Water aerobics offer a low-impact activity appropriate for all fitness levels. Moves from land-based classes like Zumba, kickboxing and step aerobics can be performed in the pool. While the elderly, pregnant women and injured athletes often flock to water aerobics, anyone can benefit from these classes. In addition to your intensity level during class, your overall results depend on the depth of the water you use, the temperature of the water and air, and the length of your arms and legs. Make the most of your water aerobics experience by being informed about the best way to approach your workout.
The Right Class
If you are unsure about jumping into a class right away, observe at first. A well-structured class includes a gradual warm-up and a cool-down, as well as modifications for various levels of participant. Determine whether the instructor's style jives with your personal preferences. Feel free to ask your instructor about her qualifications in teaching aquatics and let her know about any limitations you may have.
Hydrate
Because you are surrounded by water and your sweat rate is imperceptible, you need to be careful to drink plenty of water as you exercise. Place a water bottle on the side of the pool so you can take a drink every five to 10 minutes to insure proper fluid replacement. Do not rely on thirst to prompt you to drink.
Use Perceived Exertion
If you are accustomed to checking your heart rate during your workout, know that it will register about 17 beats lower in the water than it does on land, reports the American Council on Exercise. For this reason, you may be working much harder than your heart rate reflects. Try self-evaluating periodically during class, asking yourself how you feel on a scale of one to 10. Think of a one as sitting in a chair and a 10 as an all-out, unsustainable effort. For the majority of class, you should feel as if you are between a five and eight---with beginners staying in the lower range.
Immerse Yourself
Tentative participants may prefer the shallower end of the pool. This actually decreases the effectiveness of your workout---as the more water you have to work against, the greater your body's effort and calorie burn. Water offers 12 times more resistance against muscles than air, reports a 1996 issue of American Fitness. If you only place your legs into the water, but leave your arms out of the pool, you lose a lot of that resistance and the strengthening benefits of the class.
Big Movements
Large movements with extended arms and legs increase your intensity when working in the pool. To make a class even more effective, try cupping and pulling the water with your hands to create more resistance. Do not be afraid to jump off the pool floor---water lessens the "weight" of your body by about 90 percent as per ACE, meaning that the impact on your joints is greatly reduced.
Member Comments