Lowered

Jesus uttered His last words and yielded up His spirit. By suffering on the cross, Jesus had paid the penalty we owe to God for our wrongdoings. With His body still on the cross and the Sabbath about to begin, two men performed a last act of service for Jesus before His resurrection. Joseph of Arimathea was a well-to-do, righteous man, a high-standing member of the Jewish Council, and a secret disciple of Jesus. Nicodemus was a Pharisee who had sought Jesus out at night to talk to Him.

Joseph boldly obtained permission from Pilate to remove Jesus’ body form the cross and had purchased a linen cloth in which to wrap it. (Matthew 15:43-46) Nicodemus had gone out and bought a generous supply – over a hundred pounds (an amount typically used for a royal burial) – of myrrh and aloes. (John 19:39) Together they wrapped Jesus’ body with strips intermixed with the spices (the Jewish custom). These acts were done out of love for Jesus and the desire to honor and worship Him.

What would it have been like to listen to their conversation as they worked in the garden in the approaching darkness? (Or did they work in hasty silence for fear of the Jewish authorities?) As we often do when someone dies, did they share memories of Jesus, their reactions to His teaching and His miracles, and the events of Jesus’ last days? (I can just hear Nicodemus saying, “He told me things I had never heard before…”).

As Joseph and Nicodemus laid Jesus in Joseph’s new tomb, did they suspect that Jesus would not lay there very long? Did they believe that Jesus was who He said He was: God’s own Son? Did they fathom what Jesus had done for them: accomplished redemption for their sins? (And yours and mine!) Let us think on Jesus’ act of love for us as Good Friday and Easter draw near.

Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him (Jesus) down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock… Mark 15:46


When Joseph of Arimathea lowered Jesus’ body down from the cross, I imagine that he did it slowly and carefully. This is just how you should lower anything - be it a hand-held weight, a package, or your body – to get the most benefit to strengthen your muscles. Let me explain.

Let’s say you are holding a weight and want to do a bicep curl (bending and straightening your arms). As you bring the weight upward, you use the biceps muscles on the upper front of your arm. Those muscles have to work to overcome the downward pull of gravity. Lowering the weight is easier because gravity is pulling it downward. But, if you lower the dumbbell (or whatever weight you are using) slowly, you are also doing work to resist that pull of gravity. The muscle at work here is the triceps on the back of the upper arm. (In my classes I refer to them as the “troublesome triceps.”)

So in one exercise you can strengthen two muscles – the biceps and the triceps. That’s because our muscles act in pairs: one lifts and the other lowers. The same idea applies to other exercises, such as leg lifts, hamstring curls, knee extensions, push-ups, and squats. You can click on those exercises to see how they are done.

One way to pace yourself would be to count to three as you lift (or push yourself up for a push-up), pause and hold for two counts, and then count to six as you lower. Remember to breathe the entire time! Maintain correct alignment and engage the muscles of your core. Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any kind of exercise program to make sure these are safe for you.

With time at a premium, why not do two things at once? Lower slowly and carefully to double the benefit of your exercise time investment. The result will be length and strength!

Photo credits: Creative Commons.org

"I shall not be Moved"

I keep the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be moved. Psalm 16:8

“I shall not be moved.” With a smile and a wish that my life would not have to be disrupted, I have claimed this verse the last couple of times we have had to move. But, or course, it does not refer to being “moved” as a change of address. Not being moved (or “shaken” in some translations) means the sure footing we have when we stay close to God. With God front and center in life, you have a reliable stability. David (who wrote Psalm 16) described God as his refuge (verse 1), supplier of all things for life (v. 5), and giver of sound counsel (v. 7). He would worship God alone and not sacrifice to any other gods in his life (v. 2, 4). David said that he had “set the Lord continually before me” and this gives joy. (v. 8-9)

Because God gave His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross,

we have continuous access to God (Hebrews 9:14, 24), giving us new life, joy, and peace. We can enter God’s presence. When circumstances are in upheaval (such as when you have to pull up stakes and move), you have God’s presence (Psalm 46:1-2) and God’s peace (John 16:33).

