Healthy living, which includes fitness and exercise programs, is a major focus of the YMCA. Locations across the United States offer different types of aquatic exercise programs for a variety of participants. Aquatic exercise can provide vigorous workouts and, because of the low-impact environment, gentle workouts designed for special populations. With the use of flotation devices, even people who cannot swim can participate in aquatic exercise. The YMCA aquatic exercise programs are led by trained, certified instructors.
Aerobics
The YMCA offers aquatic exercise programs that feature aerobics. For example, the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA in New York offers water workout, which is a high-energy aerobic class that includes stretching and strength training. Participants in the aquatic exercise program perform aerobic movements for cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility and body conditioning.
Arthritis Foundation
The Arthritis Foundation partners with the YMCA to offer an aquatic exercise program that helps decrease pain and stiffness, increase muscle strength and improve joint flexibility and endurance. The aquatic class is conducted in warm, shallow water to limit stress on joints. The Arthritis Foundation YMCA Aquatic Program is offered at YMCA locations across the country.
Muscle Toning
Some YMCA aquatic exercise classes focus on muscle toning. The Norfolk Family YMCA in Nebraska offers the hydrofit program, which uses water resistance to tone muscles in deep water. Participants in the aqua muscle program use water resistance, resistance bands and hand weights. Participants also perform squats, lunges and running exercises in the water.
Walking and Jogging
The aqua jog program at the Bedford-Stuyvesant YMCA requires participants to use flotation devices to jog in deep water. Some aqua walking programs combine strength, endurance and cardio in walking routines to improve the fitness of participants over age 50 or those undergoing rehabilitation because of injuries. Participation in aqua jogging or walking might use water weights or aqua belts to achieve a total-body workout.
Tips
The YMCA also offers unstructured use of its pools for those who want to exercise by swimming laps. The national YMCA website provides a "Find Your Y" page to search for YMCA locations.
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