After a hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, water exercise classes are back in session in the beautiful pool at Deupree House. Residents enjoy being back in motion.

During one recent 45-minute class, Monique Lamb led four residents through warmups before some cardio work and coordination exercises using water noodles, in which they did one movement with their upper bodies and different moves with their lower halves. Lamb also worked on their core strength, upper-body fitness, and exercises to improve balance.

Back in the flow
“I like it a lot,” said Jerry Black, who moved into Deupree House with his wife, Ann, in September, from Sharonville. After the workout, he swam eight laps and then sat a few minutes in the 102-degree spa, as most who take the classes do afterward.

“I like doing it with more people. It makes it more fun,” said Black, a retired engineer with GE Aviation. He also enjoys Lamb’s enthusiasm and expertise. Advice he’s been giving to others is, “Try it because it’s a lot of fun.”

Non-aquatic ‘chair classes’ are also offered
Lamb, who holds a degree in exercise science from Northern Kentucky University, is pleased the water workouts have returned in recent weeks.

While the water workouts were on pause, residents still could participate in dry-land “chair classes,” where people have the option of sitting through the entire classes – a helpful feature for people who aren’t as mobile. Those classes are offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

The 10:45 a.m. classes are hybrid, meaning they’re taught both in person and via Zoom so that people can participate in their apartments.

While things were more clamped down earlier during the COVID-19 pandemic, many residents participated over the Internet, Lamb said.

Water workouts gentle on the muscles
In the water, “We pretty much target everything you can think of – lower-body strength, core strength, upper-body strength, balance, flexibility,” Lamb said. “It’s a great workout.”

“The beauty of the pool is they have the buoyancy of the water, so you don’t have the gravity working against your body,” she said.

Sometimes, with chair classes she teaches, people experience soreness after those workouts because of the stresses gravity adds, “whereas here, you don’t really get that tension or the soreness,” she said. “And it’s so much easier moving in the water, you don’t have the fear of falling, and you’re able to have more of a range of motion and do more in the water.”

Lamb also has certifications from the Arthritis Foundation and in teaching people how to improve their balance. She taught similar classes for about four years at another Greater Cincinnati senior-living facility before joining the Deupree House team 11 months ago.

A beautiful warm-water setting
The warm-water pool was a significant reason Mary Lyon, a retired music teacher who has lived in Cincinnati since 1959, moved to Deupree House four years ago.

“I moved here because I needed a warm-water pool,” she said. Lyon needed a pool for the aquatic exercises and warmth rather than chilly water so that the exercises would work for her.

With a room temperature of 84 degrees and a water temperature of 87, the water had just the right feel during her workout. After residents take their aquatic classes, swim laps, or socialize quietly in the pool, many spend a few minutes in that hot-water spa.

Marilyn Sesler, who has lived at Deupree House for five years, said she’s one of about seven who get together early in the morning to hang out in the pool, mostly to talk with each other before the exercise classes.
“It’s a very nice pool, and you can see the trees and birds outside,” she said.

Resident Michael Porte, who also enjoys the pool, said it’s beautiful during the winter to look out from the warm pool and see snow falling on the nearby trees and bushes.

“It’s almost like being in Sun Valley,” Porte said. “Living here is like being on a cruise, with the activities, excellent food, and nice companionship.”

With the water classes, “We’re getting back in the swing of things and are getting our numbers back,” Lamb said. “And so far, we’re getting a decent crowd. I think people are starting to get more comfortable with getting back into the pool in a class setting.”

Fitness class offerings
The water-exercise classes are Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. They’re open to all skill levels.

Meanwhile, chair classes, where people can sit throughout the entire class, which are helpful for people who aren’t as mobile, are taught Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at 9:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. all three days. The 10:45 a.m. classes are hybrid, allowing people to participate in their apartments.

Explore the Benefits for Yourself

Our Senior Living community is ideal for independent residents who prefer to live life on their terms, just like they always have. The only difference between this community and your home is the wide variety of programs and activities to participate in — if you choose — and our professional, compassionate staff. Contact us today to learn more or schedule a tour.