Water fitness, or aquatics, is a non-impact way to participate in cardiovascular and resistance exercise. Because your body is buoyant, your weight is reduced in water, taking the stress of exercise off your joints and creating an environment that allows many special populations to be physically active without pain. Water also aids in flexibility exercises that may be difficult to achieve outside of the pool. An ideal water workout mirrors that of a traditional workout. This includes a warm up, a cardio segment, some resistance exercises that gradually increase in intensity and a cool-down.
20-Minute Workout
"Fitness" magazine provides a guide for a 20-minute water workout (See Resources). This workout calls for each of the 10 exercises to be done for two minutes in your pool’s shallow end. This workout consists of cardio and leg resistance exercises. To reduce the risk of injury, make sure you always land with your foot flat on the pool’s floor. It is tempting while doing some of the exercises to land on the balls of your feet.
Water Workout Basics
If you are not sure if aquatics is for you, but want to try some water exercises, there are a few basics to start with.
Leg lift: Standing in the pool with your left hand anchoring you to the edge, lift your right leg straight up and out to the side as high as you can without moving your hips; lower and repeat eight to 10 times. Switch legs and repeat.
Lateral raises: Stand shoulder-deep in water and raise your arms straight up to the sides until they reach the surface; lower and repeat eight to 10 times.
Water jogging: Intensity increases as water deepens; jog in place making sure to land flat-footed or wearing a flotation vest, jog without letting your feet touch the pool’s floor.
Powerful Pool Exercises
According to Gaiam life, these are some of the best ways to get the most out of your water workouts.
Swimming laps is a cool way to do moderate to high intensity cardiovascular exercise. Alternate strokes each lap for variety and to work your muscles in different ways.
Take an aquatics class at your gym or local community center. Group fitness is often more motivating and allows you to ask any questions you have about aquatics to a certified instructor.
Use a kickboard, which are not just for kids these days. Warm up by holding the board in front of you and kicking to propel yourself forward. Try standing on it as if surfing and doing “squats” under water.
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