SHOES & TOWELS
Each student must bring their own towel and
aquatic exercise shoes. They should carry
these items in their own personal bag. The
removal of their outdoor shoes should happen
in the locker room or outside the pool
deck if possible. This prevents outside dirt
and materials from entering the aquatic environment.
LOCKER ROOMS
Many clubs are not opening their locker
rooms at all, but if they are open for use, lockers
open for use must be 6-feet apart. Typically,
every third locker will be available for
use. Lockers can be closed off by using yellow
police tape or stickers. Make sure that
stickers are checked prior to placing them on
lockers to prevent permanent disfigurement
of the surface space. All outdoor clothing
and shoes should be stored in their personal
bag and then placed inside the locker. This
will limit the constant cleaning requirements
of the locker. Cover-ups and shoes can
also be placed inside their personal bag and
stored on the benches or chairs by the edge
of the aquatic area.
LABELING & REMOVING MASKS
As mentioned above, prior to entering the
pool and before the risk of getting it wet, the
mask should be removed. This may happen
in the locker room or by the side of the pool
on the benches or chairs. The masks must
be placed in the individual’s bag. It is recommended
that each participant label their
mask on the outside or inside using an indelible
ink pen, so the ink does not transfer to
their face. Labeling the mask will ensure that
nobody accidentally picks up another person’s
mask.
ENTERING THE POOL & SOCIAL
DISTANCING
When entering the pool, participants must remain
6-feet apart. It is during this time that
social distancing must be adhered to strictly
because our participants are not wearing
their masks. Place stickers on the pool
deck 6 feet apart, similar to the type of large,
ground stickers you find at the grocery store
or pharmacy when people are waiting in line.
This will provide a simple guide for the students
to follow and create forced separations.
Make sure that you check your stickers
before sticking them to your pool deck,
so that the adhesive on the bottom of the
stickers can be easily removed and does not
permanently mar the pool deck tile.
POOL MARKERS & SETTING
STUDENT POSITIONS
We must make sure that all students remain
six feet apart while exercising in the pool.
Unfortunately, we cannot place stickers on
the bottom of the pool to guide students to
their spots. Instead, stickers can be placed
on the wall directly in front of the pool at 18
inches above the ground and six feet apart.
24
18 inches high will be eye-level for the participants
in the pool since individuals are standing
up in the sunken pool. We must place
these stickers both on the front wall and on
the side wall.
If stickers are unavailable, or our clubs do
not permit us to adhere items to the wall, we
may place towels or orange cones six feet
apart on the deck right near the pool’s edge.
Towels or cones can be used to set both a
vertical (frontal) line and a horizontal (side)
line. These can also serve as an appropriate
marker.
EXERCISE AREA
When getting into the pool, the stairs should
be used. The Instructor must require each
student enter slowly and individually waiting
until the previous student is in the pool and
safely located in their exercise area. Each
student must move quickly to their spot furthest
away from the stairs but remain six
feet from anyone else in the pool. Different
students of different heights must find
the best spot, so that the pool water is at
chest-level. Only once the student is in their
position can another student enter the pool
safely. This is similar to entering a pool after
someone has used a slide or diving board.
Individuals must wait until the person before
them has safely cleared the area.
CONFIDENT INSTRUCTORS &
PATIENT STUDENTS
Entering the pool sounds complicated and
scary, but it is simple and easy. People are
now used to social distancing, comfortable
with a slower pace, and eager to begin an
exercise regime. After the first time through
this process, they become accustomed
quickly and will easily assume a calm and
patient demeanor. It is up to the Instructor
to keep a confident presence and a smile on
their face. Remember, this too shall pass!
SHOES CHOREOGRAPHY CHOICES
When developing or adapting workout programs
and choreography, it is best to perform
“Routines for Sardines.” These are choreography
choices and movement patterns
that encourage the participant to workout
in one place without moving in a forward or
backward direction. This will support the
6-foot social distancing requirements. All the
typical aquatic exercises can be performed
(i.e. jumping jacks, knee lifts, kicks, etc.).
AVOID HIIT TRAINING
Additionally, Instructors want to avoid having
their students reach an anaerobic threshold
(in simple terms, getting too out-of-breath).
High intensity workouts at 80% or higher of
the predicted maximum heart rate increases
cortisol production releasing free radicals in
the body and leads to possible compromises
to the immune system. In a normal situation,
the break down that occurs during programs
such as HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)
is an excellent way to challenge and rebuild
the body to become even stronger. However,
in our current pandemic, this may not be
advisable since extreme HIIT programming,
without adequate recovery time, should be
avoided because this may decrease the
body’s ability to fight diseases. HIIT programming
may reduce the body’s immune
system response. During aquatic exercise, it
is very difficult to reach an anaerobic threshold,
so again; the aquatic environment is a
safe exercise alternative. As a rule, moderate
exercise alternatives should be utilized on
both land and in the water.
WATER TEMPERATURE
Pools tend to have water temperatures of
78-84 degrees. It is recommended that our
aqua exercise pools remain a bit cooler to
make them a bit less vulnerable to contaminates.
If, however, our pool participants enjoy
the more comfortable 84-degree pool, be
sure to measure and maintain appropriate
levels of chlorine and bromine.
AIR TEMPERATURE & AIR CIRCULATION
It may be best to have a window or door
(or both) open during your aquatic exercise
class. This will encourage air circulation.
Further, the air temperature can be reduced
slightly in the pool area to decrease stagnant
air, which makes it easier to breath. This
might make our students feel a bit chillier, so
warmer water that is appropriately chlorinated
(treated with chemicals) is encouraged.
AQUA EQUIPMENT
If the Instructor wishes to use aqua equipment
such as noodles or aqua dumbbells
during the class, the equipment can be preplaced
on the edge of the pool in 6-foot intervals.
Then, each person may pick up their
equipment independently while maintaining
social distancing. Immediately after each
student grabs their piece(s) of equipment,
the student must dunk it under the water to
ensure disinfecting and then the equipment
can be used. Another way to pass out equipment
would be to supply the equipment
in a bin right before the student enters the
pool, and each participant can take a piece
of equipment. Once in the water, they must
dunk the equipment in the water, thereby disinfecting
it, making it ready for use. To return
the equipment, a reverse drop-off procedure
can be used. Either the students can place