Exercising in a swimming pool by performing water aerobics is a good way to increase your heart rate, stimulate muscles and increase flexibility and endurance without causing major stress on your joints and bones. Water’s buoyancy will decrease the pressure on your joints meaning that exercises done in the water are especially good for people with arthritis or bone or joint issues. This article will go over the benefits of doing water aerobics as a way to prevent problems with joints, bones, and muscles that are often associated with exercising in a gym.
A Low Impact Exercise
Probably the main benefit of water aerobics is the fact that it’s a lower impact exercise than almost anything done on land. You can perform many of the same movements underwater as you would on land, but benefit from buoyancy in the water to reduce wear and tear on your body. This makes water aerobics great for pregnant women, senior citizens or injured people with chronic pain, joint or bone issues.
Choose Your Own Level Of Resistance
Even though water aerobics is a low impact exercise, you can still make it as challenging as you like. By increasing the speed and repetitions of your routine you can create a program that’s just as tough as anything you’ll find in a gym. Water resistance means that the harder you push your body through the water, the more resistance you’ll meet. If you need more resistance in your exercises you can incorporate float boards and pool noodles. And you don’t need to worry about being able to swim as most water aerobics programs are done in the shallow end of the pool with your feet placed firmly on the ground.
Full Body Workout
Water aerobics can target almost all the body parts that you would in a traditional gym. Your arms and legs can be easily worked out with exercises like curls, squats, lunges, jogging in place, knee kicks, and jumping jacks. Your core muscles will also get a good workout with a much lower chance of injury. As such, water aerobics are also good for people with back issues. Beyond physical health, working out in water can also improve your mental health.
Ease Of Access
Water aerobics will increase your strength, flexibility, and endurance as well as your heart and breathing rates with the benefit of low impact, easy to learn exercises. Probably the largest barrier to water aerobics is access to a swimming pool. However, installing a custom pool in your backyard is a fantastic investment that will give you 24/7 access to water aerobics as well as the many joys of owing your own pool.