By Sharlie Peterson In the last few years, I have become known by many of my aqua peers as the ‘Social Media Queen’ because of all the photos and videos I post both to build up class interest and to share tips/comedy with other instructors in our industry. But why did I begin posting so often? When I began my Aqua Fitness teaching career in 2017, I quickly realized the facility I taught at was not going to advertise my classes for me. What better way to advertise my brand than on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, where all my friends can be found in one place and see what I’m up to?! Social media is the number one tool that has helped me to get my company, Shockwave Aqua Fitness, to where it is now - even being recognized as Best of Topeka. You might be thinking, that’s great for YOU, but I have no clue where to start! Have no fear - Sharlie is here! Social media can be very overwhelming when it comes to how you will advertise yourself as an instructor. Here are a few quick guides on how you can build YOUR brand and start attracting more class members and social media followers. Create Your Brand: Whether you’re an instructor working for a facility or you’re starting up your own aquatic fitness company, people need a way to find you and check out what you’re doing in the water world. Coming up with a creative name is the first step in selling yourself! AquaFit_With_Your Name Here, Aqua Zumba with _, Wave Shakers, etc. Don’t be afraid to get creative and find the perfect name for your brand! I came up with ‘Shockwave’ because I want people to enter the pool and be SHOCKED at the power of the waves. See what I did there? Start a Page: Facebook and Instagram are your new best friends! By creating both a Facebook and Instagram business page, you can separate your work and private life and give people in your community an easier way to find you. You can also link several social media pages together so that your followers and class members can see what you’re up to on various platforms. Content: Now that you have a page, what on earth do you post?! I’ve personally found the best way to keep interest is to post at least 3-4 times a week. This keeps your brand active and engaging. Posting quick clips of your workouts (30 second to 1 minute clips are great - don’t give it all away!), upcoming class schedules, workout tips and events are great ways to keep your followers involved. However, it can be easy to get caught up with life and forget to make a post or two…or three. A great tool that Facebook offers is the ability to schedule posts for specific days and times. I like to sit down each Sunday evening and plan out a majority of my posts for the week so I don’t have to worry about it! Networking: Keeping your class members and community active on your socials is one thing, but it’s also important to interact with your peers and stay up to date on upcoming events along with sharing your own events and opinions. There are several great groups on Facebook, such as Water Fitness Instructors and Aquatic Fitness Instructors that are wonderful for giving and asking for advice from your peers. I’ve made several instructor friends through these groups and have learned a great deal about equipment and upcoming training events. And, don’t be afraid to post in these groups to show other instructors what you’re doing in your neck of the pool! Stand Out: There are so many amazing aquatic instructors who are making social waves on various platforms. This is where YOUR creativity and individuality will help you to shine and set you apart. Learn from what others are posting and then figure out what you can do to stand out and draw others in! I have found my own niche to be making comedic videos on Tiktok that address common stigmas of aqua fitness, just like Jenni Lynn and her S’WET team have made their mark on showing how powerful the water truly is. How will YOU be a Wave Maker?! These are just starting blocks to help you succeed in a world that is social media-focused. I realize that this digital world doesn’t come easy to most, and one service I have begun to offer is Digital Consultations. If you are a new instructor just starting up, or an instructor who’s been around the block but needs that online help, I am happy to chat with you! The internet can oftentimes be a scary place, but I promise it can also be one of the most beneficial tools to you as an instructor. Aqua Fitness is becoming more and more popular through social media platforms, and it’s all thanks to a list of instructors - a list that your name should be added to! Please feel free to email me directly at Shockwaveaquafitness@gmail.com. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sharlie Peterson began her aqua fitness teaching career in 2017 in Wichita, Kansas after her mother invited her to a water fitness class. She was instantly hooked and wanted to teach, but knew it would be on her to advertise and get her name and class styles out there. She created her now signature class, Aqua Jam, which is a favorite among her class members to this day. In 2019, Sharlie moved with her mother to Topeka, Kansas, and created Shockwave Aqua Fitness. Shockwave was created to establish Sharlie’s goal of creating fun and effective aquatic fitness classes throughout Kansas and the midwest by breaking the stigma that aqua fitness is just for older adults. The water is a powerful tool that every age and body type should be able to enjoy! Sharlie currently teaches in Topeka and has built her Facebook Shockwave group of nearly 1000 class members and is currently working on getting her AEA certification. Future plans? To start traveling to teach other instructors how to build their own brand and be successful with or without the help of their pool facilities. She also enjoys long walks through the Sunflower fields and sweating profusely in the Kansas humidity.

by Ann Gilbert Twenty-two years ago I got a message that the 9:30 aqua class needed a sub. I approached the club manager and asked, “So what is the format of the class I'll be subbing?” She quickly remarked, “It’s just the 9:30 class.” I then asked a regular attendee, “What’s the focus of the class you take”? The member responded by saying, “It’s just the 9:30 class. It’s always been the 9:30 class." Having completed a playlist for my Hi-low land-based class, I loaded the cassette into the player and hit go. The volume was too loud, and the chosen movements defied all the principles of aquatic exercise. Yet there was never a sneer, a boo, or a frown. The students willingly accepted me and quietly repeated, “We just can’t go that fast in water.” They were so glad to have a coach that day and we all fumbled through the 45-minute window while singing aloud to each of the songs I had chosen. The members had come for the socialization. They had little or no awareness of how their body could experience a well-balanced, full body workout in water in the 9:30 class. The members came for the camaraderie, as witnessed when I suggested that we just hang out and play volleyball after class. We filled that pool with laughter, and a few splashes, for almost two more hours! For years as a trainer, I had tried to motivate the aquatic members to train on land. I realized that very day, that the pool was their workout studio, their own little boutique and it was my duty to bring all aspects of fitness to them. That same year our club was recognized in San Diego at IHRSA, accepting the IHSRA/ACE PT of the Year Award. The boutique style, women’s only, niche facility stood out for having initiated small group training options for fee, personal training programs for women in all of life’s stages and for becoming the area wide hub for aquatic fitness. Over the next 22 years, formats such as Luscious Limbs, Aquatic Weight Loss, Water Walking, Aquatic HIIT, Trifecta and Aqua Tabata launched as quarterly class options. Formats were choreographed, timed, and even circuited, using all equipment the small growing facility could find. We had frisbees, gallon jogs, aqua bells, and ankle cuffs. As class numbers grew to all-time highs, the need for educated pros to join the team became evident. It appears the aquatic pro was the most sought-after instructor the managers could interview. Land based instructors and personal trainers struggled with the understanding of the properties of buoyancy, drag, viscosity and surface tension. Many tried to duplicate, as I did, the land experience in the pool and realized, with a few failures under their belts, that science was something that took time to learn. They were missing the certification and training. Our land based exercise education doesn't always equate to the pool. Once the leadership saw how crucial certification was to the success of their numbers, they brought the training to their instructors and the numbers did indeed grow. Like in the popular land formats of the time, there was an increase in what we now know as "overtraining" symptoms. Doing the same 9:30 class over and over was leading to a lack of recovery, increase in painful movements and unfortunately lack of measurable fitness and wellness results. Addressing all five aspects of fitness was not, at the time, the focus. Very few knew methods of training strength, endurance, balance, and true cardiovascular improvement. Growth came not only with education for the instructors but through the introduction of opportunities for the students to actually understand the benefits of exercising in the aquatic environment. Our focus has become teaching how the body works and how the training in a well formatted schedule, will translate to the ability to participate in advanced activities of daily life. Twenty-two years ago I entered the aquatic world to help sub the 9:30 class. Through proper certification & training for the Aquatic Fitness professional, our team now pushes play to fight the loss of skeletal muscle mass, to increase one’s cardiovascular endurance and to introduce a focus on speed, power and balance. We maximize the properties of water to be the best aqua boutique available. ABOUT THE WRITER: Ann Gilbert is ACE, CPT, AEA and SCW certified and is an owner Shapes Fitness for Women. She oversees the operations of as many as 8 certified Personal Trainers, 12 Group Fitness professionals, and coordinates fee-based group personal training programs. Ann promotes the popular Aging Fit series and is the choreographer for S.E.A.T., an innovative chair fitness program. Ann was awarded ACE / IHRSA Personal Trainer of the Year in 2001 and has been a popular speaker at Club Industry, SCW MANIA, and IHRSA Conventions since 2002. Ann also writes for Fitness magazines and can be seen on local TV. Contact Ann: https://shapesfitnessbrandon.com/ On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Walkathon On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annfitt/ As Ann recognized when she began her career in aquatic fitness, proper education and certifications remains crucial to the success of professionals in this and other training industries. Our S'WET™ SQUAD is committed to change the perception of aqua fitness, and our path to do so begins with continuing education. Join us in NASHVILLE, TN for Music City FitCon - October 21-23rd for FIVE CEC workshops including S'WET™ Silver, S'WET™ Bootcamp and the Power of Om with Jenni Lynn Patterson LaCour, Dude Moves with Chris LaCour, and Build Your Own Brand with A.J. Meyers. PLUS...Become a certified licensed S'WET™ Instructor and help us #changetheperception of #aquaticfitness!

