Powell seniors are serious about their water aerobics

Posted 6/1/23

More often than not a group of Powell seniors are awake before the sun comes up, and at 6 a.m. Judi Buckingham rolls out her speakers and CD players — it’s time for water aerobics.

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Powell seniors are serious about their water aerobics

Posted

More often than not a group of Powell seniors are awake before the sun comes up, and at 6 a.m. Judi Buckingham rolls out her speakers and CD players — it’s time for water aerobics.

Buckingham first discovered the exercise 12 years ago during a trip with her husband to Arizona. When they came back she ordered some tapes and has been active in the sport ever since.

For over a decade, Buckingham and a rotating assortment of community members perform a water aerobics workout every morning of the week except Thursday. Buckingham estimates that more than 20 different people have participated in the water aerobics group.

“We've made friends that we never would have made. We met them here and became good friends and after we do our aerobics we walk around the [lazy river] and talk about food and recipes,” Buckingham said.

The social aspect is a big selling point for many of the members including Gail Morlock who moved to Powell a little over a year ago but had been involved in water aerobics elsewhere. She doesn’t drink coffee so she thinks of this as her coffee hour, she joked.

Kenny Borcher is a diabetic who takes part in the morning workout and was the only male present on one particular early morning in mid May. He’s been participating for roughly eight years since his late wife, who was part of the group, invited him to join.

“This is what's keeping me going, it gives me everything [like] balance,” Borcher said. “I get all kinds of pains and aches, the water gives you a little levity. It lets you run, walk, jump and it doesn’t hurt your joints.”

At over 70 years old Borcher said the morning exercise is critical for him. With his diabetes Borcher said he still has to take a certain amount of sugar into his body for energy so he eats a good breakfast, performs his water aerobics and then sticks to his regular diet the rest of the day. He said this keeps his sugar levels “really flat.”

Borcher said that water aerobics can be just as intense as swimming, depending on the pace you want to apply to the exercise. At the recent exercise he was giving his all to the workout, the rest of the group, “the girls” as he calls them, credit him for keeping them focused.

“He makes us work hard because we can kind of slack off and get to talking but he doesn’t, he just beats the water,” Buckingham said.

If someone is willing to get up early enough in the morning, the water aerobics group welcomes you to give it a try, she said. You won’t need any expensive equipment or up front costs other than a pool membership.

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