Right now my husband and I are in the process of moving to another state (my seventh move). My world is “shaken,” but I am thankful for God’s presence and promises in his Word, the Bible. So I am sharing with you some of my favorite verses that have helped me through periods when life was “shaken up” a bit.

Be strong and of good courage; Be not afraid neither be dismayed; for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed. Deuteronomy 31:8

For I know the plans I have for you , declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will act. Psalm 37:5

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; thy steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Psalm 138:8

During the moving and re-settling process, I will be making fewer posts in Length and Strength from the Inside Out. However, I would encourage you to stay in God’s Word daily and to practice the exercises you have learned. How about working on balance? (Click here for exercises on improving your balance and preventing falls.) Also along the lines of not being “shaken” would be strengthening your core. While the weather is still warm, try exercising in the water.

(Try deep water, shallow, or some water walking). The archives are posted on the right side of each post. All of the exercises will help you improve your Length and Strength!

Photo credits: Håkan Dahlström
photos, public-domain-image.com, scriptoriumblogorium.blogspot.com from CreativeCommons, L.E.Lang collection

On the Move

By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8

“What? We’re moving? And you don’t even know where we’re going? But everything we know is here and our children were born here! And you expect me to leave my family and friends?” That’s how I would have responded if I were Sarai (Abraham’s wife) upon hearing the news that we were to move to an unknown land. (Or, given the culture of that time, perhaps all that could be done would be to confide to the other women in the family.) God called Abraham to leave Mesopotamia and his extended family and go to a new land which He would show him. God promised to make Abraham a “great nation,” to make his name great, and bless him. Through Abraham, God would bless all the families of the earth. (Genesis 12:1-7, Acts 7:2-3)

I am uncomfortable driving, walking or bicycling without a map to see my destination and the route to get there. So I have tremendous admiration and respect for Abraham when he obeyed God’s command to leave not only the familiar territory on which his livelihood was built, but as well the security of his family (Genesis 12:1 says “Go forth from your relatives.”), and go to a place “not knowing where he was going.” (Hebrews 11:8) To go sight-unseen, without a roadmap, that is faith! (“Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the substance of things unseen,” says Hebrews 11:1.) Abraham and Sarai (later renamed Sarah) had faith in God and believed what God promised. Abraham was confident that God would look after him and he trusted that the life God had for him in the new land was better than his successful and secure life in Mesopotamia. God had a purpose in leading him to the new territory!

Some of us may feel content and safe where we are now, even if we are living in a less than ideal situation or are following unhealthy habits. But God’s plan is better. Actually, it is best! God’s plan from the beginning was to redeem you and me to Himself by the death of His Son, Jesus, on the cross, and make us His children by faith. “..God sent forth His Son …so that He might redeem those who are under the Law, that we might receive adoption as sons. Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:4-6) (Although the scripture says “sons” this includes both men and women who believe. Galatians 3:28) This is the entrance to new, eternal life. We don’t know what lies ahead, but we are not alone. Believers in Jesus have the Holy Spirit as helper and guide. (John 14:26, 16:13) Trust God as you follow Him in faith, whether you are staying home, travelling, or moving to a new land!

With summer, comes travel. Getting in some exercise while travelling may be a challenge, but with determination, creativity, and some planning

it is certainly do-able. After sitting in a car, plane, train or bus, or in meetings all day, you are probably looking forward to moving around and working off some stress and stiffness. Exercise will feel good, so you can look forward to it.

If you are driving, your shoulders and upper back are most likely tight from being hunched up with your head jutted forward for several hours. So you will want to stretch these areas by doing some shoulder rolls, pulling your head back and holding , and stretching across the front of your chest and shoulders. There are many exercises you can do while sitting in the car or plane. Click here for a ideas. During your gas station/restroom breaks, when you can also do some squats,

lunges and, if it is safe to do so, take a brisk walk. We have stopped at some beautiful rest stops along the interstate highways which are perfect for a ten to 15 minute rejuvenating walk.

