Water aerobics classes...

Originally posted by kernow I know how mean 'ya all are ;) 'Round these parts, we say "y'all." And lainey, five bucks says geek can peddle a 500 with a clown suit on.

Originally posted by gull80 'Round these parts, we say "y'all." How would I know? I'm from New Yawk. :p

Originally posted by laineybug Your reluctance suggests that you are afraid to be proved wrong. Gee whiz, it took you a long time to finally figure that out. Heck yes, I'm afraid, afraid they might tie one of them noodlies around my neck, tie a brick to my flotation belt and pummel me with their water dumbells. Oh, the humanity! I've been to pools the country over and yes, all the aerobic classes are exactly alike. You must live in a little oasis where there exists a true water aerobics class. I don't have a compassion problem, well maybe I do. I pay extra to swim with my team, noodling classes are free generally. Just a little humor, Bug.

I think my body must possess some kind of magnetic field of opposite change from all the objects that typically find their way into my lane!!! I am constantly running over noodles, balls, kickboards, pull buoys, small children, and every other thing people play around with while they are doing whatever they do besides swimming laps.

Kernow, you are right the time with our parents in their last years is very prescious. It does go too fast. I feel very honored to be in a position that I could help them in their retirement. If it hadn't been for them I wouldn't be in the position I am in today. Maybe USMS should start a "take your parents swimming day" so more people will get the enjoyment of a water activity with them. Lainey

Don't talk to me about open lap swims- I remember swimming in a C. London pool, where kids used to hang on the lane line and kick the lap swimmers... People would get mad, if I splashed them and got their hair wet. That's when I decided to join a team, so that I could swim with those who wanted to train. To those complaining about the waves that the noodlers make: Have you ever swam during a practice, either age group or USMS? It's like swimming in a dishwasher, but it's part of the game. What about open water swimming? That's pretty rough... The rough water will make you a better swimmer- it's all part of the process. BTW- Yes, noodlers have a right to pool time... Last time I checked, they pay pool fees, too, which helps the USMS swimmers. It's up to us as competitive swimmers to set our own courses and workouts. peace...

Since my Dad's passing in February I've been going with my mother to the wateraerobics. Lainey Sorry about your dad- mine's getting on in years and I know I'm gonna miss him like crazy- he's one of my best friends. Look after yourself and your mom and keep defending the water aerobics (I'm right behind 'ya- I know the classes bring some happiness to those who attend them) peace...

Geek, those exercises do exist in our class, where do you think I came up with them? Well, I do have to admit we don't pedal 500, we pedal 250 to 300 and actually race each other, but I figured since you are such a he-man you should be able to do 500 with no problem. Your reluctance suggests that you are afraid to be proved wrong. The women and MEN in our class do not hang onto the lane ropes or even get close to them because they don't want to be splashed, The noodles are only in the pool when we are using them and we put them on the side of the pool until the class ends. I agree that letting 'toys' float around is inappropriate and should be addressed by management, but it's not only the aerobics class lap swimmers leave their toys too. There is a HUGE sign on the lockers that hold lapswimmers kickboards, paddles and fins that says "Equipment must be returned when not in use" There is no such sign on the locker that holds the noodles. So my point, again is..... don't generalize from one water aerobic class to another... they aren't all alike! Geek, do you have any idea how cold water feels on arthritic joints? Your lack of compassion is very unbecoming. What is the big deal about hair getting wet... getting your hair wet does not necessarily indicate that you've exercised any better than someone who has. I can do an aerobic set in water aerobics without getting my hair wet and get my heart up to the same level as I can when I swim. If a person doesn't want their hair wet it's their perogative to keep it dry! And oh yeah, those belts that keep the noodlers afloat are not just for that. They take away the need to balance in the water and to allow the person to isolate movements and perform the exercise correctly, the way different weight machines isolate and target certain muscle groups. Your ignorance of what is actually happenning in the classes shows, Geek. Lainey

Kernow - I did do age group swimming for almost 7 years....so belive me I'm completely familiar with the waves that are present during a typical practice. All the same though, for some reason I feel that it was less noticeable at that time. I'm not sure if it's because the pool I swim in is a mere 4 lanes, or perhaps because the water is shallower (we're talking not even able to dive in at any end here), or maybe it's just since I'm often the only one in an outside lane I'm more sensitive to it. I don't know. In any case, it's not like I plan on stopping swimming because of it - on most days I welcome the challenge of swimming in a tougher enviorment and just accept that my times arn't going to be as fast as they could. The point of this thread was just some playful venting, that's all. :) Also, sorry about your loss Lainey...

Originally posted by laineybug Maybe USMS should start a "take your parents swimming day" so more people will get the enjoyment of a water activity with them. Lainey My mother, while being exceedingly proud that I have started swimming again, would throttle me if I dragged her to the pool with me. And my grandmother is so terrified of getting her face wet that she won't use a shower. Also, I think I've figured out the problem with water aerobics. It's not the water aerobics, or the people doing them. It's the lack of courtesy. One of the problems I've seen at my club is that the noodlers and piddlers (lap swimming isn't allowed during formal 'class' time) often have an attitude of "don't worry, I won't get in your way" without bothering to inquire as to whether or not the lap swimmer is comfortable sharing a lane. One woman (who used to be known as stretch-cord-string-bikini-woman and is now only known as stretch-cord-woman since she bought a decent bathing suit) not only hooks up her stretch cords and impedes the entire end of a lane, but also "warms up" by walking up and down the lane, zig-zagging across it. She'll keep an eye out and get out of your way, but it is EXTREMELY irritating. To top it off, she will also get into a lane that already has two swimmers in it (we have an unofficial limit), claiming "she won't get in the way", even if there are other swimmers that were there before she was, waiting for an available lane!! On the up side, several of us made passing references to the health club getting sued if one of the lap swimmers got sick from overheating due to the abnormally warm water and the club ignoring its written policy of 82 degrees. The water temperature has gone down and I've knocked 15 minutes off the time it takes for me to finish my 3200m workout. Just my $.02 Kae