Residents enjoy swimming, water aerobics

Cathy Spaulding, Muskogee Phoenix, Okla.
·2 min read

Jan. 11—A few meters in the water can take Matt Wheaton far away from the day's problems.

"If I had a bad day, it helps me get away," Wheaton said between laps at Fort Gibson school swimming pool.

People can swim laps and do water aerobics from 4:30 to 5:30 Mondays through Thursdays at the pool, located by the high school gymnasium.

Wheaton said he swims laps almost every day. He took a break during the Christmas/New Year's holidays.

"I've been out three weeks and I'm about to find out how I'm doing," he said. "I'll be out of breath for the first couple of laps. So, I'll start out slow and pick up from there. I'll get in and swim and pay for it later. I'll sleep good tonight."

He said he usually swims 12 to 15 laps.

"Freestyle mainly, leg work and backstroke," he said.

Aerobics instructor Linda Ryan said Fort Gibson's pool is a good place for aerobics, as well as lap swims.

"It's beautiful for one thing," she said. "And I think it's just the right size."

Ryan said she's been teaching water aerobics for about 20 years, mostly in Fort Gibson. She said she learned through experience, YouTube and other internet sources.

"Sometimes I substitute for a few people in Muskogee," she said.

The aerobic session begins with a warm-up in the pool's shallow end.

"We do a lot of upper body," Ryan said. "We start with upper body in the deep water. On the diving platforms, we do pull-ups."

They return to the shallow water for more upper-body exercises, such as pressing paddle boards into the water and sweeping them back and forth in the water.

"We end up the last 10 to 15 minutes with an aerobics part, where we jog or do a variation of a jog," Ryan said. "We do 10-15 minutes, maybe 20 minutes if we get to talking."

According to swimming.org, benefits of water aerobics include:

—Water supports the body, putting less stress on your joints and muscles.

—Working out in water helps build strength.

—Water pressure helps put less strain on the heart by moving blood around the body.

—The impact of gravity is less in the water, allowing a greater range of motion.

If you go

WHAT: Lap swimming and water aerobics.

WHEN: 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays.

WHERE: Fort Gibson School Swimming Pool, 500 Ross St.

ADMISSION: $2.