Get Your Shoes Wet

I was once a runner, and like other runners I always enjoyed the “runner’s high,” when your endorphins kick in and you’re in the zone. There is such freedom in a good run. I feel like I can breathe deeper, push myself in a gentle way, and allow my mind to meditate, all at the same time. Thoughts wander, maybe to generating new ideas for business. Sometimes I’d spend the time working out a problem. And sometimes I would spend the time talking to God. When I found myself using a cane due to an illness, I thought my running days were over. I was wrong. 

When I first discovered water aerobics, I found myself arriving early, but since I didn’t know all the exercises, I didn’t know what to do with my time before class started. One day it hit me: Let’s run. It was great. All the old feelings returned. I was so excited to find that I could easily run – and do almost anything else that I once did on land – in the water! Talk about a freeing realization. This was a sea change moment for me. One that I have built on with water volleyball and other activities.

Now I begin every personal workout with a good run. I know, it sounds kind of weird to be running in the pool but trust me and try it, it’s an excellent exercise! It strengthens the muscles in your legs, adds to your steps for the day, and increases your endurance. It’s a very effective workout all by itself.

Position yourself in chest-high water, and run across the pool so you stay at the same depth, always remaining in chest-high water. If you want to challenge yourself, run in varying depths or try ankle weights. Or, just jog or run across the pool. You get optimum results from maintaining the same depth. There is an 84 year old in one of my classes that absolutely smokes the rest of us during sprints. And he laughs all the way to the end of his run. 

Speaking of sprints, in doing water aerobics, good traction on the pool floor really helps. You can run barefoot, but a good pair of water shoes takes a lot of the stress off your legs and feet. 

Water shoes look like tennis shoes but are very different. They have drainage ports on the bottom, and mesh or openings on the tops and sides. These features allow the water to move through the shoe, so they stabilize you without slowing you down. 

Hey, water jogging/running while in tennis shoes, street shoes, or water shoes that have ever been worn outside is a big no-no. Iin addition to doing damage to good water shoes, any shoe gets contaminated with dirt, gum, or other trash when you wear them outside. Then you’re tracking that trash into the pool. At the better and safer pools, this kind of contamination will cause the staff to close the pool. So please, take your water shoes to the pool, change into them on the deck, and wear them for the workout. Then take them off and return to street shoes before you go outside.

Water shoes are available at Academy Sportswear, Walmart, and other stores, but if you’re in it for the long haul I recommend grabbing a pair that’s going to last for years instead of months.

I personally use Ryka HydraSports, see link above. 

So… add water shoes to your list of equipment, and I’ll see ya’ in the water!

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