Website design By BotEap.comAs a triathlete, I have had my share of joint and muscle related injuries over the years. Some of these to the point of affecting my ability to train like I normally would through swimming, cycling and running. Not wanting to lose the fitness that I had worked so hard for over the course of a year of training, I began looking for alternative forms of exercise that I could participate in that would not add to my injury while still allowing me to continue with the recovery process. Aquatic exercise is something that many of us swimmers have at least come across other people doing from time to time while in the pool, but I bet many of you haven’t tried it. I must say that before I continue, aquatic exercise is not just for seniors, nor does it have to be used solely for rehabilitation. Aquatic exercise is an effective way to maintain cardiovascular fitness, build strength, and stay active in the event of injury. Due to buoyancy, water supports our body weight, which results in a very low-impact form of exercise.

Website design By BotEap.comAquatic exercise is a great option for pregnant women as it is a safer and more comfortable way to continue exercising during pregnancy. People with joint problems, such as arthritis, back pain, people who are severely overweight, or other conditions that make walking and running difficult, have found aquatic exercise to be a tolerable form of physical activity. Most large gyms and fitness centers offer group aquatic exercise classes led by certified instructors.

Website design By BotEap.comAquatic exercise is also a great way for athletes to work similar muscle groups on consecutive training days. The way this works is that an athlete can participate in running training on Monday, but instead of running again on land on Tuesday, which greatly increases the risk of injury, the athlete can run in the pool, which it will have much less impact on the joints. . This allows the athlete to continue to recover from Monday’s race. Water running is one of the most effective forms of exercise in the water and uses the same sport-specific muscles as running on land. If running in the water is too difficult, especially for people recovering from an injury, running in the water is a good starting point.

Website design By BotEap.comThere are some aquatic exercise tools that people can purchase to add variety to their aquatic exercise programs. Some of these include flotation belts (used for deep end running, which adds intensity and resistance when running on water), skateboards (used to focus on building leg strength while swimming), water dumbbells (used to perform arm resistance exercises that are typical of dumbbell exercises on land, such as shrugs and bicep curls), fins and water socks (also used to increase leg strength through aquatic exercises of swimming or kicking). Most of these items can be purchased online or at your local sporting goods store.

Website design By BotEap.comWater adds up to 12 times more resistance than doing the same type of exercise on land. Treading water vigorously burns about 11 calories per minute, which is the same as running 6 miles per hour. Aquatic exercise is a great way to add variety and fun to your exercise programs and can allow you to continue exercising despite certain injuries. As always, consult with your licensed health care professional before beginning any exercise program, especially if you have an injury or pre-existing health condition.