Fitness has become a very important part of all our lives. But lifting weights in the gym or running on the grounds can get monotonous and boring sometimes. Do you want to try something new that will improve your fitness levels and be a fun experience at the same time? If yes, you may consider water aerobics. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Water Aerobics – How does it Work?
It is a low-impact workout to build muscle strength and boost endurance. Water aerobics sessions generally go on for about an hour. The water aerobics instructor guides you through a series of movements, often set to music that keeps you motivated. Every session is usually divided into three parts – warm-up, muscle training and cardio exercises, and a cool down. The best thing is that you need not know how to swim since most workouts are held at the pool's shallow end. Examples of exercises involved in water aerobics are bicep curls, leg lifts, water walking, and kickboard moves.
How Does It Help in Improving Fitness?
Water Aerobics is a fantastic technique for achieving your fitness goals. Following are the seven ways water aerobics can improve your fitness.
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Low Intensity
The biggest selling point of these exercises is that they are low impact. Traditional workouts are mostly against gravity, which can be strenuous for your body. Workouts in a pool reduce the power of gravity, which creates less resistance and gives a feeling of weightlessness. The workout is as effective as any other workout but definitely reduces the chances of new injuries. Also, while you are doing water aerobics in the deep water, your body is not resting, so your heart rate is elevated, improving your cardiovascular health. -
Low Impact on Joints
This form of exercise is joint-friendly and has a meager impact on your joints. Water movements aid in reducing joint and muscle pain, resulting in more comfortable movements. While in the water, you only need to push the water out of your way. Compared to runners and lifters, this exercise benefits with minimal risk to joint health. -
Muscular Endurance
All the activities you do in the water come with muscular endurance. This is because your body gets adapted to keeping your head above the water level for more extended periods. This results in decreased muscle pain over time. In addition, sustained movements with lower intensity will dramatically increase your physical endurance compared to lower repetitions with higher weights. -
Improved Flexibility & Mobility
Every movement you make when you are underwater has more resistance than you just move on the land. This will make you more flexible because your body receives resistance in such directions that it isn’t yet adapted to. Water aerobics exercises will force you to move into positions by making some movements your body isn’t yet used to, and thus increase flexibility. -
Reduced Stress
Water aerobics has a tremendous advantage because it releases endorphins, a hormone responsible for reducing stress and pain. Thus these exercises reduce your stress and make you feel good after the session. Also, the underwater workouts accompanied by music are a fun experience. These exercises also improve your sleep and reduce depression or anxiety. -
Burning Calories
If you have worked hard to burn calories by doing other forms of exercise, you know how tough it is. But water aerobics helps you burn those calories very effectively. Some may burn 500 calories, while others might burn 1000. So, if your target is weight loss, remember that this workout is among the highest calorie-burning exercises. -
Cooling Effect
If you have done running on the grounds or lifted weights in the gym, you know how it feels to sweat a lot and experience the heat. But, if you consider water aerobics, you can burn many calories without even experiencing sweat and heat. This is because the heat flows away from your body as the water is cooler than your body. This cooling effect of water makes this exercise a better choice for burning calories during summer.
Not only can you participate in such a workout, but you could also help people achieve their goals with it. If you are interested in a career as an instructor in this fantastic fitness technique, The American Sports & Fitness Association provides you with the Water Aerobics Instructor Certification. Complete this certification and build your career by helping others improve their fitness!
