Water aerobics is an effective fat-burning cardiovascular workout that also strengthen and tones your entire body. A typical water aerobic workout burns 400 to 500 calories per hour, the same amount of calories a one-hour jog burns, according to Northwestern Health Science University. Working out in the water is easier on your back, hips, knees and ankles than land-based cardio workouts and provides constant resistance to engage and tone your muscles. Water cools the body, so it is important to always begin your water aerobic workout with a five- to eight-minute warm-up that elevates your core temperature and warms your joints.
Step 1
March in place or walk briskly for a five- to eight-minute warm-up in the shallow end of the pool. Add gentle arm movements, pulling forward and back and criss-crossing to your march or walk. When you feel your heart-rate start to rise switch your movement to water jumping jacks. Move into a high heel jog and then end your warm-up with ankle reaches to the front and heel reaches to the back, keeping your posture tall. It is important to begin each water workout with a warm-up that increases your body temperature and warms the joints to prevent injury.
Step 2
Jog in the shallow end of the pool in place with knee high movements. Keep your posture up tall, shoulders over your hips and jog, lifting your knees up to hip level quickly. Keep this movement going for three to five minutes, or do one-minute intervals of knee high jogging in between leg, core or arm exercises. Once you master the knee high jog in place, try the movement traveling from one side of the pool to the other to increase intensity.
Step 3
Kick your legs in the shallow end of the pool. Fan kicks are excellent for toning the lower-body and core and help keep your heart rate high. Begin fan kicks in the shallow end of the pool, in waist- to chest-high water, in proper posture. Kick your right leg to the front and sweep it around to your right side, lower it back to your standing position. Repeat on your left side, then alternate the kicks for one to four minutes.
Step 4
Move your water aerobic workout into the deep end of the pool. Executing moves in the deep end of the pool requires constant water treading, which by itself can burn 11 calories in one minute, according to FitnessMagazine.com. Moves such as the k-tread engage the core muscles, the upper-body and lower-body. Begin the k-tread in the deep end, treading water and making small circles with your hands, lift your right leg straight in front of you while extending your left leg down as far as you can. Hold your leg position for five seconds, then quickly switch sides. Continue the movement on both legs for a total of 30 seconds to one minute.
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