By: Connie Travelling – A boomer, sometimes a lady, Connie Jamieson enjoys travel, outdoor recreation, family times – and grandchildren.
After just one class, I was a convert to the wet side.
For the past eight years, I had averaged two or three trips to the 
gym most weeks, until pain from an old knee injury – a reminder of my beloved red Rossignols and more confidence than ability on a double diamond run – prompted me to wade into the pool.
Aquafit is a full body workout, leaving exercisers refreshed, not exhausted. I understand that we can burn 400-600 calories in a one-hour class, that it’s a low impact head to toe workout, and that it is effective for beginners or seasoned exercisers as the intensity can be increased or decreased at will. You can chat with friends or pay attention and do crunches. You don’t have to be a swimmer; you can choose the shallow end or wear a flotation belt. But there’s more to it than that.
With gym aerobics or exercise class, I always felt pressure to perform, and struggled to learn choreographed moves. But with Aquafit, I’m underwater from the neck down and no one can tell if I mess up a move. Equally important, water wicks away heat during exercise, so hot flashes are extinguished.
Yes, we have to get wet, but I figure I have to shower and shampoo anyway so it might as well be on the pool’s hydro tab. And if, at first glance, the group shower facility is one more reason to work hard to stay in shape, the reality is there’s lots of chatter, laughter and shared backwashing. That’s what support and acceptance look like.
I’m now a regular at Uxpool three times a week. Led by enthusiastic instructors, a group of 20 to 40 women and a few men have become my exercise companions as we work out to the sounds of rock tunes from my puberty years.
Splish, splash!
Lady Boomer 