Episode 11: Lynda Keane & Haylley Pittam Joining us from across the pond are TWO very special guests, Lynda Keane & Haylley Pittam, co-founders of the UK-based Aquatic Rehabilitation and Exercise Academy, otherwise known as A.R.E.A. This mother-daughter duo with a combined 45+ years experience and education in aquatic fitness offer us some incredible insight on everything from injury prevention and soft-tissue therapy to pre/post natal programming and the importance of proper pelvic care. We were thrilled to end our first season of this show with Lynda & Haylley, as they are truly dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge and evidence based aquatic education. Season 2 of The Aquaholics Bootcamp will have a strong focus on continuing education and the role it has in building safe, effective programming using some truly state of the art equipment. We're beyond pumped to bring you those amazing conversations. As you'll hear in the their interview, Lynda and Haylley's shared passion for all things aqua has made them the leading advanced aquatic educators covering all aspects of aquatic training. They never stop learning, training and experimenting...with some truly incredible results still to come! Full Transcript: Jenni Lynn: Joining us today from across the pond are two very special guests, Lynda Keane and Haylley Pittam. They are co-owners of the UK based Aquatic Rehabilitation and Exercise Academy, otherwise known as A.R.E.A. and have a combined total of over 45 years experience working in aquatic fitness. AJ: With a degree in sports rehabilitation and injury prevention and a master's in soft tissue therapy, Lynda works mainly with orthopedic and musculoskeletal clients and has a special interest in hypermobility. Likewise, Haylley has worked in the health and fitness industry as a masseuse, personal trainer, a swim teacher and an aquatic fitness instructor with a focus on pelvic care and pre- and post- natal work. Jenni Lynn: There's so much to talk about and we cannot wait to dive in. So Lynda, Haylley, welcome to Alcoholics Bootcamp. Lynda: Thank you. Welcome. Welcome to you. Haylley: Hello. AJ: Yes, thank you guys for joining us today. Where are you both calling from? Haylley: So we actually live half an hour away from each other. But Lynda is closer to London, and I'm more in the countryside. AJ: And you're in the United Kingdom, of course? Haylley: Oh, sorry. Yeah, I forgot to add that bit. Yeah, we're in the United Kingdom, near London. AJ: Nice. In the introduction, we mentioned some of your previous experiences. But can you take us back and tell us a little bit about your backgrounds, how you found yourself becoming involved in aquatic fitness and what your education and training has been? And Lynda, why don't we start with you? Lynda: I was going to say I think we need to, as it definitely leads into Haylley afterwards. Well, the strange thing is my first incarnation was I was a French cuisine chef. AJ: Mmm. Haylley: Don't get excited. Lynda: No, that was in the past. And then I had children. And I desperately wanted them to learn to swim. I thought it is absolutely with no hesitation one of the most important things in the entire growing up of a child is for a child to learn to swim. And I thought, well, I'll become a swimming teacher because it'll be cheaper. I was a single parent, by then, and after the swimming lessons, there was an aqua aerobics class and the instructor was always late, always. So I've very flippantly said to the manager, I'm fed up with this, I said send me on the course and I'll warm them up. And then when the instructor comes in, she can take over, never ever expecting to actually teach a class. So I did the course and literally fell in love with it right from the word go. I just was desperate to teach it. And to do it. I was already bitten by the bug as soon as I left that course. And I then went on to teach and then lecture in it for sort of 20 odd years, really. And I thought, I need medical knowledge now. So that was the next stage. I went and did the degree. And that was it, then masters and now it's early, early doors of a PhD. Jenni Lynn: Wow. Lynda: I did get bitten by the bug really quite severely. AJ: I love that. And Haylley, where do you fit into this picture here? Haylley: So while she was becoming a swimming teacher and a swimming coach, I was the swimmer. And then from being the swimmer, I actually have, I'm hypermobile. So I have hypermobility and my left knee was at that time when I was a swimmer, I was a breaststroke swimmer, I didn't know that I had hypermobility. So I actually ended up getting injured a lot. And my dreams of being an Olympic swimmer wasn't ever going to happen. But I then went from being a swimmer to being the lifeguard on poolside. The swimming teacher, the assistant swimming teacher, and that then led me to being in the leisure center for pretty much most jobs apart from the general manager. You know, I would be doing receptionist, lifeguards, swimming teacher, aqua aerobics instructor. And as Lynda developed with the aqua aerobics, I would be taken to these conferences and exhibitions and seminars. And I remember being 14 standing in front of these women doing a presentation and thinking, I want to be a fitness instructor. I want to be there, I want to be presenting, I want to teach people. And I was 14 years old, with everyone else around me not knowing what the hell they wanted to do when they left school. And me going, Well, I'm going to go to college, and I'm going to go and do X, Y, and Zed. So I kind of knew from a very young age that I wanted to be in the fitness industry, which I completely, you know, thank Lynda for being my mom and dragging me to those places. But also it gave me an aim very early on of what I wanted to do. Now, believe it or not, I went into a phase of wanting to do hydrotherapy when I was about 16/17, when I realized that I loved the water more than I loved the land. And we went to the ATRI Convention at the time. And something in one of those lectures made me kind of re-jiggle my thought process of what I wanted to do as a job. But going there was immense because it really put a lot of ideas into my head about what I wanted to do. And I realized that I still wanted to be within the medical profession. I still wanted to be in the fitness profession. And so I then went on my own journey whilst Lynda was going off and doing her own thing, I went off and did my own thing. And so I did my land instructors, my personal trainers, my GP referral. And we would then every so often regroup and I would always be referred to as you know Lynda's daughter. That I, you know, I am absolutely proud of because look how far she's come and look what she's done. It's amazing. But I also had to find my own feet, I had to find my own voice. And and so I ended up being land fitness and water fitness, but still teaching my classes, building up my classes, building up my knowledge, but we kind of knew that at some stage together is where we needed to be. And that's where we are now with A.R.E.A. AJ: Yeah. Jenni Lynn: Wow. So as the mother daughter combination, the duo, how has that relationship influenced your teaching and your business? Haylley: I would say a lot. From my perspective. Because we banter of each other or with ideas. But we also, we will also be honest with each other. And if I'm going to get anyone to critique my work it's is her first because she'll be there and she'll be like, No, that doesn't work. And, and then, you know, vice versa with her sending me stuff. She's like, what do you think? Do you think this will work? Though some of the stuff she puts in nowadays is a bit over my head. I then try and catch up and yeah, we work really well together. There was a convention I remember is going to and we had to present but we were put out on the spot to present and Lynda was up front and I had to like do the work with her. And I and I can remember someone saying to me, you know you two work really well together. I had no idea what moves she was doing next. But because we're so in tune with each other, I was able to literally mimic and do the exact same moves milliseconds after she did them. And and we pulled it off. Yeah. Do you remember that one? Lynda: I do. I do. I was also gonna say that you're always my guinea pig. You're going around and manipulated and you know, tried things out. So I always get an honest opinion and it's always spot on. Jenni Lynn: You have a perfect model per se as well because when I see these pictures and you know, Lynda's in her moment and in her element of doing you know, the therapy in the water and then you see just Haylley relaxed and like loading the water and like so like stretchy. I know you're bendy flexi and you have that hypermobility, but it just pictures that you get. And it looks like from what we've seen online, it's just, it looks great. Everything looks like it's coming together so beautifully. Haylley: Yeah, that technique is a beautiful technique. So yeah, it's a great one to photograph. But I think the fact that I've been the guinea pig for so long, and she goes, I've just discovered something come to the pool. And I'm like, half in my head going, Oh, my God, what now? AJ: Well, so your your co-founders of A.R.E.A, the Aquatic Rehabilitation Exercise Academy? Why don't you talk to us a little bit about where the idea began and where you're taking it now? Lynda: Okay, well, it's something that I've been sort of like brewing on and trying to sort of clear in my head, get definite sort of guidelines of what I wanted. But the one thing I think with being at university so much, and I also teach at the university, is that I suppose now ingrained in me is that if there isn't research to back it up, we shouldn't be using it. So I'm very much you know, if we're going to go out and educate people, it's got to come from a place of science. And it's got to come from a place of fact. The physiology of immersion, you know, that we all know, that's been sort of proven and everything. So that comes from a good place. So we all know that, we all understand it. So this is partly why I wanted everything to have the the backing behind it and the evidence of the science and everything. So when I was Haylley's age, when I was younger, I liked working with the elites as well. I liked all the fitness side. I went and I selected at some of the football teams in the UK on aquatic fitness. I went and did that until I started getting a little bit older started going a bit more down the rehab route. And as I've got older, obviously, it's taken me a lot further down that route. So I came from an area, you know, the degree was sports rehabilitation and injury prevention. I come from a place of sport and from the elite. And now I've come into more working at the hospital with the orthopedic conditions. The hospital specializes in spinal surgeries. So I get to see a lot of people with spinal injuries. So of course, that's not really the sporting world. But I just love the fact of trying to marry the two together, because over here it's very much you know, oh, you're not a physiotherapist, we can't do that, you can't do this. But I thought, well, we've got so much knowledge on the sort of fitness side of things that don't are that and the amount of times you'll see people who've come purely down the therapy route, that actually don't understand the water. But understanding the water, understanding what happens to the human body in the water, I think then makes for very good sort of treatments as well. So I mean, that was that was where the initial sort of part of things came through. And of course, with Haylley with her youth, and her fitness and her strength, she can carry on, carrying the sort of like flag for the fitness side of things. But also, she's become such a specialist in pre and postnatal in the pelvic floor. And of course, bridges both sides. That bridges therapy, and it bridges, you know, the fitness side, because one of my sayings is you only know what a pelvic floor is when it was. You know, we're not taught in school. I mean, it's only when you've got issues, the people suddenly start saying, Well, you know, you need to look after your pelvic floor, and haven't you been doing this you know, what the hell is that? So, you know, so I think it's, it's just this marrying of everything together, which I think is so important, and it's it's how the industry I believe needs to go. AJ: Yeah. Lynda: And this thing with COVID...You know, I think the fitness industry absolutely sits side by side with the medical industry with this pandemic. Because people when they come out of lockdown, and we've actually had a program on telly that's been talking about, you know, what's happening with people coming out of a lockdown and lack of fitness and the comorbidities that they they got through just four months. So I think the fitness industry actually should be sitting side by side with the medical industry, because the world needs us desperately. AJ: There's actual scientific, factually-based research behind aquatic fitness. And because your Academy highlights and shares that, I think that's so important, and I hope that, you know, you can inspire worldwide that desire to learn more and to educate and share that knowledge. Because you're absolutely right, the medical and fitness industry need to merge better and work together. And not just for rehabilitation because of post injury or you know, post surgery, but prior to as well as a prevention, as a preventive measure. Haylley: And pre events as well. If someone has a sports event, like a marathon, you know, we've got the London Marathon here. And it'd be amazing to get some of those runners running in the pool before they started running on land or even doing some of their training in the pool and running before. So there's a lot that I think could marry up very well. But I would hope that people take a bit more respect for the water. But yeah, we're still in that battle. Jenni Lynn: I think you've already touched on it as we've been talking about A.R.E.A., but there's a focus of three different pillars, the Aqua Stretch, the Aquanatal and Aqua Therapy, are those like the three pillars right now of A.R.E.A.? Lynda: Yeah. Haylley: So right now we have them. We also have an introduction to aquatic therapy is going to be our next big release. But what we also have been doing over lockdown is I have been rewriting, and I mean, I have put so much time into the Aquanatal course to make it an online course. So it's going to becoming an online program. And the follow on from there would be all the pelvic care work. And Lynda's doing a similar setup with the introduction to aquatic therapy. And