Working Out in Water

If you want to get fit fast and switch off from everyday stress, dive in to your local pool for a water workout

says Anastasia Stephens

Water is, of course, beautifully refreshing, but it’s the fact that it provides more resistance than air that means it’s the perfect place to get fit. With the help of water, say experts, we can work our heart, tone muscles and build strength faster and more effectively than on dry land. And because we become virtually weightless, we give our joints a rest, vastly reducing any risk of injury.



‘Elite sportspeople, especially top runners, go running in water when they’ve been injured — it helps them regain strength while protecting their joints,’ says physiotherapist and fitness coach Jason Henry. ‘It’s also beneficial for people with arthritis. In a weightless environment joints are supported and they have a greater range of motion.

Working out in water can benefit everyone. Research by Dr Robert Wilder, director of sports rehabilitation at the University of Virginia, has found that water-based exercise burns about 30 per cent more calories than the equivalent exercise on land. And because water offers 12 times more resistance than air, muscles are given a workout from every angle — resulting in greater muscle definition and all-round strength.

Then there’s the buoyancy factor. Research at the University of Virginia found that if you work out in water up to neck level, your body weight is effectively reduced by as much as 90 per cent. A 9st 4lb woman working out neck deep in water would weigh less than a stone, putting much less strain on her body.

Psychologically, exercising in water is both soothing and relaxing. ‘In water, your movements are naturally slower and that helps people slow down,’ says aqua jogging teacher Pamela Jameson. ‘People tend to switch off quickly from everyday stresses, especially with less vigorous water workouts such as aqua yoga.’

So if you’re tempted to dip your toe in the water, which type of workout is right for you?


Ai Chi is a low-impact aqua bodywork.
It is a total body strengthening and relaxation progression that bridges East and West philosophies, and integrates mental, physical, and spiritual energy. It combines Tai-Chi and Qi Gong concepts with Watsu techniques, and is performed standing in shoulder-depth water using a combination of deep breathing and slow, broad movements of the arms, legs, and torso. read more >>>

Aqua Aerobic - A water workout that is good for your heart and easy on your joints.
Aqua Aerobic is a low-impact aqua bodywork that combine a variety of exercise in thermal water: Walking or running backward and forward, along with various limbs movements. The Aqua Aerobic exercise may also incorporate equipment such as flotation devices. Submersion in water to the neck depth increases cardiac output, 32% at rest, making water exercise aerobically efficient. read more >>>

Aqua Walk - An easy way to get into aerobic aquatic exercise.
Aqua Walk is a low-impact aqua bodywork that offers a light introduction to Aqua Aerobic. Practice walking movements in waist-high sea or regular thermal water. Like any Aqua Aerobic bodywork, Aqua Walk is easy on the joints. The water’s buoyancy supports the body’s weight, which reduces stress on the joints and minimizes pain. read more >>>


Aqua Yoga is a thermal aquatic exercises  
Aqua Yoga is a low-impact aqua bodywork, performing Yoga poses in thermal water. Aqua Yoga poses simultaneously help you to develop: strength, static balance and range of motion. This is accomplished in coordination with diaphragmatic breathing and long exhalations. read more >>>

Read more about:
Therapy & Bodywork
Fitness & Exercises
Healthy Diet
Natural Healing
Holistic Health
Health Conditions