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read moreProfessionals attending the 2024 Aqua Alliance Forum have expressed their views about a range of issues that they feel are holding back aquatic fitness activities.
Key among insights shared by delegates attending the Forum at Sydney’s Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre last Friday was a belief that facility managers and operators often failed to appreciate the value of aquatic exercise to users and as a strand of facility programming.
Linked to this, delegates cited poor marketing of aquatic fitness and its benefits, lack of appreciation of its value and a need to move away from the outdated and no longer relevant terms 'aqua aerobics' and 'water aerobics'.
The insights were obtained during an 'Aqua Think Tank' facilitated by Dr Carleigh Yeomans and Dr Paul Bowell of the Department of Management and Marketing at Swinburne University of Technology.
Takeaways from the think tank will be consolidated by Dr Yeomans and Dr Bowell and shared in a future advisory on solutions in the aqua sector.
Attendees also shared their concerns about a shortage of aqua fitness instructors with numbers having declined as a result of the pandemic when professionals were forced to find other employment as a result of facility closure and programs being halted.
Low wages, a complicated process for qualification and a lack of education providers were also cited as being a deterrent to employment in aquatic fitness.
The Forum was followed on Saturday 19th October by the Aqua Summit 2024 and was staged by the Aqua Alliance as a result of the success of the inaugural Aqua Industry Forum and Aqua Summit in 2023.
The events were staged by the Aqua Alliance with the aim to bring together professionals from the fitness, aquatic, research and wellness industries and grow the aqua fitness ecosystem.
Founded by Marietta Mehanni, Dom Gili and Jenn Schembri-Portelli - three experts with extensive experience in aqua fitness education, training, programming, mentoring and consulting, Aqua Alliance has quickly gained traction through practical, impactful initiatives for the aqua fitness sector.
Schembri-Portelli contributed the feature Championing Aquatic Fitness in issue 164 of Australasian Leisure Management magazine in which she wrote “Aqua Alliance is focused on understanding the industry’s trajectory and developing strategies to broaden and diversify the talent pool.
“The goal is to expand the demographic of instructors, team leaders, and managers, ensuring the industry remains strong and sustainable. We also need to identify which water workouts matter, for whom, and why the landscape must evolve.”
Aqua Alliance earlier this year was invited to participate in the Royal Life Saving Workforce Symposium, where it shared insights into the history, successes, and concerns of the aqua fitness sector in Australia.
Aqua Alliance, in collaboration with AUSactive, RLSSA, and various venues, is also actively working on an industry compliance project. This initiative aims to develop strategies and a draft template to guide both employers and employees in ensuring best practice for aqua Instructors and programming.
Click here to view the eversion of issue 164 of Australasian Leisure Management.
Image: Attendees at the 2024 Aqua Alliance Forum at Sydney’s Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre last Friday. Credit: Chris Alexander.
5th September 2024 - Returning Aqua Alliance Forum to address key issues in aquatic fitness
17th July 2024 - Royal Life Saving releases finalised National Aquatic Workforce Framework
20th May 2024 - Swinburne University study exposes ongoing discrimination and homophobia in sport
19th April 2024 - Aqua Energy spotlights its venues’ swimming options during winter
19th March 2024 - National Aquatics Symposium focuses on robust framework to ensure sustainable workforce
8th February 2024 - Aquatic and recreation industry workforce should take advantage of free mental health elearning program
11th August 2023 - Pivotal industry issues to be analysed at the Aqua Alliance’s inaugural Aqua Industry Forum
14th July 2023 - Webinar to launch Royal Life Saving’s National Aquatic Industry Workforce Report 2023
23rd March 2023 - Professionals unite to strengthen aquatic fitness management
19th December 2022 - AUSactive launches first ever Aqua Exercise Instructor Guidelines
3rd November 2022 - Blacktown City Council’s Aqua Learn to Swim program gets Swim Australia recognition
12th September 2022 - Aqua Fit Survey launched by Corowa Aquatic Centre
10th May 2022 - New exercise skill set qualification released for rising aqua fitness sector
7th September 2021 - Fitness Australia launches dedicated Aqua Exercise Instructor registration
24th April 2021 - SCW Fitness Education to present global Aqua Exercise Summit
21st January 2020 - World leading presenters to address inaugural Australian International Aqua Fitness Convention
5th December 2019 - Aqua Fitness Convention gets backing from Recreation SA
4th July 2019 - Australian International Aqua Fitness Convention to be held in Adelaide in 2020
30th October 2018 - FloatFit aquatic fitness classes get Australian launch
19th February 2018 - Ipswich Hospital Foundation achieves Guinness World Record for world’s largest aqua fitness class
7th March 2018 - Melbourne Aqua Forum addresses key aquatic fitness issues
29th January 2018 - State Swim Director explains success of Adelaide-based aquatic fitness programs
11th October 2017 - YMCA to innovate in aquatic fitness
12th July 2017 - New SFSpin aquatic fitness program launched at Speedo Fitness Club Bondi Beach
6th April 2017 - Massive interest in State Swim aquatic fitness programs
12th December 2016 - Acquapole revitalises aquatic fitness operations
28th August 2010 - Waterplay Introduces Revolutionary Aquatic Fitness Equipment
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