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Book Club water workout | Photo: @powerofthepool<\/p>\nPat Faull has never been in a book club. So, it\u2019s all new to her, really. But a book club in a pool? Well, she\u2019ll be the first to admit that it\u2019s different. \u201cIt\u2019s unique, for sure,\u201d says Faull, who has been swimming for more than 10 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Faull is one of a dozen or so women who\u2019ve had the opportunity to try the growing \u201cBook Club: Water Workout\u201d at the Funk Zone\u2019s Anderson Aquatics. Introduced in February by co-owner Breanna Anderson, things are going so swimmingly (pun intended) that a second book club may be on the horizon for the aquatic personal training and rehabilitation center.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For anyone that reads \u2014 whether paperback or Kindle, combining books and water isn\u2019t often recommended. But when a client came to Anderson complaining about their inability to find a book club, Anderson immediately saw an opportunity. \u201cWe\u2019re always looking to offer something different and bring together clients of different backgrounds and ages,\u201d says Anderson, who also notes that her own book club never revived following the pandemic. So, she filled in the gap.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Members aren\u2019t just swapping sofas for pool floaties and glasses of wine for water bottles \u2014 much of this program was built to add exercise to the cognitive piece. \u201cThe physical component is very unique,\u201d says Anderson. \u201cTo think critically while socializing and exercising is a good thing.\u201d That means while participants are answering prompts in small groups or meeting together in the deep end for larger discussions, they\u2019re also getting a great workout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Participants hardly notice. Faull speaks gushingly about the new friends she\u2019s made, the games they\u2019ve played, and the community she\u2019s built from the last few months of book club rather than the workout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Book club begins in the middle of the pool, where everyone introduces themselves and rates the book. Small breakout groups, depending on the size of each class (there\u2019s a maximum of 12 members), are tasked with answering simple prompts about the book, before everyone comes together for a final game loosely based around the book\u2019s theme. After, for those who wish to participate, there\u2019s more talking and snacks in the lobby.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Book Club water workout | Photo: @powerofthepool<\/p>\n
While it\u2019s a serious book club, says Anderson \u2014 meaning everyone needs to have read the book beforehand \u2014 the discussions remain light. September\u2019s book is The No. 1 Ladies\u2019 Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith; in August, the group read Vera Wong\u2019s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto, and Faull\u2019s favorite read so far has been West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge. Discussions are powerful, adds Faull. \u201cWe\u2019re talking about life experiences when we talk about how the books apply to us,\u201d she says. \u201cWe all bring a little something different to the pool.\u201d It\u2019s all exciting for the 79-year-old, who admits it\u2019s always nice to make new friends. \u201cWe\u2019re really building relationships inside the book club,\u201d she says. \u201cThe pool is a healing place.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Anderson \u2014 who brings more than 20 years of aquatic physical therapy and water fitness instructor experience \u2014 reopened the small indoor pool that was Formerly Muller and Weber Physical Therapy and Aquatic Center as Anderson Aquatics two years ago. The focus of the space is to continue offering innovative classes<\/a> and programs that aren\u2019t offered anywhere in town. The aquatic book club is just the start.\u00a0<\/p>\n Registration is required to attend book clubs (recommend booking ahead of time as classes are filling up) and classes are free, with a $10 suggested donation. Dive into the next book club, happening Wednesday, October 8, at 10 a.m. To learn more about Anderson Aquatics, visit anderson-aquatics.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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