there will be add-ons that will come on from that as well. So we've been busy writing up this education, preparing it ready for this big launch. Jenni Lynn: You're being productive during this time. That's for sure. I know from the interview that you and I had, I was beyond impressed to hear all this stuff. Because I know we talked for quite a while and all the stuff that you've been working on. But it was fantastic. Well, and I've told other instructors this because I've had, you know, a lot of different mothers in my pool, and I've trained women, both prior to pregnancy, during pregnancy and after. And, you know, there's only so much research out there, but I, as you know, come to you and I ask you these questions and I'm like, okay, before I work with this woman, these, these are the things, what should I do? And you just have, I mean, your messages back are just like a chapter. It's amazing, because then I sit there and I'll print that out and actually like go through and read it and highlight it and like I can help so many different women from that, you know, from that information. It's not just specific on one person, you're like, Okay, if it's this scenario, approach it here. If it's this scenario, and I'm like, I cannot wait to take this online program. It's gonna be awesome. Haylley: Yeah, no, I'm really excited about it and it's going to be separated into two. You're going to have a prenatal section and a postnatal section. So they're two separate courses and and while I don't want to give too much away, but there is so much content there that Lynda still hasn't finished giving it the okay. Lynda: I'm nearly there. Haylley: Yeah. So and to be honest, I'm still adding little tidbits here and there and like I want it to be ready. So I want it to be ready. But I'm also excited about what I'm able to deliver afterwards. So I believe in the fact that the pelvic floor is a really under estimated muscle. I also look at the pelvis and how the pelvis is. So I actually have a add on after you've done the pre and post natal or if you wanted to just do the the pelvis work separately and I've got a workshop that's called Pool Floor to Pelvic Floor. And it connects the fact that you know one in three women - and I can't remember the statistics off the top of my head right now, but men, I want to say one in 10, but don't quote me on that, - I think it's one in three women and one in ten men suffer with pelvic floor dysfunction in one way or another. And pelvic floor dysfunction doesn't just mean the pelvic floor. There is so much other stuff going on. And the chain that responds throughout the entire body can affect even all the way up to the jaw. So I want to be able to help these people who, in the water, it's not noticeable, whether they're having a little, you know, sneezy peasy, type moment... But, they go, and they go out the water. And they go, and, you know, go meet up with their friends, and they laugh too much. And that's when they have a little accident. But the work that I do with my classes, my therapy classes, my general classes, and I do specific pelvic floor sections within my class as well. Not all the time. But if I'm, especially if I'm doing my therapy class, I do every single session, my therapy class have it. And one of my ladies said to me, I remember it been like two months, she said to me, I want you to know that I went on a trampoline. And I done, I don't know, four minutes but I was out of breath, so I came off. And I said, if you can do four minutes because we've been working on your pelvic floor, I am absolutely thrilled. Next week, you can do five minutes. But you know that's an amazing improvement. And yeah, the the kind of, I'm not here to, you know, make people do it. I want to help people to understand why they should do it. And because when people understand why they should do it, they're more likely to do it. If you just go and get told by the nurse, Oh, you've got to do your pelvic floor muscles. They're like, I did a bit. And then I forgot, like the amount of postnatal mums that say, yeah, I'm too busy to do my pelvic floor work. I'm like, No, this is really important. This is really important. Let me explain to you why this is really important. And then the aging process and the menopause process of the body, you know, that that then has an effect on that older generation. And that older generation is the majority of our daytime aqua classes. So, you know, if you could take into account that the body starts aging, the aging process, and then you've got the menopause and the way that the aging process then obviously is intensified, they come to the classes in the daytime, because that's when they're, you know, more suited suited to come, whether it be the 55 plus class or whatever. And they are ideal to help support them and stop them from becoming those incontinence issues or anything like that. And I hate the fact that we have all these adverts for special underwear for a lady like we've got 10 ladies, and we've got was Always and they've now got them so much so, but they've got they you know, they make them pretty with little flowers on them. And they say, Oh, I feel so comfortable in my sexy tenor ladies, but you know, they're not sexy, and they're not sexy, and they shouldn't be normalized, because we need to work on strengthening and helping and getting this function, you know, to work rather than just relying on a pad in your panties. Jenni Lynn: I'm so happy you said that. Because I've been watching these commercials for these new lines of underwear and undergarments for women. And although I understand there's probably special circumstances or a surgery or something in which maybe that's necessary for a brief period of time, but to that as a quote unquote, band-aid for something that you could easily and very quickly, you know, take care of with exercises and understanding your body and understanding the pelvic floor. Like they're very easy fixes, but it's just this mentality of I just don't have the time. Haylley: Yeah, yeah, I mean, those companies are making millions. And I understand when you get to an age of maybe, you know, 90, where the body actually can't function and the body is actually switching off. Because that's what I suppose in the older days used to happen. It just, you know, it was more for that. But now they've made them sexy, and they've advertised for the postnatal lady and they're becoming more normal and I would rather than get help. So I've spoken about it before, but I had abdominal surgery, July last year, and I woke up from surgery, I know what I'm doing. So I woke up from surgery and within an hour, I was doing breathing exercises to start waking up and start getting those muscles in my abdominals to start switching on again. And I'm still with stitches and all the rest of it. But I got given a leaflet. Now, obviously, we've got the NHS in England, and it's amazing, the NHS is amazing. And we have the heroes to thank massively during this COVID scenario, but the leaflet that I got given from the NHS, about how to work my abdominals and my pelvic floor was so poor in what its information gave. It gave a few really key and up to date points. But it gave very small amount of exercise, you know, a really small amount of exercises to do. And I thought, how many women you know, get given that on a day to day basis, having surgery whether it be abdominal, whether it be have a baby, but it's the same thing, because it's the gynecological leaflet, okay, so whether you've had a baby, whether you've had a C section, and etc, etc. And the information on there is so small and poor. So that's, that's what they get. They get that. What what woman who's just had a baby is going to sit there, read it, and then go, Oh, yeah, my date on day to day basis, I need to do that. Not very many. Jenni Lynn: Yeah. Not at all. AJ: No, it comes with the education, as you said, and kind of spreading that awareness, but also then working with the medical industry, perhaps, you know, putting together your own pamphlet that can go home with people post surgery. Some of the other issues that you guys deal with regularly. And Lynda, this might be a question for you. Issues in the tissues. Like lockdown bodies? Why don't we talk a little bit about that. Lynda: So yeah, I've become absolutely obsessed, I think is the right word, with fascia. And the connective tissue, especially since sort of doing the Aqua Stretch stuff and everything. And so we've been on lots of courses, both Haylley and I independently and together because of course, as you've realized that everything I do, poor Haylley gets dragged along and involved as well. So it's like, this is what you need to learn, this is what you need to know, we need to understand about fascia. So when when we went back into the pool, it was sort of like feeling these people, and their hips were locked, they just weren't moving, they needed freeing up so much. And you could just sort of, I don't know, the hip flexors were locked. They needed to move, they needed to be able to move around, and it's just getting them to get in that water and be like seaweed really. Allow the bodies to sort of unravel from that immobility, or just walking. We're moving beings... Haylley: And melt, melting into the water is a really nice image. Lynda: Yeah. Haylley: Allowing the body to just be relaxed. Lynda: I mean, this is one of the things I always say to my clients is when you go and you get a tin out of the cupboard, you know, most of the food is stored on the top cupboards not on the ones underneath the sink, they're generally in the top cabinets above the sinks. And you go to get a tin out but you don't stand absolutely in front of that cupboard, put both hands around that tin, bring it down in both hands and squat beautifully while you place it on the worktop. That doesn't happen. You know, what we do is we reach up with one hand, you know, the other leg lifts off the floor. So we go in this complete diagonal. And this goes along with the anatomy trains and the anatomy lines and the fascia lines of the connectivity throughout the whole body. So I just found that sort of with people that they came back from lockdown, they've been watching so much telly. I mean even myself, you know before lockdown, I wouldn't get home from work till about nine o'clock at night. But I found that we were sitting down for dinner at six o'clock in the evening. And then basically didn't get up until bedtime. You know, we then sort of like have our dinners and then go and sit on the sofa. Watch the telly. So we were just in that seated position in that sort of locked down, locked up body position. When you get to the pool, you take away that gravity that we've all been sort of oppressed by, especially as water people. And sort of, you know, everything just was rigid, everything was tight, everything was stiff, no matter how much people had been sort of moving on the land, unless they were sort of imitating worm or something like that. They wouldn't have been sort of moving around in those sort of same planes and all those different movements that the human body needs. And that's the way that we work. We're basically a symmetrical in movement. So I think, you know, lockdown bodies was a good way to describe. Everybody was tight. Everybody needed that loosening, everybody needed that...I suppose that feeling of freedom, because we've all felt like a form of prison. Haylley: As I say, it's the COVID coaster, where everyone's talking about it being a bit of a roller coaster during COVID. One day happy and you're making cupcakes and gardening and the next day, you just want to cry and sit on the sofa and do nothing. Jenni Lynn: Mm hmm. AJ: That's true. I mean, we've all been locked down. And it's no wonder that our bodies are reacting to it. Jenni Lynn: We're locked down and it's locked up. AJ: Yeah. Well, on that note, I guess what would be a piece of advice for each of you would give to someone who's listening to this right now, maybe, get up and walk around? But what would be a piece of advice that you'd give to someone who may not be able to come to one of your classes per se, but something they can do at home right now to improve themselves? Lynda: I think for me, it would be, you know, think and be like a child, it's definitely move around. But you know, observe how young children move. Even if you stand in your sitting room and swing your arms around, around your waist, you know, from sort of side to side, like your propeller or something and, you know, make windmills and things and sort of pretend you're using a hula hoop. It's move, you know, ankle circles. We're rotational beings, we need that rotational movement. Haylley: I always say to my customers as well, you want your ankles to be as flexible as when you were 14. So you want that movement, you want that freedom within those joints, because when those joints start stiffening up, that's when the body aches more in other areas. And the most, you know, freeing movement, as Lynda was saying is, you know, children. They just let themselves go. Lynda: Mm hmm. Yeah. And scream. Haylley: Yes. Jenni Lynn: I love it. I love it. It's so funny you said that, Lynda, because my vocal coach or I should say our vocal coach, Chris and I both go to a vocal teacher. And she talks about being like a child with your voice. When you hear children, they are just making different sounds and just the freedom of not just, you know, the voice, but the movement in their bodies and the limberness and there's a reason it's called Child's Pose in yoga. And things like that. You know, it's a good comparison to make for the body. Lynda: Absolutely. Haylley: Yeah. I think a lot of people as well as they age, they kind of go a bit more, I don't want to say stiff in their actions, but they don't allow themselves to just let go. Jenni Lynn: Mm hmm. Lynda: It's that responsible grown business, isn't it? Haylley: Yeah. Lynda: We've become that responsible grown up and, you know, act your age type thing. AJ: Yeah, well, sure. I remember being told my grandmother used to say to me all the time, sit up straight, and stop fidgeting. Stop moving, just sit still, sit still. And then it's like, okay, I did that and now my legs, my back. Everything is messed up. Thanks Grandma! Haylley: Yeah. Lynda: Well, just thinking about what Haylley said actually about the mobility in the ankles. I mean, it's so true about that as well. Because if your ankles, if you can't, sort of like flex and extend the ankle, especially when you're walking, then the movement...because we have a set pattern on the set size step that we take, habitually, you know, once we become an adult, it doesn't really change. That length