Just what is Aerobic Water Exercise? It is an effective and easy way to improve your cardiovascular fitness while reducing impact-related exercise injuries on your body. It reduces stress on your bodies muscles, bones and joints due to the unique buoyancy properties of water. Your body is completely supported by the water as you perform your exercise routines.
In the same way that land based aerobics comprise routines performed rhythmically accompanied or unaccompanied by music and reach different levels of intensity, aquatic aerobic exercises can become more advanced in levels and are performed with and without music. As an example, a basic water exercise routine may teach simple beginner leg movements which may or may not progress in intensity, frequency, intricacy and duration for an advanced level of exercise.
Similar to more familiar land based aerobic routines, water aerobics include the phases of warming-up, stretching and cooling down. Organized workout classes usually have duration of one hour or less. As well as a great aerobic workout, water fitness will provide great benefits in strength, flexibility, muscular endurance and balance.
If you are not a strong swimmer, there is still no problem with performing many of these low impact and simple to perform water based exercise routines. They can be performed in waist or chest deep water, though there are deeper water routines which use flotation equipment like buoyancy belts if you prefer.
Higher Weight Loss Than Land-based Aerobic Exercise
Water has a much greater resistance than air, so water exercises use up much more calories, it is not unusual to burn anywhere from 450 to 700 calories each hour. By going into deeper water, there is an even greater resistance and therefore greater calories are burned. Aerobic water exercise provides quicker results than performing the same routine out of water. Flexibility, endurance and muscle tone will also improve much faster than in land-based exercise.
Lower Stress Exercising
Aquatic Aerobics are very relaxing as the weight of your body is supported by the water. Consider the following facts and you will understand this information better:
- waist deep water supports 50% of your total body weight, that means your joints only you carry approximately half of your body weight
- chest deep water supports 85 % of your body weight, you carry only 15% of your body weight
- Neck deep water 90 % of your body weight, you carry only 10% of your body weight
