Aquatic workouts, such as stroke intervals, aquacise classes and deep-water pool running, are effective ways to get fit and improve your aerobic health. These are all low-impact aerobic exercise that elevate your heart rate and increase calorie expenditure while reducing joint compression. Unlike land fitness, when working out in a pool you are surrounded by a source of resistance, and you can control that resistance during your workout. For those who enjoy the water, this type of fitness can be more engaging and effective.
Aquacise
Aquacise classes provide full-body conditioning that includes aerobic fitness and strength training. You can find aquacise classes at most gyms that have a pool on-site. The instructor will provide a workout that uses the water's resistance to condition your muscles. Water hand weights are also used for an upper-body workout against the water's force. On your gym's schedule, the aquacise classes might be called water aerobics or a similar variation of the name.
Innovative Aquatic Intervals
The Aquatic Exercise Association introduced the program that marries high-intensity interval training with aquatics. The program begins with a five-minute warmup, which consists of a high-heel jog performed in a box pattern, and a series of jumps and leg extensions, all performed in the water. This creative warmup is followed by jumping jacks, then a level-two jack, which the Aquatic Exercise Association describes as a bend at the knees and hips, as if sitting in a chair, with shoulders at the water's surface; gently touch the pool bottom without jumping. The higher-intensity jumps are to be repeated in cycles, followed by a recovery exercise such as one of the warmups.
Deep-Water Pool Running
Doug Stern, a deep-water running instructor for the New York Roadrunners, maintains that deep-water pool running helps strengthen all key muscles used in land running while providing the aerobic benefits of running. The program, according to Turner, will help increase your stride length and hip extension, which translates to better race times. Pool running can provide a refreshing full-body workout. The Aquatic Exercise Association recommends wearing a specialized water shoe or your regular sneakers when you begin an aquatic running program.
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