Air travel has opportunities for exercise. During layovers between flights, take a walk. With those long concourses at the hub airports, you can walk for 30 to 60 minutes without leaving the security area.

Comfortable shoes are a must, even though it takes a little extra effort to remove and retie them when you go through security. (Remember, you only have to go through security once!) Make sure your purse/carry-on is comfortable (I usually wear a small backpack.) and even if you are pulling a suitcase with wheels, you can take a rejuvenating walk!

Staying in a hotel? Many hotels have a fitness room and/or indoor pool and I always check ahead to see what is available and select the hotel accordingly. In recent years, I have seen a huge improvement in hotel fitness rooms, with many now equipped with free weights, mats, foam rollers for ab work, and Swiss balls.

When you arrive, be sure to check the fitness center and pool hours.Remember to pack comfortable workout clothes, shoes and socks and/or your swim suit! You may click on the links for ideas on working out in shallow water and deep water.

For some cardio and leg work in your hotel, try some stair climbing/walking combinations: Start at ground level and go up one flight of stairs, walk briskly down the hallway and back to the stairwell,

and down the stairs to ground level. Then climb two flights of stairs and walk down that hall and back. Keep going with as many floors as you want. You can do any combination of climbing and walking (try also taking two steps at a time) to keep it interesting. In good weather, walk the perimeter of the hotel grounds

and nearby parking lots if it is safe (Ask the front desk staff for recommendations on where it is safe to walk or the location of the nearest mall.) If you are a YMCA member, look up the closest Y before you leave and bring your ID card. YMCA’s vary in their guest policies, but you may have the chance to use equipment you are familiar with or even attend an entirely new class.

In your hotel room you can perform the strengthening exercises such as squats, lunges, and wall push-ups.

As always, check with your physician before starting any exercise program or if you are uncertain about whether a particular exercise is appropriate for you.

Including exercise in your itinerary will help you function better during the day and sleep better at night. The extra activity will burn off extra calories consumed while dining at special parties and dinners. Strength training will keep you toned and the stretching will ease stress and stiffness. Your trip will be more enjoyable. Bon Voyage and Bon Exercise!

Photo credits: frank.itlab.us, Detroit Airport, Sheraton Hotel PhiladelphiaMarritott Courtyard Georgia Tech, thatsfit.com, inchargefitnesscenter.com all from Creative Commons, L.E. Lang Collection

Taking Exercise on the Road (While sitting.)

Even in the confinement of a car, train, bus or plane, it is possible to get some exercise! First, a few points to keep in mind on your form: Sit tall in your seat

with your ears over shoulders over hips, feet on the floor and your abdominal muscles pulled in. Keep your navel pulled inward toward your spine and breathe throughout your activity.

Let’s start with some active exercise. This will aid circulation and help you stay alert. Seated as above, begin marching: lift one knee, hold for a moment, and return your foot to the floor. Repeat with the other leg. You can lift your knee as high as you want. (Even lifting your foot one inch off the floor will work some of your large muscles.) Keep your abdominals pulled inward to exercise that area at the same time. Do 20 or more marches or as many as you like. I will do these while I am driving using cruise control (as long as traffic conditions allow it).

Try quick little runs (lifting your feet rapidly only an inch off the floor) and then go back to marches. Try marching in a pattern of feet together, then land with feet apart (“in, in, out, out”). Use your imagination with your foot patterns and play some lively music for motivation!

Still seated, if there is room, kick your leg to the front, alternating right and left legs. (This is a knee extension.) If you don’t want to kick, a not-so-obvious exercise is to tighten your thighs (one at a time or both at once), hold for ten counts, and release. You can also tighten your gluts (buttocks), hold for ten, and release. This works the larger muscles of your legs and hips. Another leg exercise is to squeeze a pillow or rolled-up sweatshirt between your knees to work your inner thighs.