of stride. But if your ankles become locked and they become less mobile, you'll still want to take that same size step but what will happen is the pelvis will tilt to allow that step to happen if it won't happen in the ankles. And of course, if your pelvis tills, then you're going to be sort of compressing the lumbar spine, and then you're going to end up with lower back pain. So it's going to just sort of ricochet right the way up the body. So the more we can stay mobile, the more we can keep those joints sort of like fluid and moving the better chance we have of having a sort of more pain free older age. Haylley: Yes. Jenni Lynn: See, this is why I just I love getting this, almost like just this confirmation of the things that I've been doing with some of my aging, or as I call them, my active agers. Because I really, for myself, as a trainer, I think I've just started to do from the ground up, starting with the feet, the ankles, the knees, the hips, the pelvis, you know, going up the chain, because I've learned from the extensive foot problems I have, I have been on both sides, and it very much compromises the way I want to shift my weight. But I also know exactly like, I don't know what the way Lynda knows it, but or the way that Haylley knows it. But I understand that, you know, if my foot can't move a certain way, then that makes my ankle move a different way, then my knee shifts, then the hip and the pelvis and this whole...And you can feel it if you pay attention. You can Haylley: Guess what after all that, that affects your pelvis, which also affects your pelvic floor. Jenni Lynn: See, we have to stay on this, we have to stay on the mobility and keeping ourselves moving. Oh my gosh. From this point, I guess I know there's so much going on and you're building so much amazing content, where do each of you I guess, and collectively see yourself taking your career within aquatic fitness? It sounds like it's just forever and you know, this is a lifetime of a commitment. Lynda: It is, actually. It is definitely for me. I want to leave a legacy, My father was a scientist as well. So I've come from that sort of background, and I am a firm believer that you can't take it with you. You know, what is the point of me doing all this education, learning all this stuff, if I've got nobody to leave it to? So you know, Haylley will get it and you know, the courses and everything like that. So for me personally, it's to leave everything in a good situation, that future generations, future instructors can learn and can sort of have a good sort of baseline of where they want to take their careers as well. Because if I just if I take it in the box with me, then it's it's been a waste. So I think that's my thing. Jenni Lynn: I think you've already done a pretty good job. You have definitely already, not that you've left or anything but you have left a legacy is because you've built and created and done so much. And you haven't stopped. Haylley: I was going to say, she only just started really. Jenni Lynn: Exactly, exactly. It's amazing. Lynda: I cannot wait. The PhD thing is very exciting. I'm so, so excited on all of that. Haylley: Guess who's gonna be the dummy? Lynda: Well, I wouldn't call you a dummy. But you know, call yourself what you like. We've already done some of that, unfortunately, with just in the beginning of some really, really exciting research on fascia. Hopefully, will be launched next year. I'll make sure that, you know, Haylley lets you guys know about it. And Haylley and I were in the pool, and sort of scanning and looking at the body and everything. And what we discovered was very, very exciting. That's really a nasty tease, isn't it? Haylley: So yeah, so Lynda has this scanner, and we're scanning what's going on in the body whilst I'm in the swimming pool. And one of the things that happened was that she basically wrote all over my body and my legs in pen, but first of all the pen didn't work. So then she got a sharpie. So I had permanent marker on my legs, like these big squares all over my legs, thinking oh my god, how am I going to explain this one to my husband? Because obviously I just leave him going I'm going to meet my mom at the pole and he's like, Okay, see you later. And then I'm come back with all these squares all over my legs. But because of where we have to position them and the way that we have to do it, the water thank god rubbed the lines off. Jenni Lynn: That's like an artwork piece right there. Haylley: Right squares everywhere. Yeah. Lynda: You're always getting drawn on actually cuz when you came to university with me, you got drawn all over as well, didn't you Haylley: Yeah. Jenni Lynn: I mean, guinea pig. Haylley: Honestly. AJ: That's so cute. Lynda: Everybody needs a pet. AJ: Well, as we're rounding down here I would love to know because you guys are such great educators, and motivators, what advice you would give to people, either instructors who are currently teaching or people who want to become instructors, maybe even a tutor for A.R.E.A. What advice would you give to them? [load more]

ANNOUNCING OUR NEWEST WORKSHOP SERIES: TURF to SURF. Learn how to bring land-based exercises safely and effectively into the water​ and what educational steps you should take next to further your career! Muhammad Ali -- perhaps one of the world's greatest boxers -- was known for his speed, endurance and unorthodox, dance-like fighting style. And as legend has it, what made Ali the ultimate contender was the truly unique way he prepared for his matches outside the ring... ...in the pool! ​ Whether this story is actually true, we'd like to believe that Ali knew aquatic fitness workouts provide the perfect blend of intense cardio and superior resistance training, allowing you to build up stamina, improve balance and push yourself to work harder, all the while avoiding needless stress and injury to your body and joints! Perhaps Ali was actually revealing his secret training routine when he famously said, "float like a butterfly." The whole time he was actually talking about the swim stroke! Those in the know understand that adding water to any workout regiment can be one of the most effective methods for improving strength and body conditioning. And it's easy to do too. Why? Because almost any exercise performed on land can be done with modification in the water -- often times with even better results! But before you dive in, it's critical to understand the effects of water resistance on your body, how to properly modify certain movements to avoid injuries and how to choose the right pieces of equipment to improve the fitness experience for yourself and your students. And that's where TURF to SURF comes in... Attention Land Instructors: Just Add Water! If you're interested in learning how to take your land instructing skills pool-side, expanding your teaching experience and opening up some additional income paths for your future, our latest workshop series was built for you! TURF to SURF will help professional land instructors prepare to properly substitute a water-based class by learning how to build a balanced workout using base moves, as well as their modifications to help participants of all levels and abilities. In this four-hour workshop you'll learn how to design effective Strength and HIIT circuits using common pool equipment to progress or regress workouts, and work together in teams to brainstorm how to build the best class for your water warriors! This course will also give you a road map on what educational steps to take next to continue to grow and elevate your aquatic fitness teaching skills. Equipment Featured: Hand Buoys, Noodles, Webbed Gloves (optional) CECs: AEA: 4.0, AFAA: 4.0, ACE: 4.0, NASM: 0.4 Your next chance to participate in a TURF TO SURF workshop is COMING UP: Sept 17th in Beverly, MA! Registration is now open, and you can learn more about the program and what it entails here.

Guest Blogger: Megan Cooperman I recently received an email from a company selling its service to fitness instructors and personal trainers. It said, “learn how to become indispensable in 90 minutes.” While I am sure this company has valuable tips, I am confident my advice offered here may also help you become vital in the fitness industry, especially with group fitness. And while it may take you just 5-10 minutes of your time, my advice is free, unlike the email campaign I received. So here it is...My advice to you: Teach aqua fitness! Get trained to teach aqua fitness. Open the door to aqua fitness training, and it in turn will open many doors for you. Opening Doors Like many others who teach aqua fitness, my invite to the industry came from the demand for instructors. Twenty-five years ago, I taught land-based group fitness at the University of Maryland and took aqua fitness classes. They lost their aqua instructor and asked me to step in and teach. They handed me a list of water exercises, provided a 30-minute training with the group fitness director, and off I went. Like many aqua instructors, I figured it out as I went. When I agreed to teach my first aqua class, I didn't realize how valuable teaching aqua would be. Throughout my fitness career, aqua has opened doors for me again and again. When I moved to New Jersey and then back to Maryland, being an experienced aquatic fitness instructor got me in the door at both my jobs. In 2013 after auditioning to teach at a facility, a group fitness director told me, I don't need you to teach Zumba. I have many people who can teach Zumba. However, I do need you to teach aqua fitness...If you teach that, I will give you a Zumba class too. Again and again, aqua opened doors for me. I secured extensive group fitness teaching jobs at various sites, a group fitness supervisor job, an assistant director for group fitness, and a fitness manager role -- all because aqua fitness instruction was on my resume. And all of that help me secure my present job managing a fitness center, pool, and programs at a senior retirement community in Washington, DC. I was appealing to them because they no longer needed to find subcontractors to teach aqua or manage their pool programs for them. In my various roles, I also supervised group fitness programs and hired instructors for ten years. Seeing aqua fitness on someone's resume was a golden ticket. 99% of the time, if someone had aqua and knew how to teach it (and teach it well), they were hired. Those instructors who could also teach various other formats were a huge win-win. They could cover a variety of classes and formats; not only are these instructors more desirable, but they also make more money being able to teach more and sub more class options often in demand. In 2016, I became a master trainer for a dance-based fitness program called LaBlast. At this time, LaBlast was developing a new aqua-based program called LaBlast Splash. Again, aqua opened the door. I was lucky to help create this program and eventually traveled to Holland and Belgium with LaBlast creator Louis Van Amstel to teach it to other instructors. As a master trainer, I stressed the value of having an aqua fitness certification. I encouraged it because of the opportunities teaching aqua fitness gave me and how I saw aqua, many times, help others get employed and have opportunities come their way. Learning the Hard Way Instructors who have taught group fitness, any type, for a long time will tell you that instructors develop a "go-to style" and preferences. They fill up their teaching bucket and toolbox with multiple ideas and tips they picked up in educational trainings, classes, certifications, and at conferences. The more you gain and learn in both land and aqua fitness, the better an instructor you become. Education is optimal, and it doesn't stop as you get older. Like any field of work or study, being up to date helps you do your job well. When I first started teaching aqua fitness, I gained the skills and training I thought were beneficial. Oddly enough, no one ever suggested I get AEA certified until ten years into my aqua teaching career. As an instructor who always strived to teach high-energy and safe aqua classes, I forgot to take care of my safety while teaching. After I injured my neck, I finally decided to secure the gold standard of aqua certs, the AEA certification. Taking the AEA certification was an eye-opener for me. It was the first aqua fitness training I took where safety for instructors was addressed in-depth. Group and aqua fitness instructing can be a long-term career if instructors learn how to protect themselves and their students. Injuries like my own sometimes are preventable; with proper education, I took steps to learn the tricks and tips on teaching exciting and entertaining classes that do not hurt my body in the process. Getting AEA certified provided high-quality training focused on safety and also introduced me to fantastic aqua trainers like Jenni Lynn Patterson LaCour and Katy Coffey. I first met and saw Jenni teach at an AEA conference in 2019. I was immediately impressed with her teaching and followed her on social media. The more I learned about Jenni's skills and programs, I was sold. Jenni has successfully built aqua programs and taught effective, safe, thorough, and marketable classes to all people. Open Doors, The Future During the past year, the fitness industry and group fitness instructors have faced unprecedented challenges. Many of us lost teaching jobs, connections, and income. If you already are an aqua instructor, you know it was tough when there was no physical way to teach people virtually without the pool. It challenged all of us to reevaluate what we do and what we like. In some cases, instructors learned to teach new fitness formats or spent time educating themselves, finding new opportunities, opting to move on or patiently wait it out. Now with things turning around and opportunities coming back, fitness centers and gyms that made it through the pandemic and had to let go of most of their teaching teams are refilling positions, slowly adding classes and staff back. Pools are opening up, and once again, group fitness instructors are in demand, especially experienced aqua instructors. As we all know, aqua will always be in person unless you own a pool, and for many, that is not the case. Look through Indeed, LinkedIn, or other job websites. I can guarantee you will find postings for group fitness instructors, specifically aqua instructors. If you are not aqua trained, now is the time to learn, teach and build up your resume specifically with high-quality aqua programs. If you are already an aqua fitness instructor, focus on securing more education in quality programs like S’WET™ that will expand your teaching toolbox, give you advanced skills, and help you have a long-term aqua fitness career. Become indispensable! Open the door for yourself now, and many more doors in the future will open! ABOUT THE WRITER: Megan Cooperman, from Maryland, is a seasoned fitness pro with 25 years of experience in the fitness and health industry, from instructor to group fitness manager. A Maryland Distinguished Scholar In the Arts (in dance), she has taught various forms of dance and fitness ranging from toning, barre, aqua, aqua spin, Zumba, mat Pilates, arthritis, TRX, and more! Megan is presently the Fitness Manager at Ingleside Rock Creek, has a master’s degree in counseling, is securing a 2nd master's in industrial-organizational psychology, is certified by the Aerobics & Fitness Association of American (AFAA), American Council on Exercise (ACE), and Aquatics Exercise Association (AEA). In her free time, she works as a master trainer with Louis Van Amstel, World Ballroom Champion from the TV show Dancing with the Stars, training instructors on how to teach ballroom dance fitness. Contact Megan: megcooperman@gmail.com

