Aqua aerobics

Perhaps your knees ache from jogging. Maybe you’ve always envied the lean. Long- muscled look. Or you simply need to escape the urban bustle and meditate in twenty- five-yard rectangular womb. Whatever your motive, using water resistance as a way to get strong & stay in shape is a cool workout and one that leaves you wanting for more. Moreover, its health benefits have been proven by water exercise research.

If you do not know swimming, do not fret. You are standing neck deep in water and doing all the exercises. Moreover, since you are working against the resistance of water, you end up burning eight times more calories than any other normal floor aerobics. Yet the buoyancy of water works to help you in the movement. So you work better on your flexibility too. Hence you strengthen & stretch much better in water. Movements are naturally balanced in water. Muscles that are tight on land are stretched with buoyancy in the water, whereas lax muscles are strengthened with the resistance of water
Still after a rigorous session in water, you do not come out feeling sweaty but on the contrary, you are fresh. The hydrostatic pressure i.e. the force of the water against the body, acts like a massage, thereby helping the return of blood to heart more efficiently. Thus respiratory system works better. It also decreases any swelling present.

Age too is no bar. It is suitable both for the aging population and the baby boom’ generation who is looking for more forgiving exercise program that will achieve results.

As for a suitable season, it is sad that in India we do not have centrally heated pools. So the activity is limited to summers. Also choose to workout only with qualified instructors. Never hesitate to ask for your instructor’s credentials, experience and references. We do not have dearth of gym trainers acting as fitness trainers or personal trainers & lifeguards taking the place of aqua aerobic trainers. Make sure that you are in safe hands.

Aqua aerobics is suitable to cure a variety of ailments like arthritis, Parkinson’s disease, back problems, obesity, osteoporosis etc. It is a low impact activity and hence places no stress on joints. Aquatic fitness is exercise modality that can accommodate all ages, fitness levels, & abilities through a variety of programming options. Water fitness is almost perfect means to condition the body; it not only stimulates the mind but also washes away the stress & rejuvenates the spirit.

Aqua aerobics is getting very popular because of:

The ‘General interest in low impact activity
Effective means of rehabilitation
Refreshing change from sweating on land
Health benefits have been proven by water exercise research
Feeling of playfulness
Fun!
Safe & effective exercise modality
Some more popular benefits of aqua aerobics are
It is enjoyable
Do not have to be swimmer to participate
Do not have to wet hair or put face in water
Provides participant with feeling of weightlessness
Provides natural massage & muscular tension release
May choose own intensity level
Lots of variety of classes (shallow water, deep water, circuit, step training with toys & props, line dancing, interval training, kids, aqua therapy, taekwonaqua)
All the components of fitness may be trained in one class
Impact injuries are less likely since buoyancy protects joints.
Water provides natural resistance for improved balance, strength, and tone of musculature.
Superior abdominal workout just by standing in water & stabilizing the body
Improves posture
Improves functions for activities of daily living
Generally participants do not require lot of coordination. Every1 works at his own pace
Great cross trainer especially for high impact land participants like runners
Great social activity
Great stress reliever
Great for physically limited participant who would otherwise not exercise e.g. senior citizen, injured, obese, frail
Heat build up is eliminated. Best for hot & humid climate when otherwise u can’t workout on land.
Improves flexibility, balance,

Any other exercise done along- aqua aerobics is one complete regime. It takes care of cardiovascular fitness. It also takes care of strengthening & flexibility. But if you want to combine it with any other form also, you can very well do it. There are various forms of aqua done in the pool where we combine different forms of exercises in water e.g.-
Aqua+ taichi= aquachi. It’s the most heavenly experience to do all tai chi moves in water
Aqua+ Pilates= aqualates
Aqua+ taekwondo= taekwonaqua
Aqua+ yoga= yoqua.

This article written by Kiran Sawhney is also available on the following web site

http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=6778e2e0-e61a-44fd-a39b-8cb204b6a0f6