On a misty February morning, community members and staff gathered to the BYU-Hawaii pool to dive into water aerobics. Marlynn Hunter leads the aerobics class as part of the BYUH Educational Outreach program. “Water aerobics is also a great form of exercise because it is has low impact exercises for your joints,” said Hunter. While there is a common misperception that water aerobics are reserved for an older demographic who are more concerned with joint damage, Hunter attests that “water aerobics is for anyone.” The class session offers full body exercises in both the shallow and deep parts of the pool, including jumping jacks, frog jumps, and bicycle kicks. Those looking for a more intense workout occupied the deeper areas of the pool were they were required to tread water in addition to the exercises. Hunter likes to “amp up” her workouts by following a “tabata” interval style which includes 20 second sets of intense movement followed by 10 seconds of cool down for a four-minute period, described Hunter. “I choose this style because it’s so great for your cardio-vascular system,” said Hunter. Tabata combines both elements of aerobic and anaerobic exercise to prevent the build-up of lactic acid after a workout, allowing you to burn more calories after you stop movement, according to a study done by Japanese researcher Izumi Tabata, said Hunter.“Ultimately you get what you put into it,” Hunter explained. “You choose your intensity according to your personal limits, and if you don’t feel like you’re being challenged, then you simply aren’t working hard enough.” Hunter encourages students to try a variety of exercises but emphasizes the benefits of a water aerobics workout.John Olszowska, the logistics coordinator for the Educational Outreach program that sponsors this fitness class, said he, “Enjoyed getting up early to get the day started with this class.” When asked why the turnout for water aerobics was low, Olszowska speculated that people are turned away from swimming due to the colder temperatures in the winter. “There’s also the problem of money that always affects students wanting to participate in these classes and for most the $35 is a hardship,” said Olszowska. While the $35 fee does grant a student access to 10 water-aerobic classes, when compared to the other student fitness pass option of $15, “many students can be persuaded to stay on dry land to work out since it is cheaper,” said Olsowska. “We’re looking at potential ways that we can reduce this cost or potentially offer a free trial class to get more students interested,” said Olszowska. “But with the lifeguard costs and the instructor’s percentage of the cost, at this point the fee remains as it is. It simply requires more work than other fitness classes.”The class is open to all community members and costs $35 for a total of 10 classes, which are divided up into two sections throughout the semester. Classes are held on Saturdays from 7 to 8 a.m. Registration is available by emailing outreach@byuh.edu.
Writer: Sydney Odell~Multimedia Journalist
