BEDA (Day 8) - Whirlpool

I guess I've taken to doing my BEDA posts in the middle of the night when I'm awake for being a dairy cow -- oh, I mean pumping. Lol!  Seriously, now I understand how those Alpenrose cows feel.  Man, it's hard work!  Anyway.

Last night I taught my Aqua Fit class at LA Fitness.  Apparently I'm good at teaching Aqua Fit - who knew??  I had 30 people in class!  For anyone who has done Aqua Fit at LA Fitness, you know how small the pool is.  30 people is a lot!

Typically, I have the class go back and forth, the long way, in the pool for a warm up, but with 30 people that would've been a little challenging.  (Later in class I did have them going that way, because I wasn't going to do the whole 50 minutes with them standing in one place!  I just told them to be careful and stagger themselves and it actually worked out fine.)  So I had to come up with something else to do to warm them up.

With no time left before the start of class, I was running out of stalling techniques!  

"Good evening!" I called out, marching in place on the pool deck.  "Welcome to Aqua Fit! My name is Kate."

What the heck am I going to use to warm them up? I was thinking. I checked my watch.  6:00.

Then I remembered something I'd heard about from another instructor one time but had never tried: the whirlpool.

"Everybody to the edges of the pool!  All 4 sides!"

Everyone went to the edges and looked up at me expectantly.   I am going to take this opportunity to mention that I HATE the fact that they look at me from below!  Obviously, it can't be helped, but I just know I have double chins when you look at me from that angle!  But I digress.

"Move counter-clockwise around the pool, at a walk!"  I waved my arms in the air, shooing people in the direction I wanted them to go.  They all started walking around the perimeter of the pool, counter-clockwise.  After about 30 seconds I told them to pick up the pace to a jog.

After about a minute and a half of them jogging counter-clockwise, I could see the water whirling around.  It was like the pool was a huge cauldron and it was being stirred by all these people running around the edge.

"In TEN!  NINE!  EIGHT!...." I counted down.  "TURN AROUND!! OTHER WAY!  RUN RUN RUN!"

The people instantly turned around...... and were nearly swept away by the rushing water!  Everyone was laughing and shouting, trying to run against the current.  It was so funny!  I was cracking up on the deck.  I had never seen the whirlpool done before, only heard about it, and the result was hilarious.  A bunch of personal trainers were at their desks on the other side of the windows and they were amused too.

After another minute or two of jogging in the opposite direction, I turned them around again!  This time, some people hung onto the walls to keep from floating backwards.  Others just flailed and fought in the current.  Everyone was smiling and laughing, and I got good feedback after class about it.  

I do actually love teaching Aqua Fit.  Didn't see that coming, but I do!  :)