Your lower legs can get a workout too. Tap your toes on the floor, then your heels (again one foot at a time or both at once). Turn your ankles in, then out. Then do some foot circles. Some of these exercises are shown in the magazines in airline seat pockets.

Another option that also works the abdominals is to pull your navel inward toward your spine and hold while holding one foot an inch off the floor. Count to 10 and repeat with the other foot. Repeat twice. One of the best exercises is simply to pull in the abdominals. (Click here to read about that one.)

For the upper body, press your back into the back of the seat. (Back extension) Hold and release. Then pull your head back, hold, and release. Finally, squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other, hold and release. All these strengthen the muscles in your upper back.

Include some exercise breaks during your travel. This will contribute to your Length and Strength!

Photo credits: bbc.co.uk, Collector Car Ads, both from CreativeCommons

The Power of Water

“The gates of the river are opened and the palace is dissolved.” That’s how the prophet Nahum described the forceful wave of water (Nahum 2:6) released from an upstream dam by invading armies that attacked Nineveh. Nahum prophesied that the destruction would be so complete that no one would now where the city was. (Nahum 3:17) In fact, archeologists did not locate the remains of the ancient metropolis (near the present day city of Mosul in Iraq) until 1845.

Nineveh had a vicious army of fighters who were ruthless toward their captives. As capital of the Assyrian Empire, Nineveh was populous, cosmopolitan, and wealthy. Idolatry was commonplace and every sort of carnal pleasure was available. You may recall that Jonah warned the residents of their imminent doom because of their wickedness (Jonah 3:1-4), but their repentance was short-lived. Ultimately, God allowed the Medes, Scythians and Babylonians to destroy Nineveh in 612 BC.

One must never underestimate the power of water. I find it helpful to imagine myself standing knee-deep in a swiftly-flowing stream. Facing downstream, in my mind’s eye, I watch the current flow past my legs and carry away worries, fears, and guilt from sins for which I have been forgiven. The water cannot flow back upstream and “get” me, so I am safe from anxiety and guilt.

Just as the palace at Nineveh has been washed away, so have our sins been removed completely. They have been washed away by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ when He died on the cross and rose again. Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) The Lord is merciful and gracious and when we confess our sins to Him, He forgives them and cleanses us of all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) Jeremiah 31:34 says “for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Now that brings peace of mind and soul!

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Titus 3:5-6

If you prefer to stay cool during your workout and want to avoid any impact on your joints, then deep water exercise may be for you. Exercising in the deep water (a depth greater than shoulder height) using a flotation belt or noodle, is a great way to get a vigorous cardiovascular workout while strengthening your core. You will use muscles in your legs, hips, core, and arms, but the emphasis is on getting your heart rate up.

It is recommended that you have someone else present when you are in a pool. (preferably a life guard!) Swimming skills are not required, but please do not enter a depth where you do not feel safe! (I have seen more than one person fall off of a noodle and go under.) Also, get your physician’s approval before beginning any exercise program.

That said, before you enter the water, adjust your flotation belt so it fits snugly around your waist. (Otherwise it will creep upwards, making it uncomfortable and difficult to breathe.) If you are using a noodle, push one end between your legs and go hand-over-hand until half the noodle is in front, half in back. Now you may balance and ride the noodle.

First is the warm up. As you move out to the deep water, do some easy jogs and scull with your hands: make small, sideways figure eights (as though you were using your hands to spread frosting on a cake). Once you are in the deep area, check your alignment – ears over shoulders over hips. Think “upright” – not tilting forward or backward. This is very important , as you are using the muscles in your core to help you stay vertical. Pull your navel inward toward your spine and breathe.

After two or three minutes of jogging, continue the warm up with bicycling and do breast strokes with your arms. Keep your thumbs pointing up while doing this. (Awkward, I know, but it strengthens the external rotator muscles in your shoulders.) After another two or three minutes, begin to march and pump your arms.

