I am a STRONG BELIEVER in the benefits of exercising in water. I have taught water exercises for over 25 years and have written a few books on this topic as well!
Shameless plug…I have a new water fitness book coming out soon!
Check out my Instagram! I will be adding water fitness exercises just for you!
Facts about Water Fitness – You Don’t Have to Be a Great Swimmer
A water workout does not require a person to be a strong swimmer. Water workouts typically take place in the shallower sections of a pool so that participants may still touch the bottom, even though it’s vital to exercise additional caution around the water, especially for people who aren’t great swimmers.
A Complete Body Workout
Water’s resistance makes training more intense than on land. Because water has built-in resistance, traveling through it is harder than traveling through air. The resistance provided by the water increases as you exert greater force during an exercise, allowing you to adjust the training to your current state of well-being. When you’re in the water, you’re using your arms, shoulders, legs, glutes, and core to support you as you move against the water’s resistance. This resistance builds strength and stamina.
It is a Low Impact But Challenging Workout
“Buoyancy” relieves joint pressure. This makes movement smoother and lowers impact. In chest-deep water, your body weight is approximately 10 percent less than normal. Add in an increase in resistance, and you can train at a higher intensity without the strain or impact of joint-jolting land-based training.
You Are in Control of Resistance
Depending on your pace, location, or form, water resistance is dynamic. If you streamline your movement, you’ll go quicker with less resistance. When you jog or run in water, especially if it’s over your waist, you get extra resistance (this is done to enhance running speed, strength, and endurance on land).
Increase Muscle Strength and Endurance
Since water flows in numerous directions, the resistance in the pool can be four to 42 times greater than air, giving muscles a rigorous exercise. A study indicated that after 12 weeks of regular water aerobic exercise, individuals experienced significant gains in strength, flexibility, and agility. Unlike traditional weights, water-resistance requires the body to strain through the water rather than against it.
Your Joints Aren’t Under Pressure
Water is more forgiving than land, so your joints aren’t under pressure. This can help increase flexibility and decrease inflammation in those with chronic pain. Water makes it easier to move. Traditional land workouts can be hard on our joints. In water fitness, buoyancy helps reduce the bodily impact of water weight. Our bodies are not subject to gravity in water, so the impact on our joints when jogging in water is different than when running on land.
Water Keeps You Cooler
Working out in the summer might induce overheating. Water exercise cools the body faster and lowers the risk of overheating.
Heart-Healthy
Being in water relaxes the blood vessels, allowing them to carry more blood with less resistance to the heart. Water-resistance isn’t merely a buoyancy characteristic to work the muscles. The water pressure helps blood flow more effectively throughout the body, reducing blood pressure and resting heart rate. This keeps your heart productive while reducing stress. Exercising in water reduces mental stress, which benefits your cardiovascular health. Water walking helps internal organs
like the lungs because the water pressure makes them work harder.
Burn Calories
Water exercise burns calories by combining strength, cardio, and water resistance. The body can burn 400 to 500 calories in an hour of exercise, depending on cardiac activity, weight (including dumbbells and weight belts), water temperature, volume, and buoyancy. To boost your metabolism and burn calories, exercising in water is one of the finest workouts for weight loss.
It can also help improve balance, which reduces your risk of falls.
You don’t have to be a pro at the sport of water polo or do the backstroke all day to reap the benefits of working out in the pool.
It can help improve your balance and coordination
It reduces your risk of falls. Water exercise increases mobility in joints that might not always get much use otherwise (for example, ankles), which means increased confidence when it comes time to step outside into unfamiliar territory (like trying yoga). Water fitness is not age-or skill-specific. Water fitness is great for people of all ages, and yes, it is great for kids too!
Please check out my book 101 Cool Pool Games!
