WORKOUT
aqua power Getting fit with aqua aerobics is not only for the elderly, the overweight or those with medical problems. By FAIROZA MANSOR
V
Jul-Sep 29
PHOTO: Getty Images
igorous workouts done in heated rooms are becoming increasingly popular. In these group exercises you will find fitness buffs sweating it out in rooms ͵ͺǏ Ǥ you need to be drenched in perspiration to get an adequate workout? With Singapore’s blistering weather, busting moves immersed in the cooling comfort of water sounds like a good idea. There’s always swimming of course, but if you’re craving for something a little different or if you’re harbouring a deep secret — that is, your inability to swim — why not dive into aqua aerobics? Performed in a pool where aerobic
movements like kicking, squatting, jumping and dancing are done to the rhythm of upbeat music, this fun and easy sport does not require swimming skills. Although there are deep-‐water workouts, most routines take place in shallow or chest-‐level water in which your feet will be able to touch the ground. Ms Eunice Ler, a certified FISAF (Federation of International Sports, Aerobics and Fitness) aqua aerobics instructor since 2003, conducts classes twice a week at the Young Women’s Christian Association Singapore. The classes are held in chest-‐level water at the Fort Canning Lodge swimming pool. A typical 60-‐minute routine at Eunice’s aqua aerobics class starts with simple warm up exercises such as running in water. “This is to limber up the body,” says Eunice, who is also a fitness instructor. She then leads participants through a series of choreographed exercises to keep the class interesting. Towards the last five to 10 minutes, participants will perform cool down exercises in the form of various stretching movements.