Whether you consider yourself a swimmer or not, I challenge you to take the plunge into becoming an aquatic exerciser.

Why, you might ask? It is as simple as this: aquatic exercise is one of the best forms of exercise out there. From its built-in resistance to its ease on the joints, water provides a wide range of benefits starting the moment a swimmer jumps in. Some of these benefits include, but are not limited to, buoyancy, built-in resistance, increased mobility and low- impact exercise. Other than swimming itself, there are many different forms of exercise that can be done in the water. Ranging from low-intensity exercise such as stretching or aqua yoga to more intense workouts such as resistance training or aqua aerobics, there is something for everyone in the pool.

 

Buoyancy

According to research, water can support up to 90 percent of our body weight through buoyancy — an upward force that acts to decrease the effects of gravity — which helps to alleviate some of the pressure on the body, specifically on weight-bearing joints. The major benefit buoyancy provides is the creation of a low-impact exercise environment. Low-impact environments benefit all populations, but greatly benefit special populations like the obese, elderly and anyone with other physical limitations. It is also the perfect environment for rehabilitation of injuries. Since water reduces stress on the bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments, injuries can be safely rehabbed and the injured can stay fit by reducing the weight-bearing load during exercise.

 

Balance and Mobility

Along with the buoyancy factor comes increased balance and mobility. As mentioned before, water reduces stress on bones, joints, muscles, tendons and ligaments. This allows one to stretch his or her limits, literally. By reducing or eliminating some of the body’s natural tension, joint and muscle flexibility and mobility are increased through aquatic exercise. Simply stretching in the water or taking a specialty class such as aqua yoga can improve these aspects of the ever-evolving body in a very low intensity and low-impact manner.

As many of us know, balance is one thing that tends to decline with age. The water is a great amenity to work on bettering and maintaining balance due to the unloading on the spine created by buoyant forces. Core strength plays a major role in balance, as our core muscles are major stabilizers, which also helps better posture and therefore contributes to overall balance and stability. Water is a great contributor to improving balance and stability as it provides a safer environment for falls if they occur, but also because aquatic exercise naturally engages the core in order to stabilize the body.

 

Resistance

One unique aspect of water exercise compared to land exercise is that water starts out having about 12-14 times the natural resistance of air. This means that even just walking in the water is going to provide a better workout than walking on land. To compare calories burned, research says that water jogging burns close to 12 calories per minute compared to eight calories per minute jogging on land. Continuing the comparison between water and land, water walking (for example) is going to provide more of a full-body workout as the muscle groups submerged in the water are worked (which may include the upper body), whereas walking on land focuses mainly on the muscles on the front and back of the legs. The natural resistance in the water is a huge advantage!

Similar to land exercise, resistance can be increased during aquatic exercise by using equipment such as buoyant hand weights, pool noodles, hand paddles or ankle weights. These pieces of equipment allow different muscle groups to be worked, increase the intensity of a workout and helps strengthen and tone muscles without the gravitational forces that are present during land exercise.

Aquatic exercise is the perfect amenity for all populations, including special populations, to stay healthy and active throughout their lives. Whether you are interested in group-exercise classes or not, taking one or two classes to learn new exercises and proper techniques is a great way to get started! Take the challenge and take the plunge.

Audrey Taylor, BS, is an exercise specialist at Vidant Wellness Center and can be reached at 252-975-4236.