by Haylley Pittam As water fitness instructors, it is quite common for us to have a pregnant woman or two attend our classes. They may be there because the doctor/midwife has suggested they attend or they may be there on their own accord. Pregnant participants are categorized as a ‘special populations group’ and can include women who are going through treatment to help them conceive. Attending an Aqua Aerobics/Fitness class is particularly effective for the natal and post-natal woman as it offers a wide range of therapeutic and health benefits without the hard impact of land exercise. Regardless of an individual’s current fitness level, aquatic exercise allows each workout plan to be personalized by changing the speed, intensity or amount of rest based on the participants needs. It is ideal for cross-training workouts, simple to advanced fitness workouts, as an aid to recovery from injury or management of chronic conditions. In comparison to land exercise, it is far safer for mother and fetus to exercise in the water. Being in the water supported by the buoyancy, the mother-to-be can literally take weight off her feet and feel weightless as she exercises. With the hydrostatic pressure assisting venous return, there is an increased blood flow and oxygen up-take to both mother and baby, without having to exert a lot of effort and become breathless and fatigued. The assistance of blood traveling back up to the heart helps with swelling (oedema) and varicose veins, which can easily occur during pregnancy. The calming influences the water has on the nerves of the body means that their sympathetic nervous system relaxes and their body and mind can be more at rest. If this is following a busy day at work or running around after the older children or even if they are just feeling emotional, anxious and stressed, this time can be really soothing for them. During this period of time where the woman is either becoming pregnant, being pregnant or preparing for labor and birthing, some can experience little changes whereas others can be very complex and severe. This can have serious consequences if exercise programs are not safely designed. For example, if the woman developed gestational diabetes or their placenta was low lying (placenta previa) their training regium would look very different from one another. If they have joined in with the regular aqua class, this would mean you as the instructor would need to give them a fair amount of your attention as you modify and adjust the exercises accordingly. America College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology (ACOG) recommends a pregnant woman is to exercise for 150 minutes per week, with the aim to reduce issues such as obesity, diabetes and other health concerns. Pregnant women who are already active should be encouraged to maintain their physical activity levels with adaptions made over the course of the 40 weeks. The 150 minutes of physical activity is not to start training to run a marathon nor push their training program to achieve their personal best or working in high heart rate zones but instead to focus on maintaining their fitness level, strengthen postural muscles and to help keep them mobile ready for the birth. We must consider that birthing a child is the equivalent to running 3 marathons as labor can continue over a few days and these pregnant individuals need to be fit and strong for this event. We need to prepare their body for labor and birthing and the series of exercises to do this are very different to marathon training. During their time in the pool our goal is to help guide them to be gentle on their body yet keep them fit in preparation of the challenge ahead. Despite all these reasons, the common statement from the women is to manage pregnancy weight gain, not become too big and leading to societies expectations of bouncing back to pre-pregnancy weight within weeks of giving birth. Though weight is one reason the women may want to keep exercising the other is their mental health especially for those women who participated in regular land-based classes and can no longer attend. Teaching a specific Aqua Natal class is absolutely lovely, they form a community and support network as they meet women on the same journey as themselves. Watching them relax, almost melt into the water and yet keep fit and active is a joy especially as they waddle onto poolside in their third trimester. One of my pregnant ladies once told me that they enjoyed these classes so much more than the other pregnancy classes she attended as she was able to achieve more and felt great when she got out of the water. Aqua Natal exercise combines the therapeutic properties of the water with unique techniques and moves to work the whole body in a holistic manor, giving the individual huge benefits. Benefits of Aqua Natal Improves ability to cope with the stress of delivery Quicker post-natal recovery Reduced risk of medical conditions Decreases pregnancy tiredness Helps with regular bowel movement Prepares body for demand of labor Helps maintain constant blood glucose levels Assists venous return which also helps alleviate oedema Increases blood flow and oxygen up-take to both mother and baby Helps reduce pregnancy-associated long-term memory impairment Increases cardiovascular strength Increases muscular strength & endurance Improves pregnancy posture Reduces back ache Social aspect of the class Mental health benefits – for pre & post-natal Less fat on baby Would you like to fully know and understand the changing body during the different trimesters of these pregnant participants and how the water affects them? Can you adjust the class workout to be safe and effective for them, their baby and their pelvic floor? At AREA, we host an online Aqua Natal course on our website. Once booked on to the Aqua Natal online course you may begin your education/learning, there are 7 pre-recorded video presentations with a manual (13.5 hours) and 7 multiple-choice quizzes. Designed so you can self-pace your learning and fit it around your lifestyle. There will be two 20-45 minutes live video calls/phone calls with an AREA tutor, for any additional help if required or for any learning difficulties. An assessment of a lesson plan and a video submission of teaching the lesson is required to demonstrate competency. You have 18 – 24 months to complete from booking. This course enables you to teach specific Aqua Natal classes in which you can increase your earnings as well as increase your skills and knowledge as an instructor. The fact that this is an untapped market within the fitness industry means you have huge potential to grow your business and have a new target audience you can offer training to. ABOUT THE WRITER: Haylley Pittam is the co-Founder of A.R.E.A. and an Aquatic specialist with over 18 years expertise in the health and fitness industry. Haylley is a very experienced personal trainer, aquatic fitness instructor, swimming coach, GP referral consultant and is also a Vibration Training Specialist. Highly qualified, her main areas of focus include Pre & Post Natal, Pelvic Care, Stroke therapy and Diabetes. She teaches both swimming and aqua aerobics to elite and recreational athletes. In addition Haylley has written and delivered specialist workshops, accredited by CIMSPA all around the UK and internationally for A.R.E.A. Contact Haylley: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaylleyPittamaquatictraining On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haylley-pittam-park-1079ba73 And learn more about A.R.E.A.: On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AquaticRehabilitationExerciseAcademy On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aquatic.rehab.exercise.academy Learn more about Haylley and her work in aquatics by listening to her podcast episode on the Aquaholics Bootcamp. On Spotify: On Apple:

by Jenni Lynn Patterson-LaCour How I Make the Belt Work for My Class Unlike most aquatic instructors, living in NYC has not provided many opportunities to teach a deep water class, simply because, there aren’t too many deep-water pools. However, once I found one to practice in, I found myself constantly getting acid reflux and struggling to get “comfortable” in the belt for the entire duration of my practice. I knew I wasn’t the only one who had to be experiencing this discomfort from the floatation belt. This spurred my curiosity to create ways of building my deep water routines so that students, and myself, could avoid these discomforts as much as possible. I started to notice that many of my students would get ‘annoyed’ with the floatation belt right around the 15–20-minute mark in class, so this got me to thinking, “How can I create a full workout, which will allow them to be as comfortable as possible in the belt?” As a previous swimmer, I understood that the lungs are our biggest asset during aquatic practice. With deep-water fitness, we put the floatation belt ‘snuggly’ around the trunk of the body, which does hinder the rib cage expansion during breathing. I was not about to remove the belt and try other floatation devices because the belt allows for proper form, and it stays attached to the body without the risk of slipping off. But how would I create an entire body workout in deep water without causing discomfort for participants? I started thinking about my swim practice and my fascination for watching synchronized swimming videos. LIGHT BULB! Use all three planes of motion: sagittal, frontal and transverse! Not just with our limbs, but the entire body. Going from vertical, to diagonal and horizontal body positioning was not just helping create a dynamic workout experience, it allowed me to reduce the pressure around my rib cage and breath easier without discomfort. By adjusting our body position, we manipulate how much pressure the floatation belt is placing on different areas of our trunk. In a vertical body position, it holds the body upright and gently squeezes the base/lower half of our ribcage. When we take the body horizontal to the pool floor and lay on our side with hips stacked, this will displace the floatation pressure to one side of the body and vise versa when switching over to the other side. Now going into a modified supine or ‘hammock’ body position, we then move the flotation pressure to the back of our body, which helps the front of the lungs expand just a little more, while working the abdominals! At first, I decided to focus on diagonal work to really amp up balance, coordination, and cardio in class, but creating more modified supine positions really challenged everyone’s core strength! My personal favorite is doing seated positions while isolating movement of the lower body to focus on upper body strength and stamina. It takes brain power to control the lower half of our body from moving while the upper body is doing something completely different, like bicep/triceps curls and check/back flies. Mind you, I had several members that were already resistant to wearing the floatation belt and insisted that they could do the same workout with the noodle and/or hand buoys. I even tried hiding the noodles and hand buoys, but they managed to find them. I warned that if they chose not to wear a belt, that 99% of the movements would not be effective and that the noodle/hand buoys would hinder them. Of course, once I started class, they quickly realized this. A few did leave, but most of them got out, put the floatation belt on, and continued the class with much success. PRO TIP: Using the wall can be a great way to space participants, as well as add an element of creativity! Structuring your deep-water routines can look very different when adding in different body positioning as well as trying to isolate the upper and/or lower body. This also forces participants to really breathe and pay attention to what their body is doing. Stay mindful of how long you have moves in a vertical position and try to get your wave warriors using all planes of motion to give them a challenging and comfortable deep-water workout. Moves You Can Use This is a fun circuit of 14 exercises that that I enjoy doing with my deep-water class. Each move is held for 30 seconds, or two 32-count phrases. You can also use building block, pure repetition choreography or any other formatting you want to plug these moves. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jenni Lynn Patterson-LaCour is an AEA Aquatic Training Specialist, NSCA-CPT, continuing education provider, an international and national aquatic fitness presenter, and creator of S’WET™. She has been working one on one with clients and teaching aquatic fitness classes in New York City for over a decade. Jenni’s S’WET™ structure takes HIIT and strength training to a new level in the pool. She believes the perception of water fitness is transforming the way people cross train and soon ALL ages, abilities and genders will be making waves in the pool together. Reprinted with permission from the Aquatic Exercise Association website - July 8, 2022 https://aeawave.org/Articles-More/Fitness-Pro

