ong before aqua tools like
dumbbells and noodles were
available to use in classes, there
existed only one floatation aid that was a
staple in every pool – the kick board. Used to
assist swimmers with technique and to
develop lower body power, the kick board
made its way into the aqua class as
instructors looked for ways to aid suspension
exercises and create resistance in the water.
The number of exercises was somewhat
limited, as the kick board did not have
handles, required considerable strength to
be pushed through the water, and caused
shoulders and fingers to fatigue quickly with
both suspended and resisted exercises.
New tools became available that were
much more flexible with movement in water
and provided options that the kick board
couldn’t, and so it was increasingly left in the
store room during classes.
I believe that it’s time to bust the kick
board out of storage and discover how,
with a smart approach, it can be a truly
effective training tool.
L
Different grips
To use the kick board effectively in an aqua
class, it has to be employed differently
than other tools. Firstly, it can’t be held
underwater like a dumbbell or noodle, and
should be gripped with the fingers only
sparingly. Instead, movements like skimming
and surfing are used, in which the palms and
wrist are placed on the board and fingers
spread wide to control the movement.
Several leg movements can be used with
this position and, depending on whether the
legs are suspended or touching the bottom
of the pool, the intensity of the exercise can
increase or decrease. For example, when
performing a straight leg kick to the back
with a surfing action with feet touching
the bottom of the pool, the upper body
and torso muscles work to control the kick
board. When performed without touching
the bottom of the pool, the focus on the
torso/abdominal area is far greater.
It is also possible to sit on the kick board,
but the exercises that can be performed
are limited, as the legs can’t move much,
which in turn restricts what the arms can
do without throwing the body off balance.
When held in the hands, movements like
book holding (holding like a book in one
hand) are effective for upper body strength.
While one hand holds the kick board as a
book, the other braces the board against
the opposite forearm. This encourages the
whole arm to move the kick board through
the water and takes the pressure away from
holding the kick board in the fingers.
Another way to hold the kick board is to
grip one side of it with both hands. Position
the board against the body and grip the
opposite side with both hands, bracing it
against the torso. Pushing the kick board
down into the water will engage the triceps,
and this can be performed with a range of
different lower body actions. This is also an
effective position to hold the board during
suspended exercises in the prone position.
Holding either side of the kick board (the
width of the board) and pushing through the
water can be very challenging and hard to
grip. Angling the board to a 45 degree angle
SEPT
2015
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