Wonders Of Water Workouts Water Aerobics Help People Experience A Revitalization

Mother knows best.

Just ask Patty Murphy.

Seven years ago, Murphy took her mother’s advice and gave deep-water aerobics a try. Today she’s a water aerobics instructor at the Whitworth College Aquatics Center.

“I think our water aerobics program and our pool are the best kept secrets in Spokane,” Murphy said. “It is the ultimate no-impact workout. People hated it at first. They thought it was something for little old ladies.

“But once you get out there and give it a try, well, that’s all it takes. (Track and field’s) Carl Lewis does it all the time. And Bo Jackson used water aerobics to rehabilitate a football injury when he played for the (Los Angeles) Raiders.”

A water aerobics workout offers 12 percent to 125 percent more resistance than air, she said.

“People work at their own pace,” said Murphy. “You get out of it what you put into it. Water aerobics is similar to other exercise programs in that you burn … 500 to 700 calories in a 1-hour workout.

“The difference is that you burn 45 percent more body fat in water aerobics. Your muscles expend more energy because of the resistance and also because they’re working to keep your body warm.”

A flotation belt is used in deep-water aerobics so you don’t have to worry about treading water for an hour.

A workout consists of 3-to-5 minutes of thermal warm-up exercises, then 20-40 minutes of continuous aerobic exercises. That’s followed by 5-15 minutes of strength exercises and then a 3-5 minute cooling-down period.

The end result of working out in water is a great improvement in all three major fitness areas - cardiovascular (just standing in neck-deep water stimulates circulation so the heart pumps 32 percent more blood); flexibility (exercises involve long, stretching movements); and strength (the resistance of water enhances muscle tone and strength).

Also, since you’re immersed in water, there’s virtually no gravity, therefore, no stress on your skeletal, respiratory, digestive and circulatory systems. And because pool water is usually 15 degrees cooler than your body temperature you don’t have to worry about overheating.

For Patty’s mother, Helen, water aerobics has made a world of difference.

“At my age (63) I needed to start exercising,” Helen said. “I tried deep-water aerobics and I just loved it. It opened the doors to a new life for me. I can do things now I couldn’t do two months ago. I have so much energy.”

Helen passed on her love of water aerobics to her daughter.

“I kept after Patty for almost a year to come with me to a workout,” she said. “Now, the more she does it the more she wants to learn. She’s always going to classes and clinics and learning new exercises and techniques to pass along to us. I’ll be coming here forever.”

According to Patty, water aerobics offers something for everybody.

“Anyone can benefit from this,” Patty said. “We have volleyball players, track athletes, people recovering from injuries and illnesses and regular people looking to improve their everyday life.”

Judy Potter joined the water aerobics class two months ago after going through debilitating chemotherapy and radiation treatments.

“I didn’t have the energy to climb a flight of stairs,” she said. “Now I have so much energy and can do just about anything.

“I started working out just 20 minutes a day. As my strength increased, so did my time in the pool. I’d lost my coordination from all the poison pills I had to take, but I’ve got it all back now. Deep-water aerobics really accelerated my recovery.”

Seventy-two-year-old Al Linnenkamp has his wife to thank.

She “got me started last fall,” he said. “The biggest thing for me is how loose I am. I had a mildly arthritic back and now I can move freely. I feel good after a workout and it’s only 1 hour out of my day. There’s so many enjoyable people down here that make it a lot of fun.”

For Helen Morris, it’s been a way to alleviate pain.

“I’ve had knee and elbow injuries,” she said. “I couldn’t rehab with weights. Water aerobics is a perfect way to rehab without injuring anything else. I did it at my own pace. This is the best I’ve felt, ever.”

Maybe you’re like Patty’s sister-in-law, Sharon Murphy.

“I have no injuries or illnesses and I love it,” said Sharon. “I’m a water aerobics snob. I’ve tried other ways to exercise and there’s nothing that comes close (to deep-water).”

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MEMO: Water aerobics classes run Monday-Friday, 9-10 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday are deep-water aerobics. On Tuesday and Thursday, it’s regular-water aerobics in the shallow end of the pool. Info: Patty Murphy, (509) 466-8571.