Safety Do's, Don'ts and Tips

Do's

1. Maintain proper body alignment.
2. Bring a water bottle to the pool to stay hydrated.
3. Be sure to warm-up prior to joining the main set if you arrive late.
4. Inform the instructor if you have to leave class early, so you can be told when to begin your own warm-down. You should not leave the pool at the peak of the aerobic workout.
5. Modify any exercise that is not comfortable or aggravates an old injury.
6. Stop if you are feeling discomfort or pain.
7. Stop, stretch, and massage a muscle that is beginning to cramp.
8. Inform the instructor of any current or former medical condition prior to participation.
9. Exercise at 50% or 75% of maximal heart rate to efficiently burn fat, not at maximum effort.
10. Walk with your legs a little farther apart than normal.
11. Enter the pool safely.
12. Keep arms and legs slightly bent at all times to reduce the pressure on the joint and to use the muscles instead of the joints to do the work.

Don'ts

1. Do not walk on the deck while wearing the Hydro-Tone Boots.
2. Do not try to keep up with your neighbor.
3. Do not have any twisting or waving motion in your back during the workout with the resistance equipment.
4. Do not continue with a move if your back is bothering you. Check your alignment and try again.
5. Do not enter/exit the pool in an unsafe fashion.
6. Do not get into the spa or Jacuzzi after a workout for at least half of an hour or until your core body temperature has returned to normal.
7. Do not forget to observe proper body alignment and technique.
8. Do not hesitate to ask questions.

Tips

1. Start each new move with smaller levers and gradually increase your levers. This means that you start with the bells closer to the body and gradually extend them while doing the same move. The same is true with the boots.
2. Moves should be away from or toward the body when you being using Hydro-Tone equipment. Circular moves at the shoulders and hips should be kept to a minimum in diameter until you have developed some increased strength and become more accustomed to using the equipment. This will help prevent injury.
3. When using the Hydro-Tone equipment keep in mind that the trunk muscles must remain very tight. The muscles which move the arms and the legs pull against the trunk The more stable the trunk i.e. the tighter you hold the trunk muscles, the harder you can pull against the arms and legs inward or outward from the body.
4. Strong abdominal and gluteal muscles are very important in maintaining a healthy back and preventing back pain. These muscles are developed BEST when concentrating on keeping a tight trunk. When moving the legs together, concentrate on squeezing the buttock together extra hard. When moving the arms forward or toward the body concentrate on tightening the abdominal harder and you will increase their strength while avoiding the flexion and extension moves that are contraindicated for most people.
5. Keep in mind that the body will utilize many more muscles in each Hydro-Tone move than just the muscles that are moving a specific body part. This is because of the need to stabilize the body in the water. Therefore, focus on feeling the resistance and how to stabilize the body further to be able to move even faster ONCE you have learned the proper technique for each move.
6. Be sure to breath regularly while tightening the torso. If doing a static contraction, count the seconds you are holding. This ensures a constant exchange of air. If a person holds their breath, there is a danger of the blood pressure going too high.
7. When doing exercises that require the use of the legs to stabilize while moving the arms, be sure to switch the legs often.