YMCA Water Fitness for Health Book (Copyright 2000, 368 pages)
Water fitness is a form of exercise that people of all ages and fitness levels can participate in. It is important to design a program that is effective, safe, and fun. YMCA Water Fitness for Health is an excellent resource to assist instructors in developing a program that keeps students coming back, class after class. The text integrates water exercise research, fundamental water skills, and training guidelines to assist instructors in helping students reach their individual fitness goals. It provides instructors with information on how to: design workouts for three different water depths, teach students how to control their own exercise intensity, use many different kinds of equipment, and organize routines to create classes that run smoothly. The resulting routines appeal to a variety of exercisers including people who are just starting to exercise, seasoned water exercise veterans, or people just looking for a change of pace in their workouts. In addition, instructors will find information on working with older adults and people with physical disabilities. Highly illustrated and useful, the text is divided into five parts: Program Development and Leadership provides an overview of the YMCA and the water fitness program, leadership principles, and safety and risk management. Healthy Lifestyle and Fitness Principles explains how water exercise fits into a healthy lifestyle and the general principles of fitness. Fundamentals of Water Exercise includes information on the practical applications of research to water exercise, physical properties of water and how they affect movement, skills people must learn to do water exercise, and guidelines for designing training programs for the water. Water Fitness Class Design covers creating class workouts, adjusting classes to students' needs, and using equipment and different class formats for variety. Responsive Programs for Participants With Individual Challenges discusses working with older adults and special populations. There are also three appendixes that contain program forms for use in screening participants and a number of exercises and class workouts. A glossary defines technical terms used throughout the manual. Water exercise is a popular choice for many people. YMCA Water Fitness for Health is an excellent way to create a water fitness program that will get people started and keep them exercising for a lifetime! Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgments Credits Part One: Program Development a