Wellington Aqua Fitness is in its fourth year and continues to be a popular choice of fitness for residents after varied health benefits.

Instructor, Kerry Goodworth, said the volunteer-run group currently has around 70 members who participate in up to three classes per week.

Goodworth is one of four trained instructors who dedicate their time to the service held at the Wellington Olympic Swimming Pool, an is a strong advocate of the service.

“It’s a way of getting people active and healthy – the health benefits vary,” she said.

“We have people that do it as a follow-up from surgery; general fitness – exercise can be done a lot easier in water, particularly for the elderly as they can do more exercise than on land and they find it much easier on their bodies.

“The water supports them and gives them that extra movement.”

Members range from mid-20s up to their 90s, and even men are joining in on the action.

“Our biggest class was 35 people in the water,” Goodworth said.

“We never turn anyone away, we’re trying to cater for everybody and we show them how to do different movements and steps, catering for every range by modifying what we’re doing.

“We cater for deep water exercise which is more intense and gives more benefits, and because we have the amount of leaders we do now we have at least two of us each class, sometimes more, so we can split the classes and do deep water with belts on, and the other doing the shallow end.”

Classes recommenced on January 8 an will be held every Monday and Wednesday (5.30pm-6.30pm) and Thursdays (9.45am-10.45am).

Registration forms are available on arrival.

“I really think having this service here is very important and obviously the numbers say that Wellington needs it,” Goodworth said. 

“I think it’s very important – we are an ageing community and the water aerobics gives residents another option.”