You don’t have to be in your retirement years, a person of limited mobility or someone experiencing health concerns to take water aerobics. For a class with splash, members of the Cornerstone Family Fitness Center can take water aerobics with fitness instructor Carol Fitzwilliam, offered in an outdoor pool during the summer months.

Fitzwilliam is a certified Aqua Fitness Instructor through the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA). To stay abreast of the latest trends and to maintain her certification, she attends workshops offered by AEA and through the East Jefferson Hospital Wellness Center, who often host the workshops.

“My water class is an active, challenging, higher level workout,” said Fitzwilliam. She feels it’s the resistance created by the movement in the water that makes water aerobics challenging. Also, because of the body’s buoyancy in the water, the body’s joints undergo a lot less of the stress impact caused by other forms of exercise.

She points to information in an article titled “The Water Well” found on AEA’s website, www.aeawave.com.

“The water’s unique properties allow the pool to provide an environment for people of all abilities. Buoyancy creates a reduced impact exercise alternative that is easy on the joints, while the water’s resistance challenges the muscles. Water lends itself to a well-balanced workout that improves all major components of physical fitness — aerobic training, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and body composition.”

Fitzwilliam’s class will continue through the month of August.

To learn more about becoming a member of the Cornerstone in Picayune, visit the gym’s website at www.picayunecornerstone.com, or call 601-798-2087.

To learn more about the health benefits and aerobic benefits of water aerobics, visit www.aeawave.com.