by Gia Lucy “I can get a deal on this parachute. It’s only got a two-star safety rating, but it's cheap,” said the skydiver, NEVER! Most everyone can agree that a person’s single most valuable asset is their health. Even skydivers, the ultimate risk-takers, know not to skimp when it comes to quality equipment. Their life depends on it. Gyms and aquatic centers have long been a haven for people wanting to get healthy and stay healthy. They are a social hub and a small piece of paradise, dedicated to helping restore, build and protect health. Many offer a whole host of water fitness activities from traditional aqua aerobics to the newest rage in Aqua Cycling and Aqua Trampoline. And when members arrive it's clear to them that they have arrived someplace special. As health clubs, gyms, aquatic centers, and fitness instructors, we are stewards of our member's health, and as such, have a responsibility and a privilege to protect them. Successful aquatic centers make it their mission to provide their members with high-quality, physical fitness activities while creating a safe and inclusive environment, one that will bring them back day after day and year after year. This is where investing in quality fitness equipment and certification training is imperative. Read below to learn why it is safer, lasts longer, and is by far the smartest purchase you can make. SAFETY The old adage, you get what you pay for, is especially poignant when it comes to fitness equipment. The price usually equals that of its quality. Lower-priced equipment needs to cut corners at the manufacturing level in order to offer the piece of equipment for less money, thus compromising the quality and oftentimes the safety of the people training on the equipment. Take, for example, the Aqua Body Strong™ Water Fitness Board. It’s certainly not the most expensive board on the market but it is the best quality board on the market. AQUA BODY STRONG™ WATER FITNESS BOARDS VS OTHER BRANDS AQUA BODY STRONG™ Four points of tethering to create a very sturdy anchoring system. The deck is made of a textured EVA material to prevent slipping. Made with a double layer of PVC on the top and bottom of the board as well as on all four sides to prevent the board from bowing in the middle. Comes with a Nationally Recognized Certification Training Program OTHER BRANDS Two points of tethering leave the boards very wobbly and unsafe. The deck is made of a smooth EVA material that when wet becomes slippery. Made with a single layer of PVC on the top and bottom of the board and a double layer only on the sides to cut material costs. Bows in the middle. No certification training is available. DURABILITY & LONGEVITY With the wide range of water fitness equipment available in the market today, it's easy to become overwhelmed. How do you determine which brand is best? Aren't they all the same? You'll be surprised to learn that the answer is a resounding "NO!" Especially when it comes to Aquatic Bicycles. Aquatic Spin Bikes entered the pools a few years back and their popularity as a group fitness class is growing exponentially. But, you should be aware that Aquatic Bicycles brands are similar to car brands; there are some that perform like Volkswagens and others that perform like Mercedes. The temptation is to succumb to purchasing aqua cycles that are shiny and inexpensive. However, you should never sacrifice equipment quality just to save a few bucks. In the long run, it will cost you more in repairs and you will eventually have to replace the equipment. AQQUATIX BPM AQUA CYCLE VS OTHER BRANDS AQQUATIX Resistance and intensity are adjusted mechanically with the turn of a knob. The frame is engineered so it is perfectly balanced between the front and rear axle creating solid stability. The bike doesn’t shake when in use. Reinforced base and four suction cups ensure aqua bicycle adheres to pool floor. The 74-degree saddle-handlebar angle ensures the best ergonomic position during exercise. Handlebars and seat are adjustable OTHER BRANDS Natural acceleration resistance. Resistance is increased or decreased by the participant changing the speed of pedaling. There are no means of mechanically adjusting resistance. The frame is unbalanced and feels wobbly in the water. Two suction cups save on costs Handlebars and seat are adjustable A REPUTABLE COMPANY WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE AND DIRECT COMPANY CONTACTS Nowadays, with the convenience of shopping in the comfort of your own workspace, it’s easy to get lured onto Amazon, or even a generic online fitness equipment store to purchase fitness equipment. Most of the time the equipment is of low quality and when something breaks or if you have a question as to how it works, it’s impossible to find a solution. Just last week, I had a potential customer call me up about an aqua trampoline she saw on an online website. She had spinal stenosis and wanted to use it for therapy in her above-ground swimming pool that was 3.5 feet deep. She was just about to buy it but had questions. Because there was no direct company contact she called me instead, with the intention of getting her questions answered and then purchasing the cheaper aqua trampoline. Thankfully, she had the good sense to call. I explained to her that to safely exercise on the aqua trampoline you need to exercise in armpit deep water. With her pool only being 3 feet deep and the trampoline legs being 8 inches tall, she would be exercising with the water level at her mid-thighs, (She was 5’8” tall). The top half of her body would be moving faster than the lower part of her body making exercising unsafe, especially with her medical condition. When it comes to purchasing aquatic fitness equipment, using a reputable company with a working scientific knowledge of the equipment and exercises is priceless. TRAINING If you are like many aquatic directors who see your pool as an opportunity to increase revenue, customer retention, and member usage through fun and challenging group fitness classes, and want to build a program whose very name evokes a sense of health and excitement you need to read this. Only purchase aquatic fitness equipment from global leaders who have a Nationally Recognized Certification Training Program. Time and time again I receive phone calls from aquatic directors who have purchased off-brand fitness equipment and once they receive it have no idea how to use it, let alone teach others to use it. Their brand new equipment sits on deck or in a storage closet for years and their money has been wasted. At Aqua Body Strong™, our goal is to build the health and well-being of people across the world. We want them to use our products. It’s as much of a passion for us as it is a business. We take pride in the quality of our equipment and our world-class certification training courses that are focused on safety, skill development, coaching, and execution. If you are in the fitness industry, I’m sure you share our same passion. Don’t settle for anything less! ABOUT THE AUTHOR Gia Lucy is an EAA international fitness trainer, group fitness instructor, author, and founder of Aqua Body Strong™. As a former competitive gymnast and coach, Gia is enamored with movement, balance, and strength. She holds a B.S. in Biology from CSU, Fullerton, owned and operated a 1500-member health club in San Clemente, California, owns and operates Hanalei Gymnastics in Kauai, and shares her passion for fitness by teaching Aqua Body Strong™ signature classes, dance, and, water fitness around the world. Contact Gia: gia@aquabodystrong.com

by Gordon King aka "Splash Gordon" I am my father’s son. I’m a certified aquatic exercise instructor, and I’m a guy. I’m also technically disabled, although it goes over better when I tell people that I have a disorder. I’m partially paralyzed and live with a rare autoimmune condition, which caused swelling in my spinal cord and damage to the nervous system. I have been athletic my entire life and was raised in an athletic family. My father was a star athlete in West Virginia and was a walk on for the college basketball team, meaning he didn’t have a scholarship to pay for his education, and he was an exceptional guard. My Dad led the nation in scoring both his junior and senior year. When he graduated, he was drafted into professional basketball for the Syracuse Nationals and won the 1955 NBA championship with a last minute shot. He went on to become a basketball coach, first for West Virginia University where he coached Jerry West, and later at Purdue University, where he was named Athletic Director after his second season there and spent the remaining 40 years there before he retired. I played sports all through my educational years. Back then, everything was sponsored by the schools, whether it be junior high, high school or college. I wasn’t exceptional like my father but I enjoyed it nonetheless. After I graduated from Purdue University I moved to Los Angeles, California and spent the next 34 years in the entertainment industry as a theatrical agent and personal manager for actors. I decided to semi retire and moved to Palm Springs six years ago. In June of 2017, I was diagnosed with Cervical Transverse Myelitis. It has been hard to come to terms with my disorder and it’s extremely painful. Every morning when I wake up and open my eyes, I am instantly reminded that I have this disorder. It takes me at least 10 minutes to get out of bed and warmed up enough to walk my dog, Bruce Springsteen. I have been doing physical therapy in the water ever since the day I left the hospital. I finally decided in the summer of 2020 to stop feeling sorry for myself and turn lemons into lemonade. In the middle of Covid-19’s quarantine, I got my certification, and my first job came through the recommendation from the Aquatic Exercise Association. I was hired for a 3-week period by a group of ladies who were visiting Palm Springs for three weeks of wellness and I taught them class every morning for 90 minutes. That one opportunity has blossomed and I now teach at the Palm Desert Aquatic Center, ran by the YMCA, which is one of the best facilities around and a very prestigious and sought after position. I also teach at three other country club communities. I absolutely love what I do. I became certified as an instructor because I wanted to help people feel better about themselves and I wanted to share my passion and knowledge with others. And this has been the most rewarding experience for me ever. It motivates me to do more and give my students and clients the best of what I can offer. I have received so much positive feedback from students who have improved their skills and reduced their pain level. That’s the best part of it for me. It’s been a goal of mine to focus on the male population and get them more involved. There’s a perception that water workouts are for the older female baby boomers. Men don’t think it’s going to be a challenging or effective workout for them. Well, if that’s the case, then they haven’t been to one of my classes. My workout programs are heavily based in the music, and the beats and tempo. I think music helps keep us entertained and uniformed with our movements. Since starting at PDAC (Palm Desert Aquatic Center) in September of 2021, we have seen a 15 percent increase in male attendance. When I started at PDAC I would have one or maybe two men in my class and now it’s anywhere from 7 to 10 men in a class of 40 people. The numbers are getting stronger and men are hearing the call and seeing the results. My clients love the Tabata classes. It’s hard for me to get them to do anything else. And that’s okay. I use the 20/10 work to rest ratio with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). It’s a great way to engage with your clients. What most people don't know (or accept) is that while aquatic fitness provides for good cardiopulmonary exercise, it can also build muscle strength. Because the head, arms and legs are doing different things, it can also increase coordination, plus the water's buoyancy prevents accidents from falling, while the resistance amplifies the effort and effect of movement. There was a trend starting back in 2016 of more male instructors and class participants due to the baby boomers. And male instructors, who developed programs designed by men for men. A standout in this area and someone who is a mentor to me is Chris LeCour and his "Dude’s Move" series, along with Mark Grevelding of Fitmotivation. The two have very different styles of instructing, proving that there’s room for everyone in the water. Chris has been one guy who specifically designed exercises for men. These are the most challenging moves and maneuvers that take time to learn and master. I think it helps to attract more men when there’s a male instructor and I focus on using more male-centric terms, like "Turbocharged Tabata" or the "Take No Prisoners Tabata." It’s all in good fun, but it does seem to make a difference. After all, perception is everything. I’m very fortunate to have the position of teaching "water workouts." That’s another male-centric term, and it’s my hope that more and more men, and young people join the millions of people who have improved the ADL’s (activities of daily living) and enjoy better health and lifestyles for many more years to come. Discover the magic of the water. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gordon Scott King is owner of Splash Gordon's Water Workouts in Palm Springs, CA, an AEA certified instructor and aquatic fitness enthusiast. He currently teaches at The Palm Desert Aquatic Center, as well as at several other country club communities. He is loved and supported by his partner Ken Clark and his fluffy 7-year-old Maltese Shih Tzu, Bruce Springsteen. Contact Splash Gordon: On Facebook: www.facebook.com/kingegroup On Instagram: www.instagram.com/GKing60 By Email: iamgordonking@gmail.com

