Home Water Aerobics for Dummies

With summer steadily approaching, the effect of the sweltering heat may tempt you to give up on your typical workout routines. To avoid this turning into an excuse, you may consider the aquatic option for staying fit—your pool.

What are the benefits?

The buoyancy of water will reduce your weight on impact, meaning there’ll be much less strain on your joints and muscles, so it’s a perfect supportive environment for your body. Otherwise, water aerobics is similar to normal aerobics—it will increase your breathing rate and your pulse, providing cardiovascular conditioning. Furthermore, it will also strengthen the body—water provides support, but also much more resistance than air. This resistance applies in both directions—as you pull and push against it—so with each movement you’re actually exercising two opposing muscle groups. Compared to gravity the effort is the same, but the benefit is double.

Preparations

Before any preps take place, you want to make sure that your exercise area (the pool) is ready to be used for any such aquatic activities. If you haven’t already, you want to make sure you have properly installed fencing that is of the acceptable standard set out by your local council. If there are any children involved, you want to clear out the area of any of their toys before using it. Your next step is to make sure that the water level of your pool is somewhere between the waist and chest height. Regarding the water temperature, it will be most comfortable varying from 83 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit since it will allow your body to respond and react normally to both the onset of exercise and the accompanying increase in body temperature. That way there’ll be no risk of overheating and you’ll still feel the cooling benefits.

Regarding equipment, you’ll need water shoes to provide traction on the pool floor and using flotation belt or aqua noodle will keep you afloat in deeper water. When you wish to increase resistance you can go for kick boards, inflated balls, webbed gloves, or styrofoam weights.

Exercises

Cardio can start with walking as a good low-impact workout, which you can ramp up over time by going faster, longer, or adding resistance with foam devices.

Next step is running in place, lifting your knees towards the top of the pool and striking the bottom with a flat foot while moving the arms vigorously.

To strengthen your hip, lower back, and leg muscles at the same time, go for leg raises. Position yourself with your left leg near the pool wall and place your left hand on the edge. Then slowly swing your right leg out and hold it for a few seconds, knees slightly bent. Lower and repeat ten times, then switch sides.

Knee raises will take care of your deep core muscles. Put your back to the side and your arms on the edge so your body makes a "T" in chest-deep water. Then pull your knees to your chest and lower them back again for ten repetitions without letting your back arch.

You can additionally strengthen your core by performing plank with noodles—just hold two in each hand in front of you and push them in the water to form a plank position. This means that your toes are touching the bottom, your body is straight below the surface, and your head above the water. Hold for 30 seconds.

To strengthen your back and shoulder muscles you can perform a water version of the Superman. You need to be standing in chest-deep water and holding onto the side with both hands, feet planted on the floor. Then slowly push your feet off the bottom and as your body floats to the top of the water straighten your legs and extend your arms with knees and elbows straight. Hold it for 20 seconds before lowering yourself to starting position and repeat five times.

The most effective workout for the chest is water weight flyes. Simply hold water weights with hands extended in front of the chest and palms facing each other. Then pull them to the rear moving the arms outward while keeping elbows straight. Returning the hands to the front is the end of the rep.

If you wish to develop upper body stamina and get an aerobic workout at the same time, five sets of 15 reps of beach ball push downs will get you there. This movement gets the heart rate up into the aerobic training range while exercising triceps, shoulders, back, and core. Hold a beach ball at arm’s length to the front while standing chest deep in water. Then simply push the ball underwater to touch the thighs, keeping the arms as straight as possible. Bring the ball back for one rep.

If you’re looking to increase your calorie burn, simply perform jumping jacks—they can tire you enough on the land, and the resistance of the water makes them much more difficult. Start with your feet together and hands by your side. Then jump out, moving the feet shoulder-width apart and bringing the hands together above your head.

As you can see, this cooling exercise sanctuary from blasting heat has many benefits, it’s easy to set up, and is able to cover all major muscle groups.