The Effects Of Water Aerobics

Water aerobics is a low-impact exercise that burns fat, improves your cardiovascular system and strengthens your muscles. The resistance of water makes the exercise easy on your joints and muscles while still providing a full-body workout. Water aerobics is suitable for any age group and beginners.

Water Aerobics

Usually water aerobic classes are held in swimming pools, in chest-deep water, and they can be called AquaFit or Aqua Aerobics. During the class you will mimic workouts like running, biking, weight lifting and kickboxing in the water to target muscles all around your body. The risk of muscle and joint injuries are lower during water aerobics than during an exercise class on land. Thus, water aerobics is a safe exercise option and suitable to almost anyone.

Muscle Strengthening

Although you do not use weights during water aerobics, you still strengthen your muscles. The high density of water causes resistance, which makes your muscles work harder while doing simple moves like running and moving your arms. This can help you build muscle mass in your limbs, chest, abdomen, neck and back. You may get faster results exercising in water when compared to exercising on land.

Fat Burning and Weight Loss

Water aerobics can help you burn fat and lose weight. Your metabolism increases during the exercise and you will start burning stored fat to produce enough energy for your muscles. Water aerobics can be more effective at burning fat than exercises performed on dry land. The increased resistance of water causes your body to work harder, which makes you burn more calories than a low-impact exercise done on land. Depending on the intensity, a 150-lb. person can burn approximately 280 to 570 calories during an hour of water aerobic exercise.

Cardiovascular Effects

Water aerobics also helps you improve your cardiovascular system, which has many important functions including delivering oxygen and nutrients to muscles, removing carbon dioxide, reoxygenating blood by circulating it through lungs and transporting heat. During an aerobic exercise, your heart rate rises to accommodate the increased oxygen and nutrient demand of your muscles. Long-term effects of aerobic exercise to your cardiovascular system include increased stroke volume and cardiac output, and lowered blood pressure and resting heart rate.