Have you thought about extending your athletic career? Have you ever thought about reducing your athletic injuries? Have you ever thought both could be done simultaneously? The answer to those questions should be, YES!!
As a tennis player, putting a couple of hours on the court can play havoc with my body, as does many other sports like rugby, basketball, volleyball, weight lifting, just to mention a few. Now don’t get the wrong impression, I love participating in these sports and to improve in these sports, I must participate in these sports. It doesn’t change the fact gravity and bodily impact play major roles in soreness and injury. This does shorten athletic participation in both young and old.
Aquatic exercise is the answer! I know you are thinking water aerobics is for my mom or even my grandma and swimming laps is boring. There are more possibilities than just water "aerobics" and lap swimming. Like many great exercise regimen’s, programs and modes of exercise, water fitness has come a long way! Improvements in both equipment and programming have made leaps and bounds (pun intended) in the past 20 years…in the past 5 years!
And remember, aquatic fitness is not designed to replace land-based sports or exercise. Instead, it enhances them! With incorporating aquatic exercise programming into you fitness regimen you will reduce the impact on your body and prolong your athletic careers and prevent injuries.
There are several reasons for this;
Water is 800 times more supportive than air and up to 15x more resistive. Water also reduces the effects of gravity by almost 80 percent (depending on how deep you are in the water). Working out in the water allows you to workout more muscle groups simultaneously, in a more balanced and effective way, and through a larger range of motion. This happens due to the support of water and the fact no matter in which direction or plane you move, you are working against resistance. The harder you attempt to move through this resistance the more resistant it becomes.
Due to these reasons, dynamic flexibility and strength are improved simultaneously. This simultaneous improvement creates balanced muscle growth which creates more stable joints, which helps prevent injuries.Aquatic exercise is also considered a low impact type of exercise.
Other benefits related to aquatic exercise are improved circulation, improved muscle recovery and relaxation, improved heart muscle strength and efficiency and improved breathing. These are all due to the “pressure” water puts on your body while exercising.
Another benefit I will mention is the fact muscle soreness from working out in the water is greatly reduced. When working out on land, as mentioned before, gravity plays havoc. This is because in gravity there is eccentric load (doing a negative). For example, think about a bicep curl. You are pulling up against gravity with the weight you are using. When you lower the weight it must be controlled.This is the eccentric load or negative. Your muscle (bicep in this case) is lengthening and being stressed at the same time. In the water this does not happen (as often). Using the same example in the water- the bicep resists the water as it is contracted. When going in the opposite direction your tricep activates and resists the resistance of the water while it is contracting. Your bicep is relaxed- no eccentric load, no negative. So you are getting muscle strength gains concentrically without as severe muscle tearing. This helps limit soreness.
 We all know, depending on how sore we are after a workout, the willingness to get the next workout going, drops- A LOT!
Without going in to too much depth (this time) as mentioned, there are more programs than just “water Aerobics”. There are aquatic HIIT ( High Intensity Interval Training)  programs-like BOQUA®, there are aquatic boot camps, there is aquatic boxing and kickboxing, there are even aquatic bike programs.  If you want to focus more on a mind-body-balance there are aquatic yoga, Tai-Chi, and Pilates programs as well.
 Just like there land based counterparts, all of these programs can and do challenge your body completely and vigorously. In more cases than not, more completely and more vigorously. If you have never worked out continually, with the effort you put on land, against continual resistance, try it, you will be surprise at how fast it will kick your butt!
As far as equipment goes there is resistive equipment-like bõq®.This type of equipment allows you to get more drag in the water without fighting the principles of flotation.
And there is Assistive equipment- like Styrofoam dumb bells. This type of equipment uses the resistance of flotation to provide strength gains. This type of equipment also “assists” your movement upwards towards the surface because of flotation.
Both types of equipment have a purpose and depending on their use both types of equipment can challenge you maximally.
Lastly, in the 30+ year career I have had in sports medicine, fitness and health, I have not seen or heard of anyone getting a concussion, spraining an ankle, blowing out a knee or stubbing a tow on the weight rack, while working out in the water.
So as you can see, the changes in programming and equipment along with the principles and characteristics water provide, there are more benefits and challenges then meet the eye.
So to prolong your athletic career and prevent injuries simultaneously put aquatics into your regimen! Your body will love you!
For more information on quality aquatic exercise programming near you, contact your local aquatics director.
Get wet….get healthy….stay healthy!

