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Workouts - Making a splash

By Paul Stephen Lubicz – The Wellbeing Manager

Get wet and look great this summer with a water workout. Burn calories and get in shape with swimming and aqua aerobics while you enjoy the amazing therapeutic qualities of H2O. Swimming is a natural activity for both fun and cooling off. From a fitness standpoint, swimming has both physical and mental benefits. And whereas some people with physical limitations cannot perform land exercise, water exercise offers a perfect fitness option.

There are many different approaches to swimming and water exercise, be it lap swimming or water aerobics that can keep you looking amazing and benefit your heart, lungs and muscles. Particularly if you have suffered an injury or illness, swimming is one exercise that you can perform safely with some medical guidance. No matter whether you swim recreationally or competitively, swimming is a great stress buster as well and is a wonderful meditative form of relaxation as you propel your body through the water.

Water is approximately 1000 times denser than air so this increased density has several effects on the body. Water density places an increased ‘drag’ across the body which means the energy cost of swimming is about four times greater than running the same distance.

In water, your muscular-skeletal system is no longer bearing weight or enduring impact. Without impact you can relax and focus on the meditative powers and physical benefits of water. Water massages your body with every movement. This action increases circulation, promotes relaxation, and helps remove stress and tension.

The Benefits of Swimming are:

• Increased muscular strength and endurance
• Enhanced flexibility
• Positive changes in body composition
• Improved posture, balance and coordination
• Improved cardiovascular fitness

Up until recently, those who wanted to burn some serious calories in the pool simply swam laps. These days there are oceans of possibilities for water exercisers.

The human body responds differently to exercise and movement in water as I pointed out earlier. An aqua aerobic training environment takes advantage of resistance and buoyancy to create a challenging workout. Over the past five years there has been tremendous expansion in programme design and equipment availability for aquatic fitness training. Adding aquatic classes in a gym or a recreational centre has been a must to accommodate the growing popularity of aqua aerobics.

Aerobics can be defined as any physical exercise that increases the heart rate and increases the body's intake of oxygen long enough to benefit the condition of the human body. Performing simple activities such as walking, running, dancing, and swimming are defined as doing aerobic exercises.

This type of exercise had been around for several years until it was taken to yet another level, which is known today as Water Aerobics. This type of aerobic exercise permits a person to get the same benefits as regular aerobic work out, but this type has its many other advantages not unlike swimming.

One benefit is that water aerobics allows a person to exercise every muscle and every joint in the body all at the same time. Another benefit is that water aerobics are cooler as the water cools off your body the entire time you are performing your routine. This is definitely a plus factor, especially in the summertime heat. The last and probably most important benefit of water aerobics is that almost anyone, no matter their age, can perform water aerobics.

The reason for this is because the water causes your body to be buoyant, thus causing less strain and stress on your joints and muscles. Don't worry though, you will still get the maximum pay off for your work out when you perform water aerobics.

A person does not need to know how to swim in order to take advantage of water aerobic exercises either. He or she can wear one of many devices that will enable them to stay afloat with little effort. This is turn enables the person to be able to concentrate on his or her routine. Plus, it helps to eliminate the fear of a mishap in the water, especially in the deep water.

The ideal location in which to perform water aerobics is in an indoor swimming pool where the water temperature is controlled. Any indoor swimming pool will suffice, though. Outside ponds or lakes can be used, but an indoor pool is preferred. And remember to always follow the safety rules of swimming when you are performing water aerobics. The most important rule is to follow the buddy system and never swim or perform water aerobics alone.

Training tips:

• Always start each exercise slowly, gradually working into full range of motion and strength
• As technique and mobility increase, encourage to work more powerfully against the water’s resistance
• Breathing cues are of utmost importance. Due to body submersion, breathing sometimes becomes short and shallow causing breathlessness. Using a flotation belt can also contribute to this as well as the temperature of the water. Inhale deeply! Exhale fully!
• Postural cues: Chin up, head down, shoulders down, Shoulders over hips, hips over heels.
• Proper body alignment must be established early and body alignment should remain constant throughout.

Aqua Aerobics Equipment

The soft mitts (usually made of spandex, polyester or lycra) offer little resistance and may be more suited to people with severe arthritis or sensitivity to fabric.

Neoprene mitts are more durable and more suitable for upper body resistance work.

Aquatic fitness step is constructed differently than a land step because it has to remain in place on the bottom of the pool. Aquatic stepping can help participants movements such as stair climbing (ascending and descending steps), stepping up, balancing on uneven surfaces. The steps can be instrumental in learning how to change and adjust balance, as well as learning how to control balance and recover from falling in a safe environment.

Noodles a 5ft cylindrical piece of foam, has found its way into most pools in the world. Participants may choose to relax an exercise or make it more challenging by using the noodle. A person may sit, stand, lay, kneel, partner, drag, hold above water, wrap around the body.

Foam dumbbells assist and/or resist buoyancy for upper body strengthening work. Dumbbells vary in terms of density and buoyancy, and therefore provide differing effects, depending on the exercise.

Water Aerobic Exercises

Running and Walking
Position your body with your head, shoulders, hips, and feet vertically aligned. Using a modified running/marching motion, co-ordinate your leg and arm movements as in running.

Cross Country Ski
Body is vertically aligned and legs and arms are straight. Scissor legs forward and backward from the hip, leading with your toes. Coordinate the arms and legs as in Cross Country Skiing.

Sit Kicks
Sit as if in a straight back chair with your thighs stabilised. Alternating legs, kick out from the knee, and then pull your heel back as if trying to kick your buttocks. Try to make the water boil in front of you.

Straight Leg Toe Touch
Body is in a vertical position. Keeping legs straight, bring each leg near the surface and return it to the starting position. Alternating left and right, reach for toes with your opposite arm and bring the other arm behind you. This is a strong movement and is not recommended for people with back pain.

Tyres
This move is similar to the football drill of running through two parallel lines of tyres. The body is open and vertical. Have your legs turned out and feet flexed as you alternate pushing down with each leg.

Open and Close
Begin with vertical posture, arms and legs straight and toes pointed down toward the bottom of the pool. Open and close arms and legs by extending straight limbs out to the sides of your body and returning to the starting position.

As with any exercise programme, talk to your healthcare professional or physician first before you start this aerobic program. Then, if your physician gives you the green light, you can either make-up your own routine or you can join in a local water aerobics class. This class should be run by a qualified water aerobics instructor. They will undoubtedly follow the basics of exercising in that there will be a warm-up period before the work out, as well as a cool down period at the end of the work out session.

So, if you need a new exercise routine to tone up and slim down your body, try our water aerobics workout!