Patrons belly up to the pool for abdominal conditioning.

Why offer abdominal classes? It seems that everywhere they're offered, they're popular. Abdominal classes bring in new clients and create new customers for you. They also benefit people with back problems and can draw an entirely new client base. Considering that more than 80 percent of our population will at some time have back problems, why not offer that huge group a good reason to come to the pool?

There are two different ways of meeting the needs of these newly established clients. You can offer separate classes (Absolutely Abdominals, Solid Abs, Abba Dabba Abs, etc.) that usually last only 30 minutes. These are a big draw during traditionally busy times of early morning, noon, and evening. They can be offered in shallow or deep water and do not require music, so other "with-music" classes can go on at the same time.

Rather than offer a separate class, you can add on a 10- to 15-minute abdominal section at the end of a traditional workout or team practice. Abdominal drills can also be included in workouts or practices.

Abdominal exercises can be taught without equipment, but your clients will find it more effective if some equipment is used. Buoyant handbars from Hygenic, Sprint Rothhammer, or HydroFit can be used in the hands, under the arms, or under the ankles. HydroFit ankle cuffs help to position people who are very lean or muscular. Hygenic's Aqua Trainer uses trunk stabilization (abdominals) throughout the workout.

Woggles (noodles, eels, logs) may also function well with a variety of abdominal work.

If you would like to have an employee teach other employees (or teach a clinic for the public) about abdominal conditioning, there is a training package called "All About Aqua Abdominals," which is marketed by Fitness Graphics. The package includes an outline, 20 color transparencies, eight reproducible participant handouts, a quiz, and a sample pool application of the abdominal information.

Here are five basic abdominal exercises to get your program started:

Standing Crunches

Stand with feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly flexed. Hold a buoyant handbar against the chest in front of the sternum.

1. Use the lower abs to go into a pelvic tilt and flatten the low back.

2. Use the upper abs to press the sternum toward the front of the hip joints. Do not let the hip joint bend.

3. Relax the upper abs and lift the ribs.

4. Relax the lower abs and lower back. Repeat.

Walkus Rectus 

Begin by standing in place with a handbar in each hand. Hands are floating out to the sides. Do a pelvic tilt while simultaneously pressing both handbars down and in to touch the navel; this is a crunch. (Adjust height of "press down" for maximum effort.) Hold for two counts (1, 2) and relax for two counts (3, 4). Next, begin walking slowly while counting each step up to 4 and repeating. On counts 1 and 2, walk but contract (crunch) and hold the contraction, on steps 3 and 4 relax. Repeat often using a slow stride.

Hanging Obliques

Hang with elbows and arms in gutter, on a woggle, or with handbars under arms. Work from a sitting position with hips straight down from shoulders. Hips and knees are bent, and knees are level with hips and are pointing straight forward.

1. Press your knees to the right while keeping knees together.

2. Press knees forward (not up) to round the small of your back.

3. Straighten back again so knees come back.

4. Move knees back to center (starting position).

5. Repeat left.

Super Supine Set

1. Begin in a reclining position with knees at the water surface and feet floating or hanging down. Knees do not move in this exercise. Crunch by pressing your sternum toward your hip joints, pressing the small of your back down toward the pool bottom, and pushing your hip joints (or pelvis) up. Relax and repeat.

2. Do exactly the same thing (crunch) with the soles of your feet together and knees out.

Bibliography

American College of Sports Medicine. Guidelines for Graded Exercise Testing and Exercise Prescription. ACSM, 1982 and Philadelphia: Lea and Febiger, 1986.

Cirullo, Judy. "Part I: Attaining and Maintaining a Healthy Back Through Wise Water Work," The AKWA Letter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (May, 1989), p. 1.

Cirullo, Judy. "Part Il: Attaining and Maintaining a Healthy Back Through Wise Water Work," The AKWA Letter, Vol. 3, No. 2 (July, 1989), pp. 5-6.

Gaines, MaryBeth Pappas. "Aqua Abdominal Techniques Produce Firm Results," AKWA letter, November, 1990.

Huttner, Barbara. "Aquatic Exercise Equipment: Flugels," The AKWA Letter, Vol. 2, No. 4 (November, 1988), p. 3.

Kendall, F.P., PT. Muscles Testing & Function.

Mitchell, Terri. "The Use of Props in Water Exercise for Muscle Conditioning," The AKWA Letter, Vol. 3, No. 1 (May 1989), p. 6.

Moschetti, Marilou. Aquaphysics Made Simple, 1990, AquaTechnics, California.

Newkirk, Jeanne. "All About Aqua Abdominals", 1996, Fitness Graphics, Wyoming.

Sova, Ruth. "Body Alignment: How to Maintain It," The AKWA Letter, Vol. 3, No. 2 (July, 1989), p. 10.

Sternlicht, Eric, Ph.D., "Battle of the Bulge," Shape Magazine, April, 1991.

RELATED ARTICLE: Who to Contact

For Buoyant Equipment contact: Hygenic, HydroFit, Rothhammer International

For Aquatic Abdominal information contact: AEA; Ruth Sova, Fitness Graphics

Hygenic--Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]

HydroFit--Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]

Rothbammer International--Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]

Fitness Graphics--Phone: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]

AEA Videos--Advanced Abs & Flex and Cardio Abs. Phone: 888-AEA-WAVE; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]

Ruth Sova--BackHab - the Water Way To Mobility and Pain Free Living. Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]; E-mail: [e-mail]

AquaSource--Phone: [phone]; Fax: [phone]

RELATED ARTICLE: Hints for Safety and Abdominal Involvement

A. Use the abdominals, not the hip flexors 

Contact from the top, bottom, or both. Try to eliminate moving the hip joint. Use the rectus abdominous.

B. One spinal function at a time

The spine was made to flex, extend, move laterally, and rotate--but not all at once. If you add other moves to spinal flexion, remember that you could be using the rectus abdominous less and other muscles more or compromising the integrity of the lower back.

C. Keep the hips slightly flexed

Keeping a slight flexion in the hip joint will protect the student from spinal hyperextension. Having students think about maintaining a slight flexion will tighten the hip flexors and should eliminate their accidental use during abdominal work.

D. Maintain a pelvic tilt

Several things can occur when students maintain a pelvic tilt. First, the lumbar area of the spine will be protected from hyperextension. Also, students will already have the abdominal area in an isometric contraction and will be in the correct position for concentric contractions. Finally, students who are maintaining a pelvic tilt are unlikely to do hip flexion when performing the abdominal exercise.

E. Do only one move at first

Even though you may think it is boring, students really do like to "get the hang" of something and feel it before trying something else new.

F. Give visual and mental cues

Most students do not understand what to do if we simply say "contract the abdominals." Try to think of other hints that can work for them. "Pull your navel back to your spine." "Suck and tuck." "Tuck your buttocks under." "Press your stomach down to the pool bottom." "Lift your ribs." "Stand up tall." "Imagine yourself with the thinnest midriff possible." "Make your middle thin." These cues can all do wonders.

G. Repetitions

As a rule of thumb, use at least 16 to 32 repetitions during abdominal work. When first introducing a move, try to use more repetitions.