All About Aquatic Exercise

Exercising in a pool is a great option for many people, especially when they have an injury or some other condition that keeps them from doing 'normal' exercise on a regular basis. Swimming is just one of several different types of aquatic exercise. Just be sure to perform your water workouts in an outdoor pool or an indoor pool with very good ventilation, because the chlorine gas that hovers above a typical pool can cause health problems, especially for children...


Here's a great article about aquatic exercise:

(MayoClinic.com) - Aquatic exercise: Gentle on your bones, joints and muscles

Your doctor recommends that you get active and exercise more. But you're concerned about the impact of exercise on your bones, joints and muscles. Perhaps you have arthritis, or you're sedentary and overweight. You have a hard time believing you can exercise at all, no less in the water. But that's what your doctor suggests: water workouts.

Why water workouts?

Done correctly, water workouts can give you gains similar to those on land, including aerobic fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and better balance. Doctors recommend aquatic exercise because:

• Water's buoyancy supports your weight. When you're submersed up to your neck, the water cancels out about 90 percent of your body weight, significantly reducing stress on your weight-bearing joints, bones and muscles. Instead of landing on a hard surface with your full weight jarring you, you land with only 10 percent of your body's weight. This reduces your risk of injury.
• When you're submerged in water, your circulation may increase, improving your cardiovascular health.
• The pressure of the water on your body can reduce swelling if you have painful injuries.
• Water offers resistance, which strengthens your muscles as you push against it.
• Since the effects of gravity diminish in water, you can do stretching exercises that you may not be able to do on land.

Who benefits?

Everyone can benefit from aquatic exercise. But it's a prime option for someone who:

• Has arthritis or other joint problems
• Is overweight or obese
• Is sedentary and wants to ease into an exercise program
• Is recovering from an injury or surgery and has his or her doctor's permission
• Has a back problem
• Has weak leg muscles
• Is pregnant
• Is older

Read more about aquatic exercise...