Exercising in a pool is a low-impact, aerobic activity that increases the heart rate, builds muscle and can lead to weight loss. One of the biggest benefits of water aerobic exercise is that it burns a lot of calories yet does not feel as intense as out-of-water exercise of similar calorie-burning intensity. Just treading water vigorously, reports a "Fitness" magazine article, burns 11 calories a minute.
Walking
Walking in the water provides 12 times as much resistance as air, according to the Arthritis Foundation. Further, the buoyancy of water reduces pain in people with arthritis by supporting body weight and minimizing stress on joints. You can walk in shallow water, or wear a flotation belt, which helps keep you standing upright, to walk in deeper water. Stand in water that is waist to chest high and walk laps like you would out of water. To tone different muscles, change your gait to walk sideways and backward. Lifting your knees higher with each step can also add intensity to your workout.
Running
In a 2000 study, researchers from Curtin University School of Physiotherapy found that running in deep water is an appropriate substitute for on-land running for people with injuries. For those who do not have injuries, running in water offers the same benefits as ordinary running but without the stress and strain on your joints. It also engages upper body muscles, which a regular, on-land workout won't.
Leg Exercises
If you don't feel comfortable wading into deep water, you can do exercises while safely clinging to the pool's edge. Stand with your back against the wall of the pool with a water noodle tied in a knot around your ankle. Kick one leg straight out until it is parallel to the floor then bend your knee until it forms a 90-degree angle. Repeat 12 to 15 times until your leg feels fatigued then put the noodle on the other ankle. The constant resistance from the water engages more muscles and forces you to move in a larger range of motion than if you did the same exercise out of water.
Calories Burned
Thirty minutes of water aerobics burns 146 calories in a 160 lb. person. A 200 lb. person will burn about 157 calories after 30 minutes of water exercises. Other activities that burn roughly the same number of calories in the same amount of time are bicycling at 10 mph, tai chi and volleyball. Water aerobics burns more calories than ballroom dancing, canoeing and bowling.
References
- Fitness: Slim Down in a Splash: Pool Workout
- Curtin University School of Physiotherapy: The Physiology of Deep Water Running as a Training Program; Robin Horne; 2000
- Cleveland.com: Benefits of Regular Running With the Stress and Strain on the Joints
- Arthritis Today: Water Walking 101
- Mayo Clinic: Exercise for Weight Loss
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