Calling everyone to the pool!
If you haven’t tried an Aqua Fitness classes– it’s time to get in the pool!
You can cross-train and add needed fitness to your routine with Aqua classes.
Why Water?
Water provides you resistance that works your muscles in every movement, while pumping the heart rate and burning calories. The buoyant atmosphere of the pool limits the impact on your joints and allows the opportunity to engage in a much more rigorous exercise experience without impact.
Over the last 15 years, Aquatic Fitness has changed tremendously. For example, more aggressive and athletic aquatic fitness programs have been created – giving individuals results with water specific movements. These are exercise movements you can do in the water but not on land. In addition, intense workouts such as HITT, Tabata, Boot Camp as well as yoga and Pilates have been added to our water workouts.
Not convinced? Here’s 10 reasons WHY you need to exercise in the water:
#1 Buoyancy – Reduced Impact
Bouncy reduces the effect of gravity and lessens joint impact. A body immersed to chest level bears around 25-35% of body weight, a body immersed to neck level bears around 10% of body weight, and when we are immersed at waist level – our bodies bear around 50% of body weight.
# 2 Zero Gravity – Zero Impact.
When we move to the deep water or suspend in the shallow– we are challenged more because we expend more energy staying afloat and vertical and we have more unique exercise opportunities. In addition, decompression of the spine occurs in deep water.
#3 Water Immersion – Improved Circulation:
Immersion helps improve heart function – allowing us to exercise at a
reduced heart rate. It also helps us improve the blood flow return to the heart. Often, aquatic exercise is recommended for people with circulatory issues. The pressure of the water makes it easier for the heart to deliver oxygen-carrying blood to all the working muscles.
#4 Exercise in Water – Sleep Better and De-stress:
When we improve our circulatory and respiratory function, as described above, we can have a more restful sleep.
Water temperature is much cooler than body temperature. Because of this, heat dissipation through conduction and convection is facilitated, lowering body core temperature. Exercising in the water fatigues muscles and fatigued muscles require rest. Exercise reduces stress.
#5 Resisted Movement – Muscular Balance
- Viscosity – the friction of molecules makes water more viscous or “thicker” than air.
- Water is 784 times more dense than air and provides 12 times more resistance than air.
- Submerged movement is resisted in all directions – working muscles in pairs.
- Muscular imbalances are one of the biggest reasons joints, such as the shoulder or the hip or the knee become compromised.
- Exercising in water helps improve joint integrity because you work muscles all around the joint in submerged resistance.
#6 Weight loss – Safe Exercise
- Research studies have shown that caloric expenditure in water is similar to land.
- 9.8 calories are burned per minute.
- A typical 35-minute cardio session would burn 343 calories.
- A 60-minute class would typically burn 400-500 calories.
- Obese participants can exercise more safely in water due to buoyancy.
#7 Enhanced Results – Functional Fitness
- Endurance: Reduced impact encourages harder & longer exercise activity.
- Balance: Water’s viscosity provides support – enabling increased ROM.
- Mobility: Exercising with bigger movements improves muscular strength.
#8 More From Core – Spinal Health
- Aquatic environment allows for vertical core training.
- Properties of water & equipment allow changes in body position.
- Vertical alignment with flotation belt or devices allow for maximal core recruitment.
- The pool offers a safe environment to exercise in with an existing back injury.
#9 Cross Training – Exercise Variability
- Change activities frequently to benefit your fitness.
- Cross train and do water exercise a couple of days a week.
- You can run harder and jump higher in the water.
- It will benefit you to try different activities and classes – HIIT, kickboxing or Pilates, yoga.
#10 Feels Good – Exercise Adherence
- All life begins in water.
- Enjoying exercises increases adherence and aqua fitness is fun!
- With Aqua Fitness, you can discover your inner athlete.
References
- Aquatic Exercise Association. 2010. Aquatic Fitness Professional Manual, Sixth Edition. Human Kinetics: Champagne, IL.
- U.S. Census Bureau. An Aging Population: The Older Population in the United States. 2014. http://www.census.gov/prod/2014pubs/p25-1140.pdf
- AARP. Aging Population a Source of Growth; Not Drain. 2014. http://states.aarp.org/aging-population-source-of-economic-growth-not-a-drain/
- Aquatic Exercise Association. 2015. Benefits of Aquatic Exercise. http://www.aeawave.com/ArticlesMore/BetterHealth/tabid/355/ctl/DetailView/mid/453/itemid/1511/spot/false/Default.aspx
- Aquatic Exercise Association. Featured Research: How Many Calories? June M.Chewning, http://www.aeawave.com/Portals/2/PDF/HowManyCaloriesUpdated.pdf
Christine teaches group and private fitness and wellness classes. Currently she teaches Aqua Fitness at Michigan Shores in Wilmette, IL on Tuesday 9am-10am. She is a multi-certified health and wellness and fitness professional passionate about helping people maximize their mind, body and spirit.
Need to start or change up your fitness and health and wellness? Or perhaps you’d like to start or add more healthy living to your world? Contact me at:christine@soletosoulcoaching.com
Soletosoulcoaching provides fitness coaching and healthy self care and non-toxic home and personal care products to nourish the body and soul.