According to Dictionary.com the definition of PATIENCE is-The ability or willingness to suppress restlessness or annoyance when confronted with delay. A quiet steady perseverence,even-tempered care: diligence.
My personal definition is-"breathing, thinking and acting calmly, collectively and effetively when situations,goals or plans do not go the way we want or expect".
As I continue on my entrepreneurial path creating BOQUA and boqs(pronounced bokes) I continually get amazed at how import patience is in business.
Patience in business truly is about the journey and getting to your destination effectively not neccessarily quickly. There are a lot of moving parts when operating a business. Understanding those parts and learning how those parts interact with each other creates a path and process that isn't always smooth or straight. There in lies the essence of creating patience-understanding and learning, those are the curves. How do we understand and are we willing to learn.
As an example. Creating the boqs has allowed me to learn a lot about engineering, 3D prinitng, and injection molding-how the mold is designed, how it works, how the design of an object makes a difference in whether something can be injection molded or not; single cavity, double cavity; ejection points, tooling, types of plastics, patents, trademarks, etc. And this only scratches the surface. I also got to design, test, redesign, re-test. As You might have guessed I am not an engineer-I did however go to an engineering school! Ho HOKIES!
I get to learn about financing, marketing, IT, packaging, retail, etc. While all of this learning and growing and doing is exciting it is time consuming and needed. For every question I answer, 2 more questions pop up. Something I learn today changes what I thought and acted upon in the past and therefore a new path change or new opportunity to learn patience. To this point, the journey of patience has taken 3 years..and I am not done yet. Thats the best news yet!
All of these processes take time, some overlap, some happen individually, some can't happen until others are completed, some happen more quickly than others,- the point is all of this does happen, eventually. My path rarely has been straight but I trust my path will, with understanding and patience, get me to where I want to go!
As entrepreneurs and business owners we all go through this to some degree or another. Be willing to learn, understand to the best of your ability and always be patient.

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I have been a Stephen Minister for over 12 years and a Stephen leader for 9+. Yesterday was the day of r commisioning (or graduation) for 8 new Stepehen Ministers at St. Luke's. As the program was in progress I read (for the 10+ time) the "Prayer of a Stephen Minister". The prayer can (and is, I feel) a prayer for anyone who has or wishes to help a friend in need. As you go through the next days, weeks, months and years and you are in doubt if you are worthy, able or capable to help a friend in need keep this prayer close in hand and close at heart. For me, it truly helps me stay grounded and allows me to know not only can I care for others, I am also cared for and loved! 
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This is one step in helping all those who need help and comfort in a world that is truly troubled!

Lord, I have often prayed for you to use me in the work of your church. Now you have shown me one way you want to use me. And I find that I am reluctant and afraid. I feel inadequate to help someone else. I feel too judgemental to really care. These are my fears, Lord and I bring them to you.
Work through me, Lord. Help me remember that I am not doing this on my own. I'm part of the caring partnership with you, my Stephen Leaders, my Pastor and Stephen Ministries to help my care reciever. Together we will serve you, in response to Jesus' command to love one another. Lord be with my reciever. I look forward to meeting and caring for this person. I already care, Lord. Help me remember what I've learned about reflective listening, identifying feelings, and being sensitive to my care receiver's needs.I know I can't solve this individual's problems, or even take away the pain. But help me look with empathy at what my care receiver is going through and enable me to give support. Be with us as we work to find the way. Through me, may your compassion light a clear path as, firmly grounded in Christ, we travel this road together. I pray in Jesus' name. Amen

