14 | Akwa | December 2022 / January 2023 / February 2023 I decided to give it a try, and over several months, aqua yoga transformed into StretchFlex with an emphasis on using the aquatic environment to increase flexibility. At the time, I did not have my AEA certification because land-based yoga was my priority, but the more I taught at the pool, the more I liked it. StretchFlex grew to have a small but loyal following. As I got more confident, I wanted to bring the class to the city pools to reach a larger audience. For that, I needed my AEA certification. Meanwhile, Stephanie asked if I would consider teaching HIIT classes. I was uncertain. I was familiar with all the moves, that was true, and I had experience as a teacher, but I feared that with my legs and balance issues, I wouldn’t be able to teach effectively. I am the type of person who likes to do things well if I am going to do them at all. I was nervous but decided to try. Once I taught my first HIIT class, I knew I had found my passion; it was such a rush. Two and a half years have passed since my AEA certification. I went from subbing here and there to teaching regularly. I attended IAFC in May 2022 and was so inspired. I continue to have a love for the therapeutic aspect of the water and am working on my AFAP training. I must admit that teaching HIIT classes is just so much fun; I plan to keep doing both as much as I can. I love teaching. Surprisingly, one of the main reasons is because I’m disabled. My “wonky” body, as I like to call it, inspires people. They know I am not just a teacher since I take the classes with them when I can. So, as an instructor, I combine this familiarity with acknowledging my limitations. Instead of feeling like I must compensate for the fact that I can’t really run, kick, or jump on the pool deck, I embrace it as a way to make me more human, to connect to everyone in the pool. For example, I might cue a jump or a kick and explain how to do it, maybe demonstrating with my arms or just one leg. Then, I’ll joke about how I can’t do the full jump for them; they laugh and nod. It becomes a way for them to embrace their limitations, whether from aging, ill- ness, or injury, without seeing them as barriers to enjoying life. Acknowledging the things that I’m unable to do outside of the pool gives those in the pool permission to realize that their challenges do not define them. Oh, and let me tell you when I’m teaching to a big crowd with my speaker blaring, my headset on, and I count down a move, and everyone switches... well, I feel like Britney Spears performing in Las Vegas! That is a powerful feeling for a person who never has been able to run or jump. That is magic. n Author Eliza Alys Young is an AEA certified aquatics instructor who has been teaching since 2018 for AquaGym Fit- ness. In addition to AEA, she is certified YTT 200 under the Yoga Alliance, the Christina Phipps Foundation (us- ing yoga with cancer or other seriously ill patients), and Yin Yoga mat-based yoga (focused on releasing fascia). She is in the process of obtaining AEA Arthritis Foundation Program Leader training. deformed my joints. As a result, both legs grew slow, one slower than the other. Fast forward through my childhood, I had over 20 orthopedic surgeries before I turned 18. I have never been one to accept defeat easily, so as a young woman, I decided to be proactive to keep my mobility. I did all sorts of exercises, from yoga to bike riding and martial arts, and kept my weight down. I pushed myself as hard as possible, refusing to let my disability hold me back. But, as I aged, more forms of exercise became inaccessible. In 2016 I was introduced to aquatic fitness. I had always known that the pool was a safe, low-impact option for exer- cise, but I didn’t really enjoy swimming laps. But when I took my first HIIT class in the pool, I was hooked. I could work out in the water with high intensity (something I craved) without injuring myself. I became a diehard participant in the aquatic classes. Before long, I could tell that I was getting stronger and had more stamina. In 2018, my love of fitness inspired me to become a gen- tle yoga instructor. Yoga was challenging for me physically (I only taught mat-based classes so I could sit down), so I didn’t even consider teaching the high-energy classes I was taking in the pool. My favorite aquatic classes were those led by Stephanie Newberry of AquaGym Fitness. Since I went so often, we became friends. After I became certified in yoga, she encouraged me to consider developing a gentle class for the pool.