Guest Blogger: Louis van Amstel My name is Louis van Amstel, creator of LaBlast Splash Aqua Fitness. My company has both land and pool formats based on Ballroom partner-free dancing. No surprise here when I tell you I have been a ballroom dancer since the age of 10 and have done ten seasons on ‘Dancing with the Stars’ as a pro dancer. However, I am not here to talk about me, but rather about the aqua and dance fitness industries, and how we can come out of this pandemic better and stronger. For one, I truly believe when working together as aquatic fitness professionals or brands the entire industry benefits. Learning with and from each other is key for the overall success of aqua fitness and the fitness industry as a whole. All brands can live next to one another and compliment each other on the weekly pool/gym schedule. Secondly, I believe in order for the aquatic fitness industry to grow and welcome a wider, more diverse audience we need to take a look inside first. As group-X instructors, we must ask ourselves, do we really have the know-how and continued education to provide a high quality pool class? Do we actually use what we have learned in our certifications? In my years of presenting aqua sessions at conventions nationwide I have noticed that very few actually use the proper aquatic principles. Are you one of them? If so, I am sorry to say, you are part of the problem. Many land group-X instructors won’t teach aqua, some because of the stigma that "aquatic fitness is not really a workout" or is mostly "for old people." The other reason for land instructors not teaching aqua fitness is because only two brands in the world cross over from land to the pool within their own company. This means only these two companies have built a bridge between land and aqua fitness. I am proud to say that LaBlast Fitness is one of the two companies. Zumba is the other, and we are both dance fitness brands. It is proven through surveys that of all formats offered, most of the members of gyms and community centers love dance fitness, whether on land or in the pool. There is no surprise why. Let me explain and take you back. Growing up as a social dancer first before becoming a dance competitor, I realized early on how dance is therapeutic and includes the whole body: physically, mentally, and emotionally. You learn the skill and technique mentally, you physically execute, and emotionally experience the movement. When I joined the fitness industry with LaBlast Fitness in 2012, this became my company’s motto. Move your body, your whole body, and nothing but your body, so help you…… you can fill in the last word! The fact that dance fitness on land or in the pool is more focused on emotional health, is in my opinion, the very reason why dance fitness is the heartbeat of fitness facilities and should be treasured and protected. The decision makers who frown upon land or aqua fitness need to be convinced by you about how important dance fitness truly is. Not only with conversations, but more so with the delivery of an amazing class that members just can’t stop talking about to management. It is the emotional self we work out most while doing dance fitness, which even most group-X instructors don’t know or know how to explain. Many just feel good during their dance fitness classes, but it is time to understand consciously that when members get involved with the music and jump into the emotions of the dances, they affect the results of the physical self more than just doing it physically. Think about this: The more you feel good about yourself, the more you are willing to push your physical self. Not the other way around. What can you do to convince your decision maker to add more aqua classes for all members? I will say it again, it starts with you. Create workouts with variations for every fitness ability and age. Be able to lead by example, and let the members leave your class exhausted, yet begging you for more. This can all happen with a great music playlist, using your fitness principles, and let’s not forget: An intense workout can still be great fun! If you are a dance fitness instructor you are in the right place within the fitness industry and if you join forces with the right people in your community who believe in the future of dance fitness on land in the pool, you are representing the most important part of the fitness facilities. A great dance fitness world would be when LaBlast, Zumba, and other dance fitness instructors would actually work together. There WILL be enough work and opportunities for well qualified group-X instructors. Diversity is key and the more formats there are, the more choices the members have. We are all in this together. Let’s do this! ABOUT THE WRITER: Louis van Amstel Contact Louis Online @louisvanamstel @officiallablast https://www.facebook.com/LaBlastFitness https://www.facebook.com/louisvanamstel NEW CITIES ADDED EVERY MONTH! Join the S'WET SQUAD by becoming a licensed S'WET instructor.

by Jenni Lynn Patterson LaCour Since my high school swim team days, my aquatic swimwear has always been your typical one piece suit that usually rides up and becomes a thong by the time I complete my heat. Very uncomfortable to say the least. Cut to 10 years later, when I am discovering the amazing world of vertical aquatic fitness and again, getting wedgies during class. UGH! Why couldn’t there be a comfortable outfit just for the water?! That’s when I discovered Dolfin Swimwear. Why do I prefer this aqua wear over your general swimsuit? Here Are 5 Reasons Jenni Loves Dolfin Swimwear for Her Aquatic Workouts: 1) While swimming we want to create less drag resistance on our body to become more streamlined, but in aquatic fitness, more drag resistance means more muscle contractions, so wearing water shorts or leggings with a water tank top became my ideal water workout wear to make some waves and get extra resistance for my legs and core. 2) No more wedgies! Not only do my water shorts/leggings and tank top not ride up, they help support and help keep “things” secure and hold everything in place (and I mean everything!) no matter how much jumping you’re doing. 3) How many times have you seen straight THROUGH the back of someone’s suit?! Gross! Not with Dolfin swimwear. Their materials are made to withstand the test of chlorine and hold up through hundreds of classes. 4) Speaking of, the Dolfin materials and cut is fantastic! Even if you prefer a one piece suit or tankini, the cut of the suit is comfortable and designed for ALL body types. 5) Selection & Style! I can say I’m a true New Yorker now by how much black clothing I own, but in the pool I love to see some color in my swimwear. Dolfin has a fantastic selection of different designs and styles to suit all types of bodies and activities. Save 20% OFF your next order at Dolfin Swimwear by using our affiliate code at checkout: SWET2022

by Katy Coffey If you ask the majority of aquatic fitness professionals about their relationship with management, more often than not, their answer will lean towards ... "there's plenty of room for improvement!" As we have discussed in blog posts of the past, strain between management and aquatic fitness staff can stem from many common problems: Lack of understanding the aquatic format Feelings of isolation from the rest of the fitness community Inequality in pay compared with "land based" formats Disagreement on programming priority for pool spacing Communication Part of our passion here at S’WET™ is to change the perception of aquatic fitness, but also focus on education and collaboration for both the instructor and the facilities. As we start the new year I am going to set up a challenge for the aquatic fitness professional who might feel frustrated with their relationship to management. I have been in aquatics and recreation management for over 15 years. Today’s blog will be reflecting from that lens as well as polling some of my former aquatics director colleagues. I challenge you to take a moment to reset your past experiences with your staff and management, and see if there are things that can help eliminate the "Us vs Them" mentality. Do more. Learn More. A lifeguard’s job is 100% about eyes on the pool and safety. If you are working at a 1 guard facility, the reality is that it is not the job of the guard to change lanes and clean up equipment. If this is the situation at your pool, chat with your supervisor about the best course of action to handle setup and tear down before and after class. Learn how to loosen and tighten lane lines yourself, and have clear directions from your manager about who is getting paid for that time. When it comes to aquatic’s managers, don’t assume anything. Managers have to deal with Board of Health Compliance, chemical imbalances, programming with lessons and teams, lane usage, member retention, budget, and most importantly, safety for lifeguards and staff recruitment. It is an impossible job. If your equipment is dry rotting, breaking or is no longer sufficient, make sure you communicate the needs to your manager. Document in an email the request, and follow up as needed. This way there is a clear communication chain that can help support your case. Chat with your manager about what are the budget expectations on other programming. What are they expected to bring in with lessons, swim team and other programming? Why is this important? These paid programs are often what keeps the pool from losing money. Also the temperature of the pool will directly reflect the needs of the greatest programming draw. If your pool has a massive competitive clientele, the temperature of the pool will be in the low 80s. Meaning a stretch and flex class might be frozen! Understanding the needs of the pool and how the temperature will reflect, may help you program your class better. A quality S’WET™ class (no matter the skill level) will warm up in the first 5 minutes in a cold pool and the class will appreciate the cooler water for it. Learn your state's protocol on aquatic management. Every state has different expectations about pool spacing, chemicals and depth. I encourage all instructors to read up on their local city and state regulations in better understanding your pool’s compliance. Ask how you can promote the department as a whole! You are part of the aquatic team! If there is a big flick and float event coming up, mention it to your class. Many of your participants might have children or grandchildren who might like to attend. You can help build community among your members beyond the 55 minutes of your class. The greatest challenge I give you is to remember that it is not "You vs Them." I know sometimes it might feel like that. When a member speaks to you about a complaint, instead of throwing your manager under the bus, respond as part of the team. "That is a great suggestion, Nancy. Let me chat with my manager and see what we can do about that request." Then loop back to your manager and share the concern. Being part of the solution makes any staff member feel accomplished. If you have an idea, chat about it and see if the solution might fit into the programming and safety guidelines that your pool has to follow. Help be the bridge of communication between the staff and the members. All too often we get frustrated at the situation and challenge the members to "attack" management on your behalf out of frustration. Even if the manager is 100% in the wrong, being attacked by the members will only burn more bridges. Instead, take the time to communicate with your manager about the issues, bring a few possible solutions and then follow up with an email documenting your takeaways. No matter how long you have worked at your current location, take a moment to step back and refresh your outlook on your facility. Give this challenge one month and then report back to this blog! We would love to hear how it went, and see if any changes were made to better your professional experience. Do you have other ideas on how staff can connect better with their managers? We want to hear from you! About the Author: Katy Coffey is a S’WET™ MASTER TRAINER teaching aquatic fitness in Boston, Massachusetts. She's been working in aquatics since 2002 and currently holds Instructor Training certifications for the American Red Cross, ASHI and YUSA. She is also an AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor, an AEA Aquatic Training Specialist, Master Trainer with Aqua Body Strong and holds a collective of 15 additional fitness certifications for both land and aquatic fitness training. Contact Katy here: Katy@JenniLynnFitness.com

Guest Blogger: Andrea Velazquez Tell me I’m not the only Aqua Pro that does this? ... I leave my aquatic fitness equipment in my car overnight!!! I have done this during winter’s frigid temperatures and summer's sweaty humid heat waves, for quite a few days at a time, weeks…okay maybe a month or two! Equipment has also been dropped from various heights ("Sorry, Boss Lady. I didn’t mean to roll the barbells down the flight of stairs!"), left in super warm chlorinated environments, salty environments, collided with hard surfaces, and hard heads (ouch!). Now for the great news: My equipment always survives. It lasts for years. The investment in my aquatic fitness equipment was worth every single cent. The quality of the products made a huge difference in the longevity and use. Sometimes I even hint to my children about my "Aquatic Equipment Trust Fund" they will one day inherit. I have been in the aquatic fitness industry for over 25 years. I have ordered and used various types of equipment, ranging from empty milk jugs to Acquapoles. Standard flotation barbells, noodles, belts, balls, elastic bands, stars, bars, plates, Aqualogix, Aquastrength, AquaOhm, fitness boards, trampolines, bikes, and poles. And I have replaced standard equipment numerous times due to deterioration. Many factors can contribute to wear and tear, such as water and air temperature, pool chemicals, and storage. The equipment starts to smell moldy and disintegrates within a short span of time. But those foam "dumbbells" and noodles are cheap, right? Facilities buy the same inexpensive equipment over and over again. As managers, we then make excuses every fiscal year why it’s okay to buy the cheap stuff, but reason it’s too costly for the "expensive" equipment. Yet the "expensive" (translation: well-made equipment) turns out to be a better return on the investment in the long run because you buy the product once, and it lasts! The Indigo Aquatics equipment line is made with great material and intended to withstand the corrosive aquatic environment. Acquapole Poles are made with marine grade steel that does not rust. Foam equipment, such as the boxing gloves and "Liquid Stars" are made of closed cell eva foam, which isn’t porous and does not get stinky at all. Best yet, most of Indigo equipment can be used for other aquatic activities as well, including swim lessons. Working within a municipality that requires justification for anything and everything, it is not an easy task to convince management of the importance and advantages of investing in quality products. But if you are blessed with an abundance of budget and have an aquatic "Just Do It" policy, go for the better, costly but worth it products. Your patrons will thank you for it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Andrea Velazquez has been immersed in the Aquatics Industry for over 25 years. She is a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Yonkers and Creator of AVAQUATICS. She is Master Trainer for many aquatic specialties, representing Acquapole, SAF Aqua Drums Vibes and HydroRevolution. She holds numerous certifications including AEA Fitness Professional, ACE- GF, Aqua Vida Floating Yoga, Tsunami Fitness Boards, and RM Medically Based Aquatics. She is a StarGuard Instructor and Starfish Aquatics Institute Swim School Instructor Trainer. She is a Presenter at the NYS Parks and Recreation Conference, SUNY Cortland (her alma mater) Recreation Conference, DCAC Fitness Convention, Association of Aquatic Professional Conference (AOAP), and SCW Fitness Mania Fitness Conferences.

