When choosing a workout class, people generally look for one that will incorporate all five major components of physical fitness:
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance
- Muscular Strength
- Muscular Endurance
- Flexibility
- Calorie Burning
An aquatic workout has all five components and more. It also enhances posture (core stability), balance, and coordination, promoting good body composition.
The water aerobics environment offers buoyancy, which is a great way to reduce impact while maintaining a challenge. Buoyancy provides a sense of weightlessness, and it reduces weight-bearing force that may be felt doing land workouts. It also adds a sense of security, as the upward force of the water supports the submerged body, lessening the fear of falling.
You can use various types of equipment in the water—drag, buoyant, and rubberized— to increase resistance in both shallow and deep water. You can push or pull against the water with as much or as little effort as you like.
It’s invigorating and refreshing to work out in the water knowing you’ve worked all the major muscle groups. Overall, water aerobics can give one a great sense of well-being, both physically and mentally.
By: Charlotte Strom, Aquatics Instructor