Discover how exercise really can be designed to help your class members move better, feel better and live better. Water Walk Rx is an aquatic fitness class format that combines water walking, balance training, healthy joint exercises and core strength. This shallow water class format requires no additional equipment.
Fitmotivation offers a wide variety of water exercise videos for all fitness levels, including seniors and those at the lower end of the fitness spectrum. It seems like lots of the videos posted on Fitmotivation are geared towards intermediate to advanced fitness levels. That is because most of the subscribed instructors teach classes where the members want higher intensity workouts. However, we are always getting requests for content for senior classes, especially water walking and arthritis. Therefore, I strive to make sure there are videos that include this content. As the old guy on the Fitmotivation instructor team, much of the senior content is created by me. Over the years, my fitness instruction interests have evolved. My preference now is to design exercise programs for aging bodies. In addition to group fitness and personal training certifications with AEA, AFAA & ACE, I am also certified by the Arthritis Foundation’s Aquatic and Exercise programs. As you have probably noticed in my videos, designing content with healthy joint exercise and muscular flexibility is of special interest to me. My own experiences with an endless cycle of injuries over my 30+ years in the fitness industry have made this a special mission for me.
Water Walk Rx Class Summary
This 55-minute shallow water class format includes a warm-up that previews many of the healthy joint arm exercises used in the walking patterns. The warm-up is followed by three 15-minute exercise segments. Each exercise segment includes six 1-minute walking patterns, two forwards, two backwards and two sideways. There is a total of 18 walking patterns in this video. Additionally, each exercise segment also includes balance training paired with healthy joint movements, along with core strength exercises. There is no additional equipment required for the exercise segments.
Below, I talk more about the video content and then read on for more detailed descriptions of the water walking, balance and core components.
Progressive Walking Patterns & Healthy Joint Movements
The water walking patterns in this video have been designed with healthy joint arm movements for the shoulder and elbow joints. The arm patterns have also been designed to progress walking intensity. For example, an arm pattern first assists the direction of travel, making it less intense. Then the arm pattern is progressed to impede the travel direction, making it more intense. Additionally, arm patterns have also been designed to progress intensity with frontal surface resistance. Walking patterns with less frontal surface area will create less resistance. The intensity and resistance can be increased by maximizing surface area with outstretched arms or changes in body position while walking.
Balance Training & Healthy Joints
Each of walking patterns is followed by a balance exercise that also includes healthy joint exercises for the hips, knees, ankles, and the upper body. Many of the movements used in both the walking patterns and the balance exercises come directly from AEA’s Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program. Balance training is essential for aging bodies. A fall can be devastating for our class members. The water is the best place to train balance because people have more confidence balancing with the support of the water.
Core Strength
Following the balance training, a core stability and strengthening exercise is included with each of the walking patterns. Core strength is essential for aging bodies because it is the foundation of support for the spine, pelvis and the entire body. A strong core can help your class members alleviate chronic back pain and improve posture, among other benefits.
Who is this for?
For the exercise participant, you get nearly a full hour of walking patterns combined with balance training, healthy joint exercises and core strength. This is literally medicine for the body. This type of workout is ideal for beginners, seniors, active recovery and for those returning to exercise after an injury or surgery.
For the instructor, you get loads of ideas to take away and insert into your senior classes.
Feel free to cherry pick out ideas for water walking, balance and core strength.
As winter approaches, stay tuned for more land fitness workouts to be filmed. Fitmotivation has a dedicated library of land fitness classes for group fitness instructors, or for those times you can’t get in the pool and need a substitute class. These land fitness videos are always low or non-impact and feature muscular strength, flexibility and joint mobility.
Stay tuned for “Gadget Month” coming up in November. We have 4 shorter 15-20 minute videos posting, depicting different water fitness tools to exercise along with.
