PORT ANGELES — You don’t have to get in the pool. But you just might want to wear that swimsuit under your clothes.
So advises Christi Wojnowski, an organizer of the third annual Fitness Fest, the free party at the William Shore Memorial Pool this Saturday.
The pool building at 225 E. Fifth St. will be a place to shop from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a fresh exercise regimen, be it water- or land-based, in a local gym or in a community center.
“We’re interested in people who have fitness on their minds but don’t know where to start,” said Wojnowski, the pool’s aquatics manager.
Exhibitors — more than ever this year, she added — will ring the pool so people can browse, while water-exercise demonstrations will be happening.
So if your swimsuit is on, you can jump into the 83-degree water and experience aqua Zumba, shallow aerobics, deep aerobics, water-walking and balance and stability routines.
“These are all adult-oriented classes,” Wojnowski said, adding that teenagers can obtain parental permission to join the programs offered throughout the year.
To sweeten the event, organizers plan prize drawings and giveaways. More information is available by phoning the pool at 360-417-9767 or visiting www.williamshorepool.org.
Buoyant classes
Along with learning about health and fitness resources around town, fest-goers can learn the benefits of buoyancy, she said.
“Some might not have a clear vision of what a water aerobics class can do for them,” Wojnowski said.
“If they have arthritis or are recovering from surgery or an injury, the water is a safe place. You get a lot of support from the water, and you don’t have to worry about falling.”
Besides lap swimming and swim lessons, the pool has 27 water-exercise classes in six styles Mondays through Saturdays, she noted.
And while Wojnowski has seen an influx of swimmers since the Sequim Aquatic Recreation Center closed last fall, “it’s nothing overwhelming.”
On shore as well
For those who want to explore land-based exercise as well as health and wellness programs, Fitness Fest participants include the Clallam County YMCA, Fitness West, Olympic Day Spa, Panacea Spa, Phoenix Dragon Martial Arts, the Port Angeles Senior & Community Center, Poser Yoga, Therapeutic Associates, Sports Fit Training Center, Strait Occupational and Hand Therapy, and White Crane Martial Arts.
The local senior and community center will have a couple of volunteers at Fitness Fest, offering information about classes, from line dancing to chair exercise to Zumba Gold, open to members and nonmembers.
“A wide range of fitness classes happens under our roof, and it happens very affordably,” for as little as $1 to $3 per class, said D Bellamente, director of the senior center at 328 E. Seventh St.
“There’s still that myth that the senior center is for old people,” she said.
“When you see the pickleball and the dances going on, you see that the center serves a lot of needs,” so Bellamente hopes Saturday’s festival will draw in people who used to think the place wasn’t for them.
“Community” is in the center’s name for a reason, she said.
“Making friends is as important as getting your body moving.”
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Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
