Water aerobics exercises are not just exercises that can only be done in the water but also land exercises that are done in water. According to the Diabetic-Lifestyle website, water aerobics burns close to twice the number of calories as regular land exercises. Water aerobics and other water exercises are also much easier on your joints than many land exercises. Consult your doctor before beginning any new exercise regimen.
Types
There are many types of aerobic exercises that can be completed in the water --- water walking, water jogging and water running for example. Typically, these exercises start out in the shallower end of the pool; moving into deeper water increases the intensity. Jumping jacks, kicks and even aerobic routines are just a few more examples of exercises you might do on land that you could do in the water, "Woman's Day" magazine notes.
Calorie Burning
Both shallow-water and deep-water exercises burn plenty of calories, sometimes many more than similar land exercises. Deep-water exercises burn the most; these exercises are done in water that is too deep for you to touch the floor of the pool, making it so you have to kick to stay afloat. According to Diabetic-Lifestyle, you burn roughly 135 calories in 30 minutes of walking on land --- and 264 calories in 30 minutes of deep-water walking. Similarly, you burn 240 calories jogging on land for half an hour, while jogging in deep water for the same period burns 340. The Aerobic.org website, meanwhile, calculates that you'll burn 300 calories in a 30-minute water aerobics session.
Increased Resistance
Exercising in water adds an element of resistance you won't get on land. The pressure of the water and the force it takes to push through it increases the intensity of the workout --- yet the impact of water aerobics on your body remains low. The resistance is roughly 10 times higher for exercises done in water than on land, according to the Consumer Reports website. This greater resistance only heightens the benefits of water aerobics. You'll get a better cardiovascular workout, and you can build and strengthen muscle quicker.
Other Benefits
In addition to the cardiovascular and calorie-burning benefits, water aerobic exercises can give you a full-body workout. Water jogging, for example, works your hip and leg muscles, and moving you arms while you jog works your biceps. And the buoyancy of the water makes all such exercises low-impact. According to Consumer Reports, the risk of straining a muscle is half of what it is on land --- and in deep water, it's one-10th as likely. This makes water aerobics good exercise for wide range of people, such as the elderly, pregnant women and those individuals suffering from arthritis.
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