HAWC offers new water-based workout

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Alexis Siekert
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  Being physically injured can seem like a dead-end road. With a back, leg, ankle or foot injury, many workouts are out of the question. To help Airmen and their families maintain physical fitness regardless of injury, the Health and Wellness Center is now offering water jogging, allowing participants to get a cardio-vascular workout without putting a lot of stress on lower extremities.

The HAWC kicked off the first class April 29 at the Osan indoor pool.

"We've just started, so we're looking to get the word out about the program to get people interested," said Don Winant, 51st Aerospace Medicine Squadron HAWC exercise physiologist. "I just want everyone to know that this is available to them and how to take advantage it."

Members of the base community can either schedule a class with the HAWC or just use the equipment without instruction at the pool.

The pool is equipped with 20 water jogging flotation belts for exercise and rehabilitation. The benefits of water jogging are: low impact aerobic exercise, recovery from hard running or rucksack workouts, rehabilitation for lower extremity and back injuries, and improving range of motion. Other equipment available includes water dumbbells, kickboards and ankle fins for strengthening the legs.

In the class, the water joggers started by putting on their belts and heart-rate monitors. Afterward, they did a light warm up before their timed runs during the 30-minute workout.

"With the water resistant heart monitors, there is no guessing as to how hard the students are working," Winant explained. "I know their exact heart rates."

With Osan being a walking base, Airmen often report lower body injuries, he explained. This is a great form of rehab.

"Water jogging was surprisingly strenuous," said Staff Sgt. Mark Olsen, 51st Medical Group Bioenvironmental technician and first time water jogging participant. "I'll definitely do this again. It was an awesome cardio workout."

To schedule a class or get more information, call the HAWC at 784-0633 or look up workouts online.

Pool hours are Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and weekends from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Contact the pool manager, Sherly Hutcherson, for more information at 784-1452.