These friends from Goodna wanted to get healthy together, so they joined an unlikely craze. Aqua Aerobics is one of the most popular activities in the Ipswich City Council’s Active and Healthy program. We endeavour to find out why.
“Last year was our first year. My daughter and I started and told our neighbour of 35 years, Karen Hopkins about it so she came along too,” she said.
When Karen came along she ran into an old friend Jeanette Jones from Collingwood Park.
“I saw Karen and realised I knew her from when our children went to preschool,” Jeanette said.
“My son tagged me on Facebook from the Council Facebook page that mentioned the free classes so I thought I’d come along.
“We enjoyed it so much all four of us started going to the yoga one at Carol Park too.
“I’m recovery from some surgery and it’s mindful. Makes you feel good.”
The ladies enjoy their regular class so much they organise everything else around the class so they can catch up.
Laughter and exercise don’t often seem to go together but they do here.
“It’s actually fun,” Melinda Otago said.
“Ever since the pool opened I have been doing four classes a week there,” she said.
“I really find it rewarding when people walk in gingerly with a bit of a limp or sore back, then they get out after class and they can walk to the car with better posture and with less pain.
“In the water they are able to move better, because their body weight is supported and the warmth of the water allows them to move freely.
“I got into the pool a couple of times last week and it reminded me how much I love it. I didn’t want to get out.”
Ipswich City Council runs the Active Parks Program from January to April 2018.
It offers a broad range of free weekly physical activity classes held in the beautiful parks and pools of Ipswich.
You can view the schedule here.
Ipswich City Council is seeking your help in creating Australia’s most active and healthy community. The inaugural Active and Healthy Ipswich Guide aims to showcase all of the free and low-cost physical activities, sports, recreation and wellness opportunities available within Ipswich. All ages, abilities and population groups will be catered for within the guide. For more information and to register your interest for inclusion in the guide please visit the Active and Healthy Ipswich Guide webpage here.