(Opposite arm comes up with your knee.) Remember to stay upright. The idea is to gradually increase your heart rate and warm up your muscles. All together, your warm up time should be five to ten minutes.

Now you’re ready for some cardio work. Put your marching into high gear. Keeping your navel pulled inward and your body upright, lift your knees a little higher as you march and pump your arms. You may also add force as you pump, trying to punch your fists up to the surface. March fast for 30 seconds and then march at a medium pace for 30 to 60 seconds (your “recovery” time). Repeat for two more intervals of 30- second fast and 30 to 60-second medium-paced marches.

On the next set, try to march fast for 60 seconds. (If you cannot sustain this all-out pace for that long, that’s OK. You can build up to 60 seconds.) Then bicycle for one or two minutes and do breast strokes with your arms (just as you did during the warm up). When opening up your arms on the breast stroke, squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other to strengthen your back. Repeat again for two more intervals of 60-second fast marches with one-two minutes of bicycling/breast stroke arms.

Then do two more sets of 30 second fast marches with 60 seconds of bicycling/breast stroke arms. Continue the last set of bicycling for about five minutes as you let your heart rate return to normal. This is your cool down. You may stretch your arms out at the surface to get a nice front stretch as you bicycle. Bicycle to the shallow end or to the ladder.

This routine takes you through eight intervals of fast paced/increased heart rate and medium-paced “recovery” periods. (See the summary list at the end of the post.)The total time, not including the warm up and cool down, is eleven to 16 minutes.

Here’s a fun abdominal exercise you can do on the noodle: Bring the noodle around behind you and push it down behind your hips. Sit down on the noodle and balance. (The noodle will be in a U shape and your feet will be off the bottom.)

If you wish, pump your legs and swing, tilting slightly forward and back, just as though you were on a real swing. (Just don’t tilt too far!) This is one of those exercises you can do while socializing in the pool and no one will suspect you are strengthening your abs!

Because working out in the deep water involves so much core work, this will contribute to your Length and Strength. You may just find that you’ll want to exercise in the water year round!

Below is a summary of this week’s work out. To see last week’s post using a noodle to work out in the water, click here and for a previous post with water exercise ideas, click here. I also have a prior post on how to select a suit to wear during water exercise.

Warm Up (5 – 10 minutes)

Easy jogging with sculling hands
Bicycle legs with breaststroke arms
March with pumping arms.

Cardio Intervals

March with pumping arms - fast 30 seconds, medium pace 30 – 60 seconds
Repeat two times.
March/pump arms - fast 60 sec, Bicycle/Breaststroke arms medium pace 1-2 min
Repeat two times.
March/pump arms – fast 30 seconds, Bicycle/Breaststroke arms medium pace 1 min
March/pump arms – fast 30 seconds.

Cool Down (5 – 10 minutes)

Bicycle/Breaststroke arms comfortable pace. During last minute, stretch arms.



Photo credits: River Dicle from Hasankeyf to Senol Demir

River Dicle from Hasankeyf (Senol Demir) / CC BY 2.0

The Pool

The story of Jesus using clay to bring sight to a man born blind (John 9) certainly aroused many questions from various parties. First, the disciples raised a spiritual question: “Whose sin caused this man to be born blind – his parents or his own?” Jesus made it clear that it was neither, but so that the “works of God might be displayed.” (John 9:3) Jesus did not act on His own. “We must work the works of Him who sent me,” Jesus said in verse 4. These works brought glory to God.

Jesus made clay using his own spittle and some earth at his feet, smoothed it over the blind man’s eyes, and told him to go wash in the pool of Siloam. The pool of Siloam was fed by a spring located outside the city walls. Water flowed from the spring though an approximately 2000 foot long tunnel (two feet wide and, in places, tall enough for someone to stand in) cut through solid rock. This impressive water supply project was built during the reign of King Hezekiah (715-686 BC) and is still in use today!