In the wake of yet aother school shooting there again is more uproar about who or what is to blame! People are protesting, people are pointing fingers at the president, at congress, the NRA, people are screaming for more gun control and bans of certain guns. What I am not seeing or hearing is anyone taking responsibility. There is a lot of passion, a lot of anger, a lot of confusion and a lot of fear, as well there should be.
What we need is accountability. We need responsibility. We need ownership of everything that is going on! The only place to get that ownership is from ourselves. What can we do to make a difference? We need to look at how we are, who we are, and what we are allowing- in ourselves, our homes and our commuities.
How are we being with other people? How are we being with the rules in place? How are we being as individuals towards other individuals? Are we lending a hand up or are we putting each other down ( bullying, gangs, clicks, judgements)? Are we watching the train wreck happen or are we doing something to stop and/or prevent the train wreck? ARE WE GETTING INVOVLED?
My belief is no...we are not getting involved. We have our heads so far into our phones, our computers, our tablets, the internet (excuse me but, up our asses!),we are not paying attention to or dealing with what is going on in the world around us. Our reality has become the internet not the people actually standing or sitting right next to us.
As Americans we tout ourselves as being kind and supportive when tragedy happens. This is true, we are. The question is are we kind and supportive when there isn't tragedy?
Have you ever thought, that maybe, some of these tragedies-the loss of human life- would not happen IF we spent more time being more supportive (teaching, mentoring, being honest, speaking out in the moment not after the moment, being strong in our values, understanding and demonstrating respect to ourselves and others, getting involved with people, getting involved period, listening, understanding) over the past 20 or 30 years rather worrying about the building of our own egos (getting more into the drama and minusia of life, becoming more isolated, becoming used to instant gratification, pointing fingers)?
Are we allowing what's easy to take place as to what is right? Are we replacing values with instant gratification? Have we forgotten the value of hard work and the things learned through that process (failure, success, satisfaction of a job well done, how to accomplish a task). There are too many examples today of someone making a mistake or screwing up somehow and people saying "its ok, don't worry about it ,we'll do better next time". How about saying "no, it's not alright, there are consequences to these actions and you will be held accountable and yes we will do better next
time !" 
The lesson to be learned is there are consequences to our actions...not that everything is going to be ok.
As I am writing this I can think of many times I have been held accountable and the lessoned learned was driven home! For example, if I got in trouble in school-bad grades or I got into a fight- not only was I held accountable at school, I was again held accountable at home( even more so). My parents didn't question the school about what I did they questioned me! My actions, my consequences. 
As much as I believe we are the answer to the problems we face, pointing fingers or blaming  some other faction, group, or thing does not allow for ownership or improve the possibility to change the situation. There are no easy answers or quick solutions. It took us decades to lose our way, it may take decades to find it again -I hope not.
Until we take an honest look at what we are, who we are and how we are being and own it, all of it,in good times and in bad- finding and creating  solutions to these horrific losses of life won't happen at all!
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                                                                   Remember...We ARE THE DIFFERENCE!!!

I wanted to talk today about water. No, not the water you drink but the water you workout in. Wait, you don't work out in the water?! Why not? Do you realize what benefits you are missing? Did you know working out in the water not only can give you a great complete workout but it also gives you a safe workout. It can also give your abs the best workout they've had in years!

Now before I tell you about a great program that challenges every muscle in the body I want to tell you about why water is such a good workout medium. For some of you this may be old news but for some of you it may just teach you a thing or two.

There are 4 main reasons why aquatic workouts are so beneficial:
1- Low impact-because of the reduction of gravity in the water, you float -therefore your weight is reduced and the impact on your joints is lessoned
2- Complete and less inhibited range of Motion (ROM)-with all joints used- again because gravity is reduced your joints are less incumbered which provides for a freer and fuller range of motion. Think of it this way-Your joints are a hinge on a door. Due to gravity and time the hinge begins to rust and move sluggishly. As you remove the rust and oil the hinge, motion is returned to normal and moves much freer. Water is that rust remover and oil that allows the joint to freely move without hinderance.
3- Increased Strength through a complete ROM- because of the Hydrostatic pressure (or uniform tension) of water, the resistance created when a body part is moved is consistant throughout the enitre range of motion. In other words, no matter what direction a body part moves or at any point in a ROM, the resistance that is created by the water is the same. That said, the harder one moves a body part against the water the harder the water works against the body part. This force can never be broken or overcome. So, the harder you work the stronger you get!
4- Safety- because of the above reasons and the fact that if you fall in the water the only thing that will happen is you get wet- no head injuries, no twisted ankles, no bruises,contusions or broken bones.

​I mentioned earlier a "great" aquatics exercise program-this progrm is called BOQUA. This high energy, low impact aquatic workout utilizes the mechanics of athletic movement and the constant resistance and safety of water to strengthen the core, improve balance and coordination, strengthen and stabilize all major joints and increase overall strength-all while having fun! You can find out more about BOQUA on the BOQUA page of this website.
As I am a little biased of this program (I did create it) there are many other great aquatics classes that can and do utilize the benefits of water. If you haven't tried a water workout lately get in a pool and try one out you will be suprised how challenging it will  be!

                                                    REMEMBER...you are the DIFFERENCE!!!