The main advantage of swimming in confined water is the lack of possibility of injury. It is almost impossible to twist a limb or dislocate a joint while swimming, and to get a sprain, you either have to try hard or not know how to use additional devices such as paddles or webbed gloves.
The body in the pool spends much more energy than when doing exercises on land. Water contributes to this: firstly, it creates additional resistance to movement, secondly, it removes heat much more strongly, so the body has to additionally warm itself. All this means that you can’t think of a better way to fight extra pounds.
Water exercises can also be an intermediate link to more effective weight loss programs. For example, if you dream of doing cardio, crossfit or tabata, but your body weight is still too high, serious loads on land are contraindicated. If you are overweight, you can’t run, otherwise your joints won’t withstand it, you can’t do intense interval training – your heart will suffer. The best way to lose weight to an acceptable level is to sign up for aqua aerobics.
Most pools offer visitors this direction along with swimming sections. These are different types of physical activity, so swimming is more likely to be a sport, and aqua aerobics is a type of fitness. Technically, aerobics in water is not much different from aerobics on land, so you can start practicing in the pool with absolutely any level of training.
Such exercises – jumping, twisting, turning – do not create excessive load on the joints and spine. At the same time, the physical properties of water (or rather, Archimedes’ law) contribute to a natural reduction in load on the back. In contrast to “land” aerobics, the pool improves the condition of the cardiovascular system, if there are problems with it and with excess weight.
An additional benefit of aqua aerobics is improved blood flow due to relaxation of the body muscles. Thus, internal organs begin to receive more oxygen, which, as is known, is a necessary condition for burning (oxidizing) fat.
As a rule, water fitness classes are conducted by professional swimmers who will carefully monitor you. So, you do not even need to know how to swim to start attending aqua aerobics. Most likely, in the process you will even learn to stay afloat on your own, since you will quickly get used to it and will feel natural in it. The instructor will select a load for you, which will rapidly increase as the classes continue.
The advantage of fitness in the pool is the impact not only on coordination, body weight, endurance and strength, but also on overall tone. Little-studied laws of nature operate here: being in the water has a positive effect on a person’s mood, fatigue, stress and depression go away. That is why many people swim in the morning – the water itself charges with positive emotions, and in combination with a gentle load, the effect lasts until the end of the day.
Other benefits of aqua aerobics:
- increasing immunity and strengthening the body
- a combination of exposure to different temperatures – cool water, hot air in a sauna
- significant expenditure of calories to warm the body: by and large, just being in the water you are already expending energy
- there are no age restrictions at all, you can learn to swim earlier than you can walk
- aqua aerobics is suitable for both pregnant women and young mothers as a way to restore the body, even after difficult births and cesarean sections
- after training you feel pleasantly tired and there is no “hangover” – pain in the muscles
- you don’t sweat in the usual sense: the skin loses moisture, but there are no aesthetically unpleasant sensations
However, there are contraindications for swimming in the pool: a history of heart attack, epilepsy, asthma, damage to the eardrums (due to possible disturbances in the sense of balance), allergy to the composition of water (chlorine and other disinfectants), chronic rheumatism. Contact lenses are easily washed out even from splashes, so if you have poor eyesight, you need to carefully select comfortable swimming goggles.
Everything you need for aqua aerobics classes is likely to be available to your trainer. If not, you will need to purchase fins, special gloves with webbing, foam bars/dumbbells/pole, weights. Your trainer will definitely clarify this issue and recommend specific models.
You can also do it on your own. Learn the rules of conduct in the pool and safety precautions. Start with the simplest so as not to overload your body: squats, arm and leg swings under water, twists. There are no restrictions on the set of exercises, you can use the technique of regular aerobics on land.
Adjust the load based on your own feelings of fatigue: there should be no feeling of physical weakness, only pleasant fatigue and tone throughout the body. When we talk about tone, we are talking about feelings of vigor, an elevated mood, and a desire to spend the day or evening with maximum benefit. The muscles should not be clogged or cramped, you should not do several different exercises in a row only for the legs, change the focus to different limbs and sections.
Keep a bottle of water or isotonic drink by the side of the pool, swimming and water aerobics are the same loss of moisture as running. Try not to dive or swim in the lanes if you decide to do aerobics in the water, so you will not disturb other athletes, and they will not disturb you and will not swim into your fitness corner.
Unpopular hours (early morning or mid-day) guarantee you a quiet, independent session, when you will have the entire pool to yourself. However, make sure that there are people nearby, at least the staff, since an unforeseen situation can arise at any time, even if you are “floundering in the shallows.”
Learn simple safety rules, buy a nice swimming cap and start training with confidence!
