Jamaica sports a wide range of aquacise activities, especially in our resorts.

Aquacise classes are popular because they can be enjoyed by all age groups and provide a fun way to participate in something that is beneficial to one’s health.

Mornings are the preferred times for these events and even for those who do not participate, it provides good spectator sports.

Typically, the aquacise activities are conducted by certified fitness instructors who are qualified not only to teach aerobics style activities but also can provide personal coaching on physical fitness and personal weight management.

Creativity is a big component of the aquacise activities and they may be themed to match music or physical fitness emphasis.

For example, ‘reggae-robics’ was developed in Jamaica highlighting Jamaican music to accompany the routine.

Soca-cise is another form used and logically, the island soca and steelband sounds are the soundtrack to such classes.

Some aquacise classes are also designed for specific age groups; there are senior citizens classes which are more therapeutic in nature and there are also ‘fit teens’ programmes where techno music and hip hop rhythms are utilised.

No swimming ability is required for these activities as they usually take place at the shallow end of the pool. To add diversity and range to these events props such as ‘noodles’ and ‘floatable weights’ are sometimes added.

It would appear that aquacise is addictive in a positive way as oftentimes the same persons will be seen attending these sessions. Veteran instructor, Garfield Patterson, says: “It is the best feeling when someone says that the classes have made them feel physically and mentally better.” He advises that the instructor has to be patient and energetic.

“There are times when someone is feeling self-conscious and shy to participate and you have to know how to win that person’s confidence,” Patterson says.

For many vacationers, the now well established aquacise sessions are an important part of their vacation expectation. In fact some admit that it is the only time they get to do organised recreational activities.