I wonder who it was who helped the blind man find his way to the pool? Was it his parents? Curious onlookers who wanted to see if this healing would really work? The blind man obeyed, and after washing in the pool, came back with sight. (Interesting that the man returned to the temple instead of going out and touring his home town for the first time. Did he want to find Jesus?)

The neighbors were baffled. While some did believe that indeed this was the same man who was a blind beggar, others insisted that it was not even the same person! “How did you get your sight?” and “where is Jesus now?” they wanted to know. (v.8-9) If you believe in Jesus, aren’t these the type of questions someone may ask you? Has the Holy Spirit worked in you such radical transformation that people have trouble believing you are the same individual they knew before? And if someone were to ask you “where is Jesus now,” could you provide an answer? (See Colossians 3:1 for help.)

Isn’t it unfortunate that instead of rejoicing with this man over the gift of his sight, the neighbors brought him to the Pharisees? (This shows what a tight hold the Pharisees had over the temple members on their vendetta against Jesus.) This opened the most important question of all: “Who is Jesus? Is He from God or is He a sinner?” The Pharisees themselves were divided and they looked to the blind man and his parents for verification. (v. 16-18,24) “As for this man (Jesus), we do not know where He is from,” they concluded in verse 29, and they excommunicated the man from the temple. The Pharisees were the ones who were blind! (v. 39-41)

Jesus wanted to make sure that the formerly blind man would not only see Him, but also know His identity with certainty. So He sought him out and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of Man (as Jesus referred to Himself)?” The man’s response: “Lord, I believe.” Then the man worshiped Jesus. (v. 35-38) Jesus deserves our worship and praise. He is God’s Son (John 3:16), the anointed one, sent from God (John 9:35-37). Jesus restores sight to the blind, was the perfect sacrifice for sins (Romans 8:3), and is the source of life (John 5:24).

We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world. John 9:4-5


Did someone say pool? With the temperatures rising, it’s the perfect time to exercise in the water! Water exercise gives you a great low-impact cardiovascular workout while strengthening muscles (including the core) and improving coordination and balance. The water keeps you cool and gives you a nice massage while you work out! This week features exercises that can be done with a readily available and affordable piece of equipment: a water “noodle”.

The first thing to do is to find a comfortable water depth: between waist and arm pit level is best for what we are going to do this week. (The deeper you are, the lower the impact on your knees.) Warm up for at least five minutes (without the noodle): Jog or walk in place while making sideways “figure eights” with your hands. Then move around – jogging forward and back, then side to side. The purpose of the warm up is to gradually increase your heart rate and circulation while thermally warming your muscles and joints. Be sure to breathe. (Keeping your chest lifted will make it easier to breathe.) Check your alignment: ears over shoulders over hips.

Once you are warmed up, let’s practice the “Rocking Horse.” Step forward onto your right foot while your left foot comes off the bottom in back. Lift both arms forward as you step. (Keep your right foot in front.) Now, rock back, transferring your weight to your left foot (which is still in back) and pull your arms backward. (You will feel as though you are on an old fashioned rocking horse!) Repeat this action a few more times to become comfortable with it. Keep breathing! Then switch legs and do the Rocking Horse with the left leg in front.

Now take your noodle and hold it in front of you with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. You will do the Rocking Horse just as above, but push and pull the noodle.

This will definitely feel harder using the noodle! Keeping the noodle under the water increases the difficulty. (You may also increase the challenge by lifting your legs higher with each rock.) Start with your right leg forward and then repeat with the left leg forward.

The next level is to travel forward and backward through the water while doing the Rocking Horse. This increases the difficulty because you have to push your whole body against the water as you travel. With the right leg in front, move forward through the water, pushing and pulling the noodle and doing the Rocking Horse. Then keep the right leg in front as you “Rocking Horse” backward. Repeat two times. (But gradually you may increase to traveling forward and back several times.) Then switch to the left leg in front and travel forward and back. (When switching legs you may want to release your grip on the noodle to give your hands a rest.)

