You made the big decision, you’ve undergone bariatric surgery and the weight is dropping off. You’re being good and exercising regularly but exercise is getting boring. “What about this drooping skin? Why do I still feel kind of sluggish? I thought exercise would make me look good.
Why isn’t everything ok now? I’m feeling worn out.” Sound familiar? I hear the same words coming from countless women and men who made the heroic decision to undergo radical bariatric surgery in order to once and for all change their lives. They (and you) made it thru and are now losing massive amounts of weight. You’re really exercising to, after all you’re a bariathlete…but you’ve “hit the wall”. You started the old fashioned exercise routines, maybe threw in a few new ones and you’re actually seeing a little success but it so much effort! You definitely want to continue maintaining your weight loss because, hello, you’re thrilled to have this newly reduced body!
“I need a wake-up, exercise that’s fun but still gives me the results. Is there water exercise for someone like me?
You’re tired of being grungy and sweaty, the weather is gorgeous and you’re stuck in a funky gym when you’d rather be outside breathing some fresh air.
Eating is back in your life.
“I’m going to restaurants, sitting down for family meals, getting invites to birthday parties for my child, going to summer bar-b-ques… I can be like everyone else, eat those yummy foods I love! After all, I am working out.”
Then the alarm sounds - danger! Your weight loss has stalled, some days you just don’t feel like trudging to the gym, you’re tired of feeling beat up and worn out from your workouts. You’re trying to handle real life eating but…? You want a slice of that birthday cake (actually you want three slices)… bar-b-que ribs are your favorite… but making lasagna is your specialty… I’m still me…and that‘s a little scary. If I don’t kill myself at the gym I could fall back and start gaining again.”
Well we do know some ways to arm ourselves against the overeating dangers: talk with your doctor; go to bariatric support groups; read the bariathlete newsletter. All of these tools, though excellent and helpful, comprise only a portion of what’s needed to silence that alarm bell and rejuvenate your exercise regime. Then a light goes on – what about water exercise?
There is a new water exercise program to help you not fall back and to also quiet that danger alarm. It gets you moving in a fun and easy way, in a comfortable environment along with others just like you. It will help you to strengthen and tone, help your heart beat stronger and your organs function more efficiently. Did you know that there is aqua exercise specifically designed for the pre / post bariatric surgery patient? This is “just what the doctor ordered”, in other words - this is for you!
“well, maybe but I can’t swim.”
This kind of aqua exercise is not about swimming, it’s about simple movement in the water and it’s definitely not aqua aerobics. Bariatric aqua exercise is comprised of an easy series of actions directed and monitored by a licensed bariatric aqua exercise instructor. We get together in the pool and we all pretty much look the same and feel the same about our appearances. Some of us have lost lots of weight while others not quite as much.
“ok, being with others just like me sounds less intimidating and I know I want to start doing something physical that’s more fun than exercising all cooped up indoors but why aqua exercise?
Here’s the why: just getting into a pool and walking thru the water burns calories, strengthens muscles and tones skin. Add some supervised movement and that calorie burning water resistance works for you even more. Why? Water affords continuous resistance, twelve times that of air.
You don’t have to know how to swim, though swimming is a terrific exercise. Being guided thru some easy motions designed for non-swimmers, you and the resistant water will work together to strengthen, tone and whittle (or build for you men) each body area - arms, chest / bust line, legs, hips, waist, tummy and derriere. Certain easy water movements will, over a short period of time, show the same results as weight lifting or circuit training in a gym but without the expensive gym membership and without the sweat!
“Ok, this is sounding really good but what about some cardiovascular help?”
Ah, here’s the azure bullet! Water’s density protects our joints when we do energetic aqua movements. That density provides the protection of being able to accomplish light aerobic activity with little to no impact. Water buffers the body from gravity and makes a person virtually weightless @ 10% normal body weight. Add to that statistic the fact that most pools today are no longer utilizing caustic chemicals like chlorine and ph but rather are using pool sodium - salt! So now that lighter you in water gets even more help because of natural buoyancy due to the addition of pool salt. Your exercise in the pool suddenly seems almost effortless!
As if that alone is not enough (is any good thing ever enough) let’s factor in the new element of that slightly salty water and suddenly you’re coming out of the pool with softer skin! Not bad for getting in the pool in the first place, eh?
“Granted I now understand that weighing less in water allows exercise routines to feel almost effortless and that specialized water cardio is easy and safe but are there other benefits to this water exercise especially for me?”
Indeed! There’s much more about bariatric aqua exercise that I could entice you with so tune in for my next bariathlete article: “drown your troubles with aqua exercise!”
Be seeing you soon!
Health and happiness,
Resa
Author’s bio:
Resa Hempfling has been an aqua exercise professional for over 20 years. She is a former Olympic swimmer, national backstroke champion and pan am games medalist. She has taught and coached swimming and non-swim exercise to ages 5 to 85 on both the east and west coasts. Resa has three times been invited to be a contributing member to the president’s council on physical fitness. She is a certified aqua program instructor by the arthritis foundation of America as well as licensed in water safety and cpr. Within the past several years she has developed a revolutionary aqua exercise program specific to pre / post bariatric surgery patients which has brought her national notoriety. She travels nationwide as a motivational speaker not only before national physical fitness conferences but also to local bariatric support groups. Presently resa conducts aquatoneoc bariatric aqua exercise classes in orange county, California.
Resa hempfling resides in Laguna Niguel, California and can be contacted via e-mail at:
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