by Jenni Lynn Patterson LaCour Thinking back to my first experience in an aquatic fitness class, I can remember my "swimmer mindset" changing forever. After years of staring at the pool floor in my lap lane, discovering vertical water fitness was a game changer! Thankfully I was able to meet my future mentor, FitMotivation founder Mark Grevelding, at an AEA certification training shortly thereafter, and the flow of my aquatic fitness journey began. Making waves and breaking a S’WET™ was filling up my classes with students of all abilities and ages, but like many starting out, I soon came to realize I needed more education. Specifically, I needed to serve what became my most precious and fragile demographic of clientele - my arthritis community, or as I like to call them, my S’WET™ Silver Squad! I knew a small amount from my personal training certification and some education workshops I had previously attended, but I had to seek out more information. Thankfully the AEA (Aquatic Exercise Association) offered the Arthritis Foundation Leadership Program. This course and the continuing education that I received helped me discover ways of accommodating both my land and water participants, and I found myself being able to give my students multiple modifications during their classes and sessions. Soon I started to see 20-year olds working next to my 80-year olds and BOTH were able to adapt the movements to their needs no matter their abilities or restrictions. Eventually, the dreaded moment arrived when I needed to find a substitute instructor for my arthritis classes. Talk about trying to find a needle in a haystack?! I came to realize there were very few aquatic instructors educated in arthritis guidelines, and after months of trying to find a sub, the aquatic director decided to pull a land instructor onto the pool deck. Please hear me out, I am NOT shaming land instructors who graciously offer to help cover water classes...But not surprisingly, for a land instructor who may have never even taken an aquatic fitness class, let alone understand how different movements are felt in the water, this scenario did not go well. Sadly, I returned to my classes with a flood of complaints! I heard it all: "He told me to do twists and I told him I wasn’t allowed to. He then insisted 'you can't hurt yourself in the water.'" "She had her back turned to us for more than half the class duration!" "He gave the class extra large hand buoys which I couldn’t grip and then shamed me for putting them on the side of the pool when my hands and shoulders hurt." "She kept insisting that I jump higher and wouldn’t listen to me when I told her this was hurting my back and knees." Needless to say I was horrified! As an instructor who cares deeply for their students and their well being, I couldn't believe the aquatic director allowed someone unqualified and uneducated teach such a special population without the proper training. Isn’t the purpose of serving all populations to help them live a healthier and more movement rich lifestyle?! Can you imagine the uproar if a yoga class was subbed out by a Zumba trainer who didn't know a downward facing dog from a warrior pose? Or a pilates class subbed by a CrossFit instructor who insisted everyone push themselves beyond their limits because..."you can't hurt yourself" stretching? I posed these questions to management but got no real answers. I got the same message a lot of us hear: "It was just a water class" and they were "in a jam." I know I’m not the only instructor or educator that truly believes we have a responsibility to protect and help our clients/students. This is why education and structure mean so much to me, because they SERVE people’s lives for the better. A "great personality" and "rocking playlist" will never cover up the fact that an instructor lacks the education and training in a specialized format. In arthritis training, we’re taught to keep an open line of communication with our students, even after the class has ended. This allows us to inquire about useful information such as The Two Hour Pain Rule: if exercise-induced joint pain lasts more than two hours, then the program was too intense or difficult, thus the previous routine needs to be restructured to accommodate these individual’s specific needs/abilities. As my aquatic career has evolved, I still continue to S’WET™ it out with my able bodies participants, but my arthritis and active-agers hold a place near and dear to my heart. Watching my students build their strength and balance and increase their everyday activities truly helped me understand why I chose this career. I continue to educate myself with more specialized education as this is what not only helps me evolve as an instructor, but better serve my community and ensure their safety during each workout. This also increases their trust in me, knowing I will do my best to work within their capabilities and seek out modifications for movements that they may need extra care in performing. So as we begin a new year, my ask to instructors is please seek out further education. Find specialized programs and certifications that will further your own experience and skill sets. Besides keeping your career interesting, it will allow you to offer even more programming and class options in the future. And to the directors and facility management, PLEASE STOP allowing unqualified and untested staff to teach formats they have no training or education in. Invest in your team! Insist they educate and train more. If not for themselves, for your students and members to whom all of us have a responsibility to serve and protect. It is all of our personal and professional responsibilities. ABOUT THE WRITER: Jenni Lynn Patterson-LaCour is a NSCA-CPT (National Strength and Conditioning Association Certified Personal Trainer), AEA Aquatic Training Specialist & CEC Provider, AFAA Group Fitness Instructor & CEC Provider and NASM CEC Provider. With a Bachelor's Degree in Health Psychology, Jenni Lynn combined her knowledge of neuromuscular and physical conditioning with her love for swimming and aquatic fitness to create S’WET™. S’WET™ combines muscle, strength and high intensity interval training (HIIT) with advanced cardio, plyometrics, unique equipment from around the world, and a splash of fun! Contact Jenni: JenniLynn@JenniLynnFitness.com New Workshop Coming 2022: In an effort to help facilities expose their land-based instructors to the philosophy and practice of aquatic fitness, the S'WET™ SQUAD team has built out a brand new comprehensive workshop, TURF TO SURF: Effective Strategies to take Land-Based Exercises to the Pool! It's the perfect way for instructors with little to no experience with water fitness to get their feet wet and learn how they can "aquafy" their repertoire. Stay tuned for details on how you can register to attend, online or in person! CLICK HERE TO ADD YOUR NAME TO OUR NOTIFICATION LIST! JUST ANNOUNCED: SERIES V - ONLINE CHAIR-BASED ARTHRITIS CLASSES! Now's your chance to join in online! Take one class, two or three, a whole week or sign up for all 28 sessions! Best yet, if you can't attend the LIVE session with Jenni Lynn on the date and time of the class, you'll still get access to the recorded version to follow along at your own pace!

There comes a time in every man's life when he catches himself staring down his own reflection in the mirror, an image he barely recognizes looking back, both wondering where all the years went... For me, it was abundantly clear. It all went to my gut. I was nearing forty, pushing one-eighty and at only five-foot-eight, wore it all around my waist. Two decades of sedentary sitting, eating two-thirds of all my meals behind a desk, and look what I became - a stranger to my own eyes. I wasn't depressed per se, but I was certainly being dragged down by the weight of it all (literally and metaphorically). I knew I needed to exercise, but I hated going to the gym. I didn't play any sports, unless you count video games. My Insanity DVD's, still in their original packaging, sat dusty on my bookshelves -- and I didn't even own a DVD player anymore! Oh, and the last time I tried out Cross Fit, some guy bench-pressed ME over his head. So what was left for me to do? Where could a guy like me go from here? "Come to my Aqua Class," my friend Jenni Lynn said emphatically. "It will give you a really intense workout." I believe the exact expression I used was: "Yeah. Right." AQUACISE? Sure, I knew all about it. When I was twelve, I watched from the pool steps as my grandmother splashed around with these tiny worn-out foam dumbbells tucked under her arms, trying everything possible to avoid getting her hair wet. "Sorry, Jenni," I said snickering. "It's just not for me." She wasn't as amused as I was, but persisted anyway: "I promise you'll like it." Jenni Lynn was wrong. I didn't like it; I LOVED IT. I loved it so much I came again the following week. And then the next. And then twice the week after that. I bought a class pass to come as often as I could. Eventually it became an obsession, something to look forward to twice, maybe three times a week and then every other weekend... At the fourth-month mark I took another look in the mirror, and this time, the man reflected back was starting to look familiar again -- more than just familiar...he was starting to look GOOD! ;) Now, don't get me wrong...it didn't all happen overnight. One class led to two, led to three, and so on...And since the workout was so intense, I started drinking more water, eating healthier, even sleeping better! Each positive step forward seemed to multiply, like change in a savings account. Compounded over time, the results were undeniable. And you know what? I wasn't alone. Fellow participants of all ages, sizes and experiences were right there with me. I was most shocked by the amount of MEN in the class. Young men. FIT MEN. Wasn't aquatic fitness an older woman thing? The answer was as glaring as my smile in the mirror: NO. #AquaticFitness is for EVERYONE. Over the next few weeks we will be interviewing some of our fellow #WaveWarriors, men and women, young and old, who dove right in and experienced the new wave in aquatic fitness: S'WET by Jenni Lynn Fitness™. Stay tuned for more testimonials and success stories like my own, and find out why fitness instructors like Jenni Lynn and her husband Chris LaCour are shattering the misconceptions of what aquatic fitness can offer students like me, one bead of S'WET at a time! S'WET'S AQUAMEN is a celebration of how Jenni Lynn Fitness is attracting a new demographic of students to the pool: Find S'WET on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!