Name of group: Aqua Fitness
Type of workout: Total body workout -- a low-impact alternative to on-land aerobics that provides the same intensity.Who's in the group: About 25 people. More women than men; people of various ages.How often its meets: This class is Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, but other water aerobics classes are offered daily.Where they meet: YMCA South Arlington, 7120 S. Cooper St.What they do: Warm-up exercises, cardio, aqua aerobics. Exercises are done to music with two lifeguards watching. The group uses plastic foam "weights " or "noodles" for resistance and stability. Instructors demonstrate moves for multiple skill levels.Why they do it: Viki Sparrow finds that water exercise takes the pressure offer her joints. "I can walk, run, and exercise in the pool far better than I can do those things on land," she said. "Daily exercise in the water reduces the stiffness and joint pain from my arthritis." Before class she rides the recumbent bike for her legs and does some weights for her arms. But her major workout is always the aerobics class in the pool. The chlorine is very hard on the group's swimsuits, but no one is there to make a fashion statement, she said. "In other words, there is nothing glamorous about this -- we are there to exercise!"More info: The Cooper Street YMCA offers a variety of water aerobics classes, including Aqua Lite, Aqua Fitness, Aqua Sport and Pump H20. There's also a class for people with multiple sclerosis. Call 817-419-9626. www.ymca-arlington.org.-- Jan JarvisDo you have a group that you work out with? Share your story! Send an e-mail and a photo, if you have one, to jjarvis@star-telegram.com with "How we work out" as the subject. Or mail to Jan Jarvis, Features, How we work out, Star-Telegram, 808 Throckmorton St., Fort Worth, TX 76102.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
