When she was first told to try water aerobics, Kathy Lane laughed, saying it's "not fast enough."
She's not laughing any more. In fact, she's now an aerobics instructor and primed to release her debut water aerobics DVD.
"Not only am I helping people, but I'm also helping myself," the Forsyth County resident said. "I feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world, and I'm getting paid for it. Is there any more I can ask for?"
More than eight years ago, Lane, then a competitive tennis player, hurt her back.
"My neurosurgeon said, 'If you continue to play competitive tennis, you'll be in a wheelchair.' I didn't know what to do."
Through the strong coaxing of a friend, Lane went to Dynamo Swim Club and started taking water aerobics lessons.
She caught on so quickly she began training to be an instructor and later, developed her own routine.
It was when the Forsyth County Family YMCA opened near her home in Polo Fields, that Lane took the plunge and applied to be a water aerobics instructor.
When the facility opened in February 2006, Lane began teaching classes.
Between night, morning and senior mobility classes - each with up to 30 participants - Lane maintains a full schedule. She currently teaches nine classes a week and regulars of her program want more.
"She may have to break up the classes and have two because we're running out of room in the pool," said Margaret Hice, who has taken several of her classes.
"I have been quite impressed with [Lane]. I have researched these exercises and she has run them by a physical therapist and doctor who know these are the ones that work well with what she's trying to do.
"Anybody in the class is going to tell you that water has really made a difference in their ability to do things."
Hice was such a strong advocate of her class, she helped finance Lane's DVD.
"I believe in paying it forward," she said. "Sometimes all it takes is just a little boost to help people realize their dream. I was turning into a couch potato and I needed to get up and move my booty ... I was lucky enough to get Kathy for an instructor."
Lane's DVD, titled "Water Aerobics for Everyone," includes the full routine she uses for her classes. The disc can be viewed as a video or as an audio CD.
"I have a couple of ladies that travel, and no matter where they are, they always do that routine, every single night," she said. "I made it for everyone. You can move as slow or fast as you wish. The water is very forgiving."
The routine was designed for any age and offers cardiovascular exercises on various muscles throughout the body, she said.
Because water allows for smoother movement, the program can be especially beneficial to seniors, she said.
"My only request is if you can't do one of the exercises, just keep moving," she said.
"I get such great pleasure to see them doing the routine that I taught them. They're all in synch, they're having fun, they're smiling and they're exercising."