Yesterday, my week of learning continued with a water exercise instructor class for the Arthritis Foundation Aquatic Program. The class was held at the JCC, so it was convenient for me to take the class. Out of 13 participants, there were only 3 of us who had never taught an exercise class before. I found the class to be very informative. We learned a bit about the Arthritis Foundation, class set up, logistics, lesson plans, and most importantly the exercises. The day was divided up with about 6 hours of classroom instruction and 2 hours of pool instruction.
During the pool instruction, we learned about recovery and rescue for a bit. Then, we tried a few exercises with some of the permitted equipment. We also had to swim 25 yards and tread water for a minute. The bulk of the pool time consisted of us each teaching part of a sample class to the other participants. It was fun!
After the pool time, we changed and headed back to the classroom for our test and wrap up. I didn’t have any problems with the test and passed with flying colors.
To actually be certified as an instructor, I need to teach 6 classes in the next 6 months. The JCC offers and Arthritis Foundation water exercise class three times a week. Even with our great staff of instructors, we always seem to be in the need for subs. I’m hoping to teach on a semi regular basis at some point. The 6 classes shouldn’t be a problem for me to achieve.
Now, I’m considering getting the MS certification along with the regular water aerobics certification. There is so much to learn and so little time. Maybe I’ll write a bucket list soon.