The last variation is to Rocking Horse forward and then hold the noodle down in front of your hips as you jog back while pulling your abdominal muscles inward.

(See the photo at left.) They key is to pull your navel toward your spine as you jog backwards. Think of this one as an abdominal exercise because that is exactly what it is! Then switch and put your other leg forward. Do it three times with each leg leading, but you may build up to several times.

Be sure to keep your shoulders down (away from your ears) throughout this workout. Remember that if you have any pain, stop! If you are unsure whether an exercise is appropriate for you, ask your physician.

The Rocking Horse exercise works several major muscle groups and will get your heart pumping. Take a few minutes at the end of your work out to cool down: jog or walk across the pool and stretch your arms out at your sides. Exit the pool slowly and then drink some water. You have just given yourself a workout that promotes Length and Strength!

Next time we will learn some exercises for the deep water. You may also review a previous post describing exercise routines in shallow water by clicking here. For some guidelines on selecting a suit for water exercise, click here.


Photo credits: beibl.net,CreativeCommons, L.E. Lang collection

Choosing a Suit for Water Exercise

Summer has arrived, and with it, the opportunity to exercise outdoors in a lake or pool. Here are some tips for selecting a suit that will deliver when you want to do more than just sunbathe. Your swim suit needs to be durable, supportive, and provide adequate coverage during activity. Prepare now by getting a suit that is “suited” for this purpose!

The swim suit to wear while exercising in the water should have different features than what I call a “social” swim suit – one you would wear to a pool party or while relaxing at the beach. Here are a few tips, based on my 25 years of teaching water exercise and seeing many designs of suits worn by class participants.

First of all, forget about a two-piece (unless it is a tankini). A one-piece will be much more comfortable and you can count on it to stay with you at all times.

The idea is for your suit to be part of you as you jump, kick, ski, and change directions in the water. This means a higher-cut bodice that lies close to your sternum. Choose a suit with enough bust support for your build. (There are designs that accommodate a mastectomy.) And no skinny straps! The straps need to be wider (at least an inch wide) to hold your suit up. Look for a conservative leg cut, since there will be a lot of leg action!

Fabric is an important consideration and it is well worth the investment to get a suit that is chlorine resistant. (Chlorine-resistant suits are significantly higher in price.) Some companies, such as H2OWear, have a one-year guarantee. (But check the restrictions on this, as the guarantee is void if you wear the suit in a hot tub.) I have had chlorine-resistant suits last for years. A lined suit will also last longer.
The investment in a durable suit may be beyond your reach at this time. Wearing a leotard and a tee shirt may be an option. Check your pool rules, since some have restrictions on what can be worn in the water.

Be sure to rinse the suit very thoroughly afterward and you might want to add a few drops of chlorine-remover (available at aquarium shops) to the last rinse. Also, if possible, lay your suit flat to dry. I use a mesh sweater dryer for this.

This may sound like a description of a boring swim suit. But there are many designs that meet these qualifications in a wide array of fabric, prints and colors. Express your style in the color or print of your fabric. Or, wear some lively earrings or sunglasses, a colorful hat or headband, or carry a unique beach bag. I have seen some very put-together and eye-catching accessories!

More people are wearing waterproof shoes to protect their feet from rough pool bottoms or sharp rocks, shells, or litter at the shore. Shoes are particularly recommended for participants with diabetes. Footwear with secure lacing or other closure will stay on your feet better. These may be ordered from H2OWear, or Land’s End. Water shoes tend to be slippery at first, but you can rough up the soles with sand paper. Some people wear ordinary athletic shoes while exercising in the water.

Purchasing a swim suit and some foot wear may be your first step in preparing for water exercise. If you will be outdoors, remember to wear a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. And be sure to bring a water bottle and set it by the side of the pool so you can drink before, during, and immediately after your workout! See this week’s post featuring ways you can work out in the water!

Photo credits: localfitness.com.au