ZANESVILLE -- Bea Alwood has two guiding principles for her water aerobics class -- have fun, and if she can do it, so can you.

Alwood, 92, has been teaching water aerobics at the Fieldhouse Family Sports and Wellness Center for 13 years. Her class meets for an hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

During a recent session, Alwood bobbed around the pool calling out instructions and encouragement to a class of about 25.

"Keep moving those feet!" was a common refrain.

The group counted and cheered together, waving their arms and legs, running in place and hoisting plastic foam weights above their heads.

"It's a lot of fun, but we work," Alwood said after the class. "... You meet new friends. I think that's real important."

A former ballroom dancer, Alwood first got into water aerobics after her husband and dance partner, John, died in 1999. She loves teaching and plans to do so "as long as the good Lord lets me," she said.

Alwood teaches one of more than 10 water aerobics classes at the Fieldhouse, said Alainna A. Durfee, director of marketing and corporate welfare. The classes are divided based on intensity and impact.

Alwood's class has anywhere from 25 to 30 people, and the average age is 80, Durfee said.

"They feed off Bea's energy," Durfee said. "They're saying that people are living longer, and it's because of exercise and healthy living."

Read the original:
Local resident stays in shape through water aerobics at 92