Aqua Fit :: Fitness :: Cardio Exercise

Aqua Fit
by author Tanya Rouble, ACE-CPT

Exercising in the pool is a great way to add variety to your fitness routine. Improved muscle tone and cardiovascular fitness are just two of the many benefits you will gain from putting on your swimsuit and jumping into the water.

Aquafit offers an amazing low-impact, head-to-toe workout for beginners or seasoned exercisers. It’s also great for people who are recovering from knee or other injuries.

Buoyancy has Its Benefits

Neck-deep water supports 90 percent of your body weight and relieves stress on knee and hip joints. Pressure is released when a joint is submerged in water, encouraging freedom of movement through its full range of motion.

That makes aquatic exercise the ideal choice for those with arthritis or other chronic problems. The buoyancy of water also provides support for older individuals, decreasing the risk of injury due to falling.

Putting Up Resistance

The other interesting thing about water is that it provides resistance in multiple directions, with hydrostatic pressure exerted equally on all surfaces of the body. Movement in any side-to-side or forward-backward direction meets equal resistance, so that opposing muscle groups work equally. This means that the muscles in the front of the leg work when the leg is lifted forward and the muscles in the back of the leg work when the leg is lifted behind.

As a result you burn more calories when exercising in the water compared to exercising on land. A one-hour aquafit class burns nearly 400 calories, comparable to jogging at a pace of six to eight minutes per kilometre for the same length of time.

The next time you’re at the pool, try a deep-water workout or sign up for an aquafit exercise class at your local swimming pool.

Safety Tips

Begin aquafit exercises slowly and gradually increase the pace so that your body is prepared for your workout.
Every time you bounce or jump, exhale at the point you are closest to the water. This
prevents sputtering if you accidentally swallow water.
Make sure someone is always nearby in case of emergency.
Avoid alcohol before a water workout as alcohol impairs balance, coordination, and
judgment, and it alters your body’s physiological response to exercise.
Wait two to three hours after a big meal before attempting a difficult workout. A one-hour wait is acceptable for gentle workouts.
Wear water-training shoes to prevent blisters on the soles of your feet.

Do-It-Yourself Deep-Water Workout

Stand in water as deep as your shoulders and repeat each of the following exercises 10 to 15 times.

Front / Back Pull

Purpose

Works chest, upper back, and shoulders

What to Do

Extend arms straight out to sides with palms facing forward and fingers together. Sweep arms through the water to clap hands at chest level. Pull arms back to starting position.

Tips

Use equal force in both directions of movement through the water.
Keep the same hand position throughout.

Knees to Chest

Purpose

Works the abdominals

What to Do

Stand at the side of the pool and stretch your arms to hold onto the edge. Contract your abdominals, bend your knees, and slowly lift them toward your chest. Slowly release the legs back to starting position.

Tips

Keep tummy pulled in to maintain abdominal control.

Up/Down Pull

Purpose

Works chest, shoulders, and upper back

What to Do

Extend arms straight out to sides with palms facing down and fingers together. Pull arms down until your hands clap in front of your hips. Pull arms back to starting position.

Tips

Use equal force as you pull down and up.
Again, keep the same hand position throughout.

Wide-Knee Running

Purpose

Works hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, and inner and outer thighs

What to Do

Hold arms out to sides and stand with feet hip-width apart. Lift your right knee to your right hand. Lower and lift your left knee to your left hand.

Tips

Be sure to lift your knee to your hand rather than dropping your hand to your knee.

Tanya Rouble, ACE-CPT, is a certified Pilates instructor, personal trainer, and fitness instructor with more than 15 yearsâ€™ experience. She is co-owner of Pilates Niagara and founder of several community-based exercise programs. pilatesniagara.com

Source: alive #305, March 2008

Make a Splash!
Many of us are irresistibly drawn to lakes and rivers, the ocean, local swimming holes and pools. Outdoor bathing invigorates and rejuvenates like nothing else. It's a welcome relief from the summer heat and reconnects us with nature, helping us relax and heal. Water exercise provides unique benefits.

Dive Right In
Often overlooked as a form of exercise for children, recreational swimming is an excellent all round activity. Recreational swimming is quite different from the competitive sport. Regular weekly visits to the pool can help your child reap the benefits of this most calming form of exercise.

Out of the Cold
My Norwegian friend Ingre swears by the health benefits of her daily swim in the cold waters of the Atlantic. Every morning, she's down at the beach off beautiful Sogne Fjord-even in the sub-zero temperatures of December-to "take the waters" and experience the blood rush that results.

Getting Into the Swim of Things
When I was in my early teens, I was a competitive swimmer. I swam for a club in White Rock, BC, and trained in a rectangle of wharves at the end of the pier under the watchful eye of our coach, Merle McGrath.

Just Do It Together
In our busy, hectic lives, both family time and fitness time may get shuffled to the bottom of our to-do lists. But maintaining good health and spending time with our families are essential to stress relief, longevity, and truly enjoying life. What's the solution? Turn family time into family fitness time!

Swimming for Gold
Swimming is one of the healthiest exercise activities you can do. It's a great fitness solution for anyone with little time to exercise because it's a whole-body workout. Endurance, muscle strength, and ardiovascular fitness are all accomplished with each arm stroke and leg kick in the pool.

Swim, Bike, Run
Triathlon was introduced in the 1970s in California and migrated north into Canada soon thereafter. Some 50,000 Canadians participate annually in these continuously timed competitions, which feature segments in three of the world’s most popular sports—swimming, cycling, and running.