By Josephine Norris, Photo Editor.
If you were to ask women young and old “Who has ever dreamt of swimming as a mermaid?” odds are that quite a few hands would be raised.
Mermaids have been a cultural symbol with depictions of these creatures in myths, books and movies such as “ The Little Mermaid.” They’ve even become the focus of a Midland based fitness company, Mermaid Fitness.
“I have ideas of how mermaids are a good model for feminist fitness,” says founder JodiAnn Stevenson. Stevenson is also an associate professor of English at Delta.
The hope is to empower clients and make those childhood dreams of becoming a mermaid a reality.
After Stevenson and her daughter saw a young girl on a beach using a fin and tail they, “just freaked out. I freaked out. We both freaked out.”
This excitement led to Stevenson researching tails and purchased one for her daughter and herself.
“I turned 40 and said ‘That’s what I want for my birthday’ and I got one and we started swimming together.”
Once she owned a tail of her own, Stevenson, who was working toward her group fitness instructor certification thought to herself, “This is a pretty good workout and I could design a class around this.”
Inspired, Stevenson began working on her fitness plan. Participants would wear a mermaid tail and fin to swim and while performing pilates inspired poolside exercises.
Mermaid Fitness now offers its own brand of novelty exercise through classes at Delta’s own pool.“I think it’s a whole philosophy,” Stevenson says, “I felt like when I was putting it together, that the practice comes from a different philosophy of exercise. It’s not just about working out.”
The empowering philosophy of Mermaid Fitness is the idea that “beauty and strength can come together in a package,” according to Stevenson.
Mermaid tails are made of swimsuit material and fit snuggly around the lower part of the body and then a fin is slipped on and a Pilates inspired workout begins. After the poolside exercise, the moves are taken into the pool.
After the poolside warm up, Stevenson says, “it feels so good and you are so excited to get in the water.”
Stevenson sees many directions for the company beyond the classes and says, “I’d like it to be a place for people to go when they want that philosophy or get the mermaid stuff- or both!”
Whatever the reason behind people taking an interest, Stevenson has a hope that these classes and workout will have a lasting effect on clients.
“You should do it because it makes you love your body now. Not because of the results you’re going to get later from it, not because of the way you are going to lose weight or get stronger, though it will do those things, it will help you love your body right now.”
Mermaid Fitness classes are starting Oct. 3, but Stevenson is offering a demo for a taste of what the classes are like. The demo is Saturday, Sept. 26 at 8 a.m. and 8:30 a.m. with a children’s demo at 9 a.m. Attendance is free and includes an assortment of water exercises and the ability to try on the tails and fins. Spots are limited and but you can reserve one by emailing beit@mermaidfitness.com. More information is also available at mermaidfitness.com.