Dipping into fitness

Who says working out can’t be one big party? Peppy Latin music plays by the poolside of Hotel Novotel as a bunch of fitness enthusiasts of all ages sweat it out in the swimming pool. The fitness instructor enthusiastically leads them through the different sets of exercises. The hour-long session comprises a lot of splashing about, punctuated with squeals of laughter.

Aqua Zumba is poised to be one of the hottest fitness trends this summer. The routine blends the fun philosophy of Zumba with water resistance and is especially great for individuals with reduced mobility or joint pains.

More effective

According to certified Zumba instructor Faiz Begum, Aqua Zumba has many benefits. “Water resistance is the biggest asset in Aqua Zumba. The movements have very low-impact on joints and muscles. Due to the natural resistance, every step is challenging and adds intensity to the workout. There are no restrictions — no age bar and even a non-swimmer can experience it,” she explains.

When she was a student of psychology in London a couple of years ago, Begum was introduced to Zumba and Aqua Zumba. “It fascinated me because it not only packed energy and fun into the sessions, but was also a far more effective workout regime than other forms like aerobics,” she says.

But her journey into the world of fitness as a Zumba instructor happened when post childbirth she struggled to lose the extra 25 kilograms she had piled on. “Zumba helped me shed that extra weight.

And Aqua Zumba makes the workout even more effective, without tiring or dehydrating you. It is particularly great for a hot and humid city like Visakhapatnam,” she says.

As a Zumba instructor, she would see a decline in her class strength during summers at her studio at Seethammadhara. “The excessive sweating during workouts in the class was draining. Aqua Zumba changed,” says Begum, who conducts weekly classes in the city.

“When you are moving faster under water, your muscular endurance is enhanced gradually. The natural resistance of water makes every step more challenging, thereby forcing an individual do large muscle movements. This works well for all those looking to tone their muscles,” explains Begum. Madhu Singh, a Zumba instructor in the city who tried the Aqua Zumba for the first time, says that a lot of core strength is involved when you are moving inside water.

“You end up doing a lot more squats and movements under water without much struggle,” says Singh.

The origin

Aqua Zumba originated in the US and has recently made its way to India. In the last two to three years, the fitness routine has become a huge hit.

Trained and certified by Richard Gormley from the US, Begum says success stories of her students inspire her to keep going and creating exciting routines.

“It is great when a participant sees a change in the way he/she feels. Some have lost weight, some have become fitter and I see a lot of women gain self confidence. It is also amazing to see participants bonding with each other or overcoming something in their personal life because the class is uplifting ,” she adds.

For P Radha, Aqua Zumba was a blessing. She was diagnosed with sciatica and the pain in her legs oscillated from merely annoying to incapacitating. “There’s no pain when I’m in the water,” says the fitness enthusiast and a school teacher, who saw a sea of change in her fitness levels after regular sessions. “Even the pain has come down considerably,” she adds.

In Aqua Zumba, the Latin-inspired moves focus on the muscles of the core, combined with muscle strengthening exercises that work both on the upper and lower body.

“We workout to 10 songs and yet don’t sweat a bit. In a normal workout, I fade out by the end of four songs.I can easily do 50 squats and it just doesn’t feel that much! But in the gym, I am out after 16,” says another fan D S Anuradha.