Fitness Tips: Just Add Water

Fitness Tips

JUST ADD WATER

By Dylan Roche

Ever notice how it’s more difficult to move when you’re in the water versus in the open air on land? That’s because of two factors—it’s because of the lack of gravity as well as the resistance you face from the weight of the water around you. And because it’s not as easy to move, you’re challenging your body to a harder workout, all while reducing the impact on your muscular and skeletal system. Is it any wonder why water workouts are so popular, especially for people undergoing physical rehab?

It’s not just injured people or seniors who are doing water workouts—anyone training at any level can enjoy the benefits of a water workout and become a much stronger person because of them. Plus, as summer gets hotter, it’s a refreshing change to put your workout in a pool. Interested in giving it a try this summer? Here’s what you should know:

ENJOY A LOW-IMPACT WORKOUT

All this benefit to water workouts can be traced back to buoyancy. Our bodies naturally float to some degree—which reduces your bodyweight by about 90 percent. That means a 200-pound person is really going to be moving about 20 pounds of their own bodyweight when they take steps underwater. That’s a lot less stress on your joints, and that means a greatly reduced risk of injury. If you are recovering from an injury, or if you have a condition such as arthritis, your physical therapist might recommend water jogging or water aerobics as an exercise you should try.

PUSH THROUGH NATURAL RESISTANCE

While the impact on your joints and muscles is lower, the resistance is higher—all that water around you naturally adds drag. So, you have to make a much greater effort to move through the water than you would minutes. You could also try several sets of running in the water for two minutes, then walking in the water for five minutes. Water workouts are a natural test of your endurance.

if you were doing an exercise outside of the water. Greater effort means expending much more energy, burning up to 150 percent of the calories they would if they were doing the exercise on land. When you ultimately return to moving on land—for example, if you’re a runner who is using water jogging as part of your training plan—the movement will become much easier.

IMPROVE YOUR FORM

You’ll also be learning better form. When you have to push yourself through the water, the way you carry yourself matters. If you’re doing a water jog or water aerobics, you engage your core to hold yourself upright. You have to take steps and pump your arms in a precise way. You’ll find that water exercises improve your posture and sense of balance, which is better for overall performance and reduced risk of injury when you return to exercising on land.

SWITCH IT UP

You’re used to exercising on land, so don’t be discouraged if you’re surprised by how hard water workouts are. Push yourself as hard as you can and don’t be afraid to switch it up. If you can run for an hour on land, you might find yourself completely exhausted after 15 minutes of running through the water—and that’s a good thing! Give yourself a short break to do something else (such as treading water) before running for another 15

DEEP VERSUS SHALLOW

The depth of the water will determine the kind of water workout you’re getting. When you’re in shallower water, much of your body is out of the water, so you’re still carrying a lot of your own weight— but jogging through knee deep water will still challenge your endurance and your balance, even if it is slightly higher impact than running in chest-deep water.

For an extremely challenging low-impact workout, try running along the bottom of a pool where you’re completely submerged. You’ll have to come up for air occasionally, but you’ll be seriously working your quads, glutes, calves, and even your core.

REMEMBER TO STAY HYDRATED

The pool can be refreshing, especially as an alternative to exercising in summer heat. That doesn’t mean, however, that you aren’t sweating. Be sure to consume plenty of water before, during, and after your workout. You should also avoid any water that’s too warm—90 degrees or warmer is usually considered too high for exercising.