Why Aquatic Workouts Can Help You Achieve Your Fitness Goals

By Bryan Kittman | May 24, 2019

Whether you’re looking to bring some diversity to your workouts, or you want a low-impact method of exercise that still brings the intensity, aquatic workouts might be right for you. Water aerobics is an excellent way to get in shape and get your heart pumping. Here is why aquatic workouts are a good idea.

Strengthens muscle and improves stamina

While traditional cardio is great for your heart, when combined with the natural resistance of water, it can be a powerful workout for your muscles. The force of water from all directions acts as a set of natural weights for all parts of your body, giving you a full-body workout simply by moving. Rather than focusing on a singular body part, each muscle group is getting an equal amount of conditioning.

Low-impact

Having arthritis or inflammation can be a serious barrier for getting into exercise, as it can be a painful experience. However, with aquatic exercise, you can get a great workout without having your joints take a pounding. Being in the water helps you relax stiff muscles, giving you the benefits of exercise without furthering any pain from inflammation.

It can help reduce blood pressure

Water aerobics can be effective in improving blood circulation. While doing a workout in the water, blood can easily return to your heart due to the force of the water on your body. Being in the water is also quite relaxing, allowing for more oxygen to pump through your muscles.

It can improve flexibility

One of the biggest restrictions when it comes to exercising on land is the force of gravity. But when you’re in water, these restrictions are limited, allowing for a full range of motion and the chance to exert muscles you wouldn’t otherwise be able to exert. Water aerobics has been found to be effective in helping patients with osteoarthritis improve flexibility in their knees and hips.

Encourages weight loss

The natural buoyancy when being in water allows you to exert yourself more so than what you’d be able to do on land. Doing so makes you expend greater amounts of energy, consequently resulting in burning more calories. A simple 30-minute workout in the pool can burn more than 200 calories, much more than what you’d get on a treadmill for the same amount of effort.

Want to try it out? Here’s a quick and simple aquatic workout

Do each movement for 2 minutes. Rest for 2 minutes after completion of all four, then repeat once.

Jog in place – move as if you were jogging, and remember to keep your knees high

Squat jump – squat down with your arms extended in front of you at shoulder height. Jump as high as possible and raise your arms overhead

Bicycle – Lean back against the side of the pool, and extend your legs and complete a pedaling motion.

Frog hop – Jump from side to side, with your feet together.