Aquatic exercises, such as pool running, are ways to get fit and improve your cardiovascular health. Pool running is a low-impact exercise because it elevates your heart rate and increases calorie expenditure while reducing joint compression. Unlike land fitness, when running in a pool you are surrounded by a source of resistance and you can control that resistance during your workout. A light flotation belt is recommended to remain upright in deep water. There are several variations of pool running that can make this type of fitness even more engaging and effective.
Deep Water Running
Doug Stern, a deep water running instructor for the New York Roadrunners, maintains that deep water pool running helps to strengthen all key muscles used in land running. The exercise is intended to help to increase your stride length and hip extension, which translates to better race times. Pool running can provide a refreshing full-body workout. While wearing a waist-flotation device, begin this exercise in deep water by simulating running movements with your arms and legs. Keep your upper body upright, you will notice you don't move forward. The Aquatic Exercise Association recommends wearing a specialized water shoe or your regular sneakers when you begin an aquatic running program.
Running Drills
Water is an ideal environment to do running drills that may cause shock to your joints on land. Buoyancy provided from the water permits a greater range of motion with no joint impact. To perform this exercise, lift one knee as high as possible while pointing the foot and straightening the opposite leg. Perform interval drills consisting of several minutes at a jogging pace alternating with two minutes at a sprint pace. Running drills also strengthen your groin's psoas muscles, which act as levers during all types of running.
Recovery Jogging
Dick Brown, who helped developed a device to assist buoyancy during water exercise, recommends easy jogging for recovery from injuries. Brown suggests recovery jogging for 30 minutes in the pool once per week. The water provides a hydrostatic effect on the body, which helps circulation and has a massage-like effect on your muscles. Recovery jogging is performed in shallow water at a slower pace than deep water running. You can touch the floor of the pool with your feet.
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