The Benefits Of Water Fitness: It’s Not Just For The Elderly
You may be thinking that it’s a light sport for the older generation, but water fitness has many benefits for all ages.
Water fitness is a great way to protect your joints!
Water aerobics is an aerobic exercise in shallow water like a swimming pool. It is a type of resistance training that is done vertically and without swimming. You may envision it as a sport for the elderly, but it is a great workout for people of all ages that comes with many great benefits. Check out below what water fitness can do for you.
Burns Calories
If you are looking for a fun workout, then water aerobics may be calling your name. Due to water resistance, water aerobics is a mix of strength and cardio. You can burn between 400-500 calories per hour while participating in it.
Great For Your Overall Health
Since water aerobics is a form of exercise, it has some great benefits for your overall health. It can reduce your blood pressure and resting heart rate. And it helps reduce lactic acid build-up. One of the main health factors is that it can reduce your risk of heart disease because, during water aerobics, your heart continues beating and pumping with less stress and strain over time.
Prevents Overheating
Working out increases your core body temperature. If you’re not careful, vigorous exercise can cause dehydration. Water aerobics is the perfect exercise because it prevents overheating through continuous cooling of the body. It lets your body stay in homeostasis while also maintaining a cool and comfortable atmosphere with less noticeable sweat.
Increases Muscle Strength
If you need to increase your muscle strength, water aerobics may be the better activity over land workouts. The reason why is because the water flows in multiple directions, making the resistance in the water range from 4-42 times greater than the air. Studies have shown that after 12 weeks of regular water aerobics, it gives you significant gains in strength.
Builds Endurance
When you are in the water, your body strains against the water’s natural resistance, thus building endurance. And when you build endurance, you can withstand longer and harder workouts.
Reduces Joint Pressure
Many people think that water aerobics is just for the elderly because it is a known fact that it is great for the joints. It relieves pressure placed on the joints from normal wear and tear activities. Many doctors recommend water aerobics to people who are suffering from joint issues.
Increases Flexibility
During water aerobics, the joints increase a range of motion because your body has to move in various directions while also adjusting to the push and pull of the water. Thus making your joints naturally increase their range of motion during their time in the water.
Relieves Stress & Decreases Anxiety
These days, stress and anxiety are more common, so water aerobics is a great natural way to relieve them. Watching the water sway is a soothing activity that can give people ease and relieve stress. Plus, studies have shown that aquatic exercise significantly decreases negative moods and anxiety in women.
Now that you know what water fitness can do for you, head out to the pool and get your muscles moving!