Splish-splash your way to a revved up metabolism with water aerobics, which will raise your metabolism by increasing the percentage of lean muscle mass in your body. Muscles operate at a higher metabolic rate and consume calories faster than fat tissue. Water aerobics can speed up your metabolism and, as a bonus, you burn calories hours after you have left the pool.
Metabolism Defined
Metabolism combines two physical and chemical body processes. The cell-building anabolism phase involves the body synthesizing protoplasm that helps cells grow and repair themselves. The cell-deconstructing catabolism phase breaks down complex substances into simpler energy-producing compounds the body needs for proper functioning. The two phases work together to distribute nutrients throughout the system. The number of calories your body uses every day -- the metabolic rate -- is a combination of three factors, the rate your body consumes energy for vital body processes, the rate you burn energy during physical exercise, and the rate your body utilizes energy to digest food.
Water Aerobic Benefits
Water aerobics boost the heart rate and oxygen intake while burning fat to create lean muscles that process calories quicker and more efficiently than fatty tissue. If you weigh about 150 lbs., water aerobics burns roughly 300 calories in a one-hour class, but if your routine features deep-water walking or jogging, you can burn off greater numbers of calories. Thirty minutes of walking on dry land works off 135 calories, but deep-water walking does nearly twice as much -- 264 calories. A 30-minute jog eats up 240 calories, but do it in the pool and the result is 340 calories.
Metabolism-Boosting Water Equipment
Intensify the aerobic benefits and amp up your metabolism with water aerobic equipment. For example, water fan paddles, which resemble ping-pong paddles, help increase muscle strength and tone. Try using water fan paddles as an extension of your hand for bicep curls, keeping in mind that the rapid lifting of the paddles raises the difficulty level of the exercise.
Water dumbbells are also a great way to make water aerobics more challenging. Remember to stand chest or shoulder-deep in the pool to get maximum cardiovascular benefits from using the dumbbells for lateral raises, arm lifts and chest flies.
Water Aerobics Toning Move
Target your arms, back, chest, abs, booty and hamstrings with the K-Tread. Start by treading water in the deep end, cupping your hands and making small circles in the water. Lift your right leg straight out in front of you, keeping it at hip level while stretching the toes of the left leg straight toward the pool bottom. Hold this pose for five seconds, then switch legs and continue for 30 seconds.
References
- Consumer Affairs.com: Speed Up Your Metabolism; Laurie Hedlund, LPN,
- Diabetic Lifestyle.com: Exercise Option: Water Aerobics; Bonnie Sanders Polin
- Fitday.com: Water Aerobic Equipment: Using Water Fan Paddles
- FitDay.com: Water Aerobic Equipment: Using Water Dumbbells
- Fitness Magazine.com: Slim Down in a Splash: Water Workout; Lara McGlashan,
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