Cool-Down and Get Fit with Water Aerobics

U S Army Public Domain

Swimming is a fun way to get a good workout for your whole body and improve your strength and endurance. You can strengthen and tone all the muscles in your body, increase your flexibility and improve your posture. Swimming is also virtually no impact so even if you have arthritis or an injury, you can do water exercises, with your doctor’s approval. Water aerobics is a good choice for people who have joint problems and overweight people because the water supports your weight.

You don’t have to know how to swim to enjoy the benefits of water aerobics. Swimming alone is an aerobic exercise that helps to improve your cardiovascular health, burns calories which contributes to weight loss, and firms and tones muscles in your whole body. Aerobic activity, such as water aerobics, can help reduce your risk of a number of chronic illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (cdc.gov), sater-based exercise is good for people who suffer from arthritis because movement lessens the pain. The water supports your body while you exercise which virtually eliminates stress on the joints.

Resistance exercises will help firm and tone your muscles, but if your taunt muscles are hidden under a layer of fat, no one can see them. Water aerobics is a great way to burn calories for weight loss while you firm and tone your muscles. According to the Mayo Clinic (mayoclinic.com), a 160 pound person can burn more than 400 calories per hour doing water aerobics. A 240 pound person can burn as much as 600 calories during 1 hour of water aerobics. If you do nothing but tread water you can burn 11 calories per minute. Resistance exercise is a good way to strengthen your muscles and build muscle. Water-based exercise is not only aerobic for fat burning, it is also a form of resistance exercise that can build muscle. The water pushes back against your body even as it supports your weight. When doing water aerobics you can use devices, such as hand paddles, water dumbbells and flotation devices to help add more resistance to your exercise routine.

There is a very low risk of injury when you do water aerobics. The buoyancy of the water protects and supports your bones and joints. You don’t have to worry about impact as water aerobics, and water-based exercise generally, causes virtually no impact on your bones. If you are pregnant or if you suffer from any chronic condition, such as high blood pressure or osteoporosis, see your doctor before you begin any exercise program.