November 2013 - Parks & Recreation - 19

movement for arthritis and more. Some classes use water
weights, bands and foam noodles to create resistance for
shoulders and arms as well as the core and legs.
" The warm water allows you to move in ways that it would
not be possible to move on land, " says Susan Quash-Mah, a
nonprofit manager/consultant at Tamarack Aquatic Center
in Eugene, Oregon. Tamarack's 50,000-gallon, 30-by-50-foot
warm-water pool opened in the late 1970s, but it was converted to a saltwater pool about five years ago. In addition
to making the pool more ecologically sound by not requiring
large amounts of chlorine, the change to saltwater makes it
easier on people with chlorine sensitivities or allergies. " Also,
the saline is just about the same level as in natural body fluids, " she explains, meaning swimmers won't experience a
burning sensation if they open their eyes underwater.
A saltwater conversion is just one feature that can make
warm-water pools stand out. These pools typically have alternative ways to ease into the pool other than a traditional ladder, which requires swimmers to put pressure on joints. Many
have ramps leading into the water; others have special stairs,
wheelchair lifts or other entry assistance. Additionally, since
pools are typically three and a half to five feet deep, individuals can usually walk through the water without swimming.

Carrie Madren is a freelance writer in northern Virginia
(carrie.madren@gmail.com).

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Healing Waters
" Usually people experience relief immediately on their
first visit, " says Quash-Mah, if they don't overdo it.
Gagliardi notices a difference in her students from the
beginning of class to the end. " When they first get in,
they're a little hesitant, and then as the class goes on,
they're relaxed and using the weights, " she says.
To experience extended relief even out of the pool, people
should submerge themselves two to three times a week, says
Quash-Mah, who points to a study of people with fibromyalgia who used warm-water pools for eight months and experienced a reduction in pain and increased functionality.
Quash-Mah herself has had fibromyalgia - a disorder
that causes muscle pain, extreme tenderness in certain points
and fatigue - for more than seven years and reports that it
was between four and eight weeks of warm-water classes
when she began to notice increased flexibility, reduced pain,
improved stamina, relaxation and a better mood. She still
takes a warm-water class about two or three times a week.
" Exercises are important, " White says. " When you get
better and muscles get stronger, slowly but surely, that will
translate onto land without the water. "

Parks & Recreation

17
November 2013 - Parks & Recreation

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