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As the classroom poster says, learning is how we keep growing all our lives. With the advent of warm weather, though, thoughts of lazy days in the backyard appeal more than burying our noses in books. It’s time to take the learning outdoors and master some physical skills. But physical activity in Virginia, in the summer? The solution is obvious: the pool. The pool can be much more than a welcome relief from the outdoor sauna that is the Virginia summer. It can also be a place to learn a new skill, and your local government can help you accomplish it.

If you’ve never really mastered swimming, there’s no better time than the present. According to Sarah Barnett, Aquatics Manager at the City of Manassas Park, “Statistics show that most people, if they’re going to learn to swim, learn by time they’re in the third grade. So, when adults come to us, they’ve often had years of fear of water.” But there are always people who defy the statistics and take an adult learn-to-swim class. In fact, she says interest has skyrocketed since the pandemic and half-empty sessions have been replaced with waiting lists.

“People overcome those fears because they have a goal. Maybe they want to go out on a boat, but if they fall in, it could be dangerous. Other people want to participate in a group exercise class and not be afraid that something could happen.”

When they complete the sessions, she says, “We get told regularly, ‘I wouldn’t even get in the pool before, but now I can float on my back, or go out on a boat with my kids or grandkids and not be afraid.’“

Unlike classes for children, Barnett says that with adults, instructors can often tailor the classes to the individual goals of the students in the class. Some people want to work on stroke techniques, while other are just learning to float and how to right themselves from a horizontal to a perpendicular position. Barnett warns that it may take a while, and that people shouldn’t expect to be swimming after the first session.

Prince William County, Manassas Park, and the City of Manassas all offer learn-to-swim classes for adults. Most range from four to eight weeks, and prices vary. Spots can fill up fast, so prospective students may not get in right away.

For adults who are past the beginner level, intermediate classes are also available. Private swim lessons are offered in Prince William at the Chinn Aquatics and Fitness Center and the Sharon Baucom Dale City Recreation Center.

Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of indoor pool exercise classes. Pool exercise classes can help you beat the heat, get your cardio minutes in, and learn at the same time. Like a traditional “land” aerobics class, water aerobics may involve a learning curve if you’ve never participated before.

Matching up specified motions to the beat of the music may take some concentration at first. New neural connections are forged when people engage in activity that connects the mind and the body. All this is good for brain health, as is simply the act of learning to balance in moving water. Even when you’re not consciously aware of it, your lower brain is working to take in stimuli from the movement of water generated from the people around you, and sends messages to your limbs to move in certain ways to keep you upright. And of course, water provides the ultimate in resistance and low-impact work, building muscles while being easy on the joints.

The three localities offer a variety of exercise classes in their indoor pools. Both Manassas Park and Prince William County offer shallow water classes, which means your feet are on the pool floor, but you still get the benefits that water provides of ease on the joints. Prince William also offers deep water classes, where participants work on both cardiovascular endurance and strengthening in the deep end of the pool.

If moving to music isn’t your thing, there are more aquatic alternatives. Prince William County has a water jogging class, a low-impact workout that aims to improve strength, range of motion, and endurance. Manassas Park combines the best of the exercise and summer leisure worlds with its water-walking class at the Signal Bay Waterpark (in addition to their indoor class). Participants walk outdoors in the lazy river in the evenings. They have the option of following along with an instructor to maximize the benefit of the workout or simply enjoying it at their own pace. These sessions are available on a drop-in basis, and participants can purchase a punch card for 10 admissions.

The Prince William area has a wealth of public resources. Take advantage of what’s available and invigorate mind, body, and soul this summer.

Wendy is a freelance writer who has lived in the Northern/Central Virginia area since 2000 and written extensively for local and online publications. Wendy enjoys traveling around the area to learn about parks, restaurants, attractions, and especially history.

9994 Sowder Village Square #816 Manassas, VA 20109 Phone: (703) 232-1758

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