving for air – even Inga the
muscle machine has worked up
a sweat, pacing up and down the
poolside.
The final 15 minutes are consumed
with a tough sequence of
weights. While the foam may be
light as a feather, beneath the rippling
surface they feel as heavy as
lead, the drag needed to maneuver
the dumbbells working hard to tone
your arms, back and tighten abs.
Before it’s time to limp out of the
pool, the pace is taken down a notch,
and a cool-down incorporating an
amusing choice of ballet and flamboyant
modern dance moves begins.
Scurrying off to the changing
rooms, we’re stopped by a now-panting
Inga, who warmly congratulates
the class on their sterling efforts.
“It’s not as easy as it might appear,”
she says, “but it’s not only about
toning, it sorts out a bad posture
and it’s fun.”
We have to admit, the lady does
not lie. Not only did the combination
of lively enthusiasm, manic instructions
and mix-tap music make the
class smile, the physically demanding
aspect of the class is undeniable.
Perhaps not just for your nana after
all.
For more information, contact
Temple of Body & Mind, 100 New
South Head Road, Edgecliff, 2027
(02 9362 9988, www.templeofbodysoul.com.au) Aqua aerobics
classes: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri & Sat
9.30am–10.30am. Casual visits are
$30; $270 for a 10 visit pass.