What Is the Primary Goal of a Water Aerobics Instructor?

Water aerobics instructors are in a unique position to guide classes through a fun workout while also teaching valuable movement skills that can improve strength, flexibility and aerobic capacity. Along with a knowledge of exercise physiology and anatomy, water aerobics instructors should understand and apply specific principles of water, including buoyancy, resistance, drag, specificity of movement, hydrostatic pressure, viscosity and specific heat. However, the instructor's primary goal is to provide a safe, effective and positive workout experience for every participant.

  1. What is Water Aerobics

    • Water is truly an all-encompassing exercise environment. Buoyancy takes the strain of gravity off your body, allowing you to float and move in ways not possible on land. Water provides multidimensional resistance, so you can work all of your muscles and improve circulation, and it stimulates your nervous system as it flows past your skin. Water aerobics classes provide a full-body workout with the guidance of a trained professional. Many instructors follow a standard class format that includes a warm-up, at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, and 10 to 15 minutes of strength training followed by a cool-down that includes range-of-motion exercises.

    Water Instructor Certification

    • Every water aerobics instructor should be trained in water safety and taught how to teach water classes correctly and effectively. Many land instructors make the transition to teaching water classes at some point in their career. Unfortunately, they often assume that the movements they teach on land are transferable to water classes. This is not true. There are some important physical properties of water that must be applied to every movement. If not, participants won't achieve full benefits and may get injured. Furthermore, water exercise carries specific risks. Many certifying bodies, including the Aquatic Exercise Association, The U.S. Water Fitness Association, American Fitness Professionals and Associates, and the YMCA offer certifications for water aerobics instructors.

    Class Goals

    • Water aerobics instructors should set long-term universal goals for their classes and have a clear course description. What can students expect to accomplish by taking the class? It is the instructor's responsibility to make sure she is satisfying the participants' wants and needs, which may vary from day to day depending on who is in attendance. Typically, one to three universal goals per class are sufficient. More than that and the class will be less effective. Most instructors will focus on two or three of the following universal goals: to increase aerobic capacity, increase muscle strength, improve muscular endurance, improve flexibility and range of motion or increase functional strength. Some water aerobics instructors will create specialty classes that serve more specific goals such as improving sports performance, managing pain, rehabilitating injuries, managing chronic illnesses or managing stress.

    Teaching Water Aerobics Classes

    • While water aerobics instructors can perform the exercises along with their students, teaching from the water limits instructor effectiveness. Class participants will be able to follow and hear the instructor better if she teaches from the pool deck, using a microphone. Shallow water aerobics is done with participants standing chest deep in the water, so they are able to push off the pool floor during the exercises. Instructors can mimic the movements while standing and moving about the deck. In deep water aerobics, participants float in the water with the assistance of a buoyancy device. For this type of class, the instructor can use exaggerated movements and sit or lie on a bench to demonstrate specific floating movements. Because a class involves a large number of people, the instructor should be able to modify each exercise she teaches for a variety of needs and fitness levels.