For years, Pam Mickiewicz, Aquatic Director at the “Y,” in Greenfield heard people say “you can’t lose weight by water activity alone.” Unconvinced, she attended a national Fitness and Rehabilitation Training in January 2015 where the instructors shared a wealth of data that showed the contrary: you can lose weight and relieve stress on painful joints in water classes.
The result is the area’s first “Weightless Weight Loss Program” that debuted last fall with many satisfied participants.
Weightless Weight Loss (the name coined by Mickiewicz) is a gentle way to involve people who want to work out, but who struggle with pain when exercising in more conventional ways. After two knee surgeries and constant pain, I decided to give the program a try. I admit, I was skeptical, but desperate for pain relief and frustrated by the extra pounds that had accumulated by not feeling comfortable enough to even walk around the block.
After the first two weeks of the program, I found I was sleeping better. By week four, I felt stronger than I had in years and I only occasionally felt the twinges in my knees. By week six, I was back to being able to walk over a mile with no pain, and by the 8th week, I was down one size and I felt great!
And in talking with a couple of the other participants who also felt better and lost weight, we agreed that we were now addicted to exercise.
For the cost of the program, participants can attend as many water classes per week as they choose, with four classes a week as the suggested target. Aquacize, Water Fitness 1 and 2, Water Pilates, Water Running, and an interval-based class called Tabata are some of the choices, but as Mickiewicz says, “you can work as hard or as lightly as you want to” in any of the pool-based classes, and no one is required to come to any specific class.
For more information about the next Weightless Weight Loss Program, call the Y in Greenfield, 413-773-3646, ext. 427.
Jarice Hanson
Whately