WATER FITNESS: PERFECT FOR ALL AGES AND ATHLETIC ABILITIES
EVIDENCE BASED
It is my strongly held belief that the current health and wellness system is broken. I say this with great conviction after 30+ years in the industry.
We’re selling and marketing fitness like it’s “one-size-fits-all,” as though each and every person who wants to get “fit and healthy” wants to achieve the exact same idealized body we see ad nauseam in our media. Not only is this method preposterous, it’s inherently damaging to health seekers and the health industry itself because the underlying philosophy that looking a certain way equates to health is false.
“Our bodies seek health—each of us inside has a healthier, happier self.”
Equally false is the idea that there’s a right way and a wrong way to achieve health. Both of these concepts foster self-loathing in unfulfilled health seekers and are unsustainable for our industry. Ask yourself this: Do I workout because I love it and value my health and fitness? Or, am I working out because I loathe some aspect of my body?
I’m here to help you workout because you love it and value your health and fitness.
This summer I’ll be writing a series of posts to introduce you to exercise options in a new way. I provide evidence based information and, if you find something piques your curiosity or invites you to try it, I’ll be thrilled. My goal with this series is to provide you with data and support in loving yourself healthy.
“Your individual path is unique. Listen to the wisdom of your body and the power of your intuition to discover what is good and right for you. ”
Today’s post is about water fitness—perfect for summer, and as you’re about to discover, perfect for all ages and athletic abilities!
While water fitness was once the domain of older adults, now participants of all ages and ