Photo by Cliff Grassmick

Jim Lesobsky, left, and Martha Frosch walk backward in the lazy river during the river walking class taught by Martha Frosch at the Bob Burger Recreation Center in Lafayette

Workout of the Week

Bob L. Burger Recreation Center, 111 W. Baseline Road, Lafayette, 303-665-0469, www.cityoflafayette.com/recreation

Instructor: Martha Frosch, 65, of Lafayette. Frosch has been teaching for about seven years. She is certified in water aerobics and as a swimming teacher. She is also a lifeguard and teaches lifeguarding.

What is the workout? During River Walking, participants walk against the current in the Lazy River Pool at the rec center to build muscles and increase stamina, and do yoga postures in the water to increase flexibility and balance.

Who does it? Classes are typically about 10 people, ranging from 35 to 85 years old.

When: 9:15 a.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday for an hour.

Level: Four on a 10-point scale. Increase difficulty and water resistance by walking on the outside of the track, where the jets are located. Walk on the inside to make it easier. Also, difficulty changes throughout the track, with varying depths and strengths of the jets.

Format: Thirty minutes of water walking and 30 minutes of water yoga. One full hour of awesome.

Equipment: A pool noodle for the yoga, provided.

What to wear: Swimming suit and towel. I considered wearing a swimming cap, but more as a fashion statement than as functional, because you can easily avoid getting your head wet. The depth is 3 to 3½ feet. Also, bring a bottle of water to drink throughout class. You don't realize how much you sweat when you're underwater, and it's easy to get dehydrated.

Muscles worked: All, especially legs and core. The exercises strengthen your leg muscles above and below your knee, putting less pressure on your knees, and making the class ideal for people rehabilitating after surgeries.

Still, this class is a challenge and a blast for people of all abilities. Think about how hard it is to run under water. Now try walking backward, doing the grapevine, walking side lunges, walking on your tip-toes, doing "bunny hops" and "walking the line" (one foot in front of the other). Each exercise works a different muscle in your body, allowing you to isolate body parts, but with the support of the water that you wouldn't have doing these moves on ground.

One new move: Yoga in the water felt great, and different than regular yoga. Frosch turned the current off, but there was still a slight movement of the water that challenged my balance. At the same time, the water supported my body to allow me to move more slowly and balance better. The water was a simultaneous challenge and assistance.

What's different: Working out in the water is a more gentle form of exercise than jumping around. I found this class required less coordination than water aerobics, with the same benefits.

What I loved: Everything is more fun in the water, seriously. Also, there is also a little nook in the track with a ton of jets and bubbles where you can rest and get massaged in the middle of working out. The only thing better than that would be if this was an actual ocean on an actual beach and I was on vacation.

What I didn't like: As if I could possibly have any complaints about a lazy river and massage jets. This class is heavenly.

Inspiration for class: Frosch started the class two years ago after she took a water yoga class and loved it.

How I felt after the class: Hungry. Something about being in water makes me famished. That's why people who take water exercise classes typically get toned but don't lose much weight, Frosch said with a laugh.

How I felt later: Quite euphoric and stretched. Being in the water is like pressing your "reset" button. It's good for your body and mind. I also was a little sore.

Know of any interesting workouts? Tell us about them so we can check them out: heckela@dailycamera.com or 303-473-1359.