Have you ever tried walking
from one end of a pool or swimming area to the other? It isn’t as easy as you might imagine. In
general I thought that it was a better workout than my feeble efforts to swim
laps ever were, and I could leave my glasses on. Anyone tempted to add a little splash to their
usual routine will be pleasantly surprised that it is a great workout. Water walking is becoming increasing popular
and classes are popping up all over.
Water workouts can provide
an ideal but safe form of exercise for just about everyone. Did you know that you can have fun, get fit
and stay healthy by doing water workouts?
Using the natural resistance of water you can improve your body composition
and tone, strengthen muscles, and increase aerobic and muscular endurance,
while improving flexibility, coordination, and agility. Benefits include: reduced stress on joints, bones, and
muscles. Weight bearing impact is
minimal in the water and if you use a flotation device you can eliminate impact
altogether. It takes more energy to
push your body through water than it does through air. Ergo: walking through thigh deep water or
deep water can give you more than double the workout that you do walking on
land. You can walk either in the shallow
end of the pool or the deep end (using a flotation belt). The deeper the water, the more strenuous your
workout is. A flotation belt keeps you upright and floating at shoulder height. You will be pleasantly surprised that in
addition to being hard work, the water invigorates you and you will find that
calisthenics can be interesting and fun.
Most water exercises are
preformed in waist-deep to chest-deep water.
To develop a basic level of fitness, start out with water walking and a
slow rendition or range-of-motion stretches.
Start slowly as you will find that this unusual form of exercise is
harder than you think it is. It is going
to take some concentration to acclimate yourself and learn how to get a feeling
of balance in the water. You might enjoy
reading “Fantastic Water Workouts,” by MaryBeth Pappas Baun, as an introduction
to this interesting form of exercise.
There are enough variations on walking routines (forward, backward,
jogging, marching, pedaling, knee lifts, kicks and hops) to keep you motivated
for some time.
Commonly used
equipment: Aqua shoes (light weight
shoes to add traction, stability, and resistance). Find a good comfortable chlorine-resistant
bathing suit or opt for a body suit if you chill easily. Flotation noodles, buoyant barbells, cuffs
and balls, water weights, water walkers (flexible foot paddles) and a dozen
other bit and pieces are available if you decide to take water walking
seriously.
You may be looking at water exercises because
your doctor wants you to exercise but you are too painful to start in on a land
based program. The other possibility is
that as a sports enthusiast you have traumatized your joints, back, feet, and
knees to the point where you can’t push yourself any further. If you still want to compete, a cross
training program using water exercise may be the ideal solution for you. Find a
class, an instructor will help you perfect your form and it will be fun to join
others for a good laugh and companionship as you struggle to learn how to walk
all over again.
I too have the delimna of wearing my glasses in hte pool or not seeing anyone or anything. I recently used an exercise pool at the local Y here in town. Its like a swim spa and has all sorts of attachments to do other workouts for other body areas. And I dont have to take my glasses off!!
Posted by: Wanda | December 02, 2009 at 09:58 AM
I usually prefer water workout by walking. It's perfect for me. I use contact lens and it's work! I still use my contact lens with no problem and it's help to soft my knee so much
Posted by: pool fitness | January 17, 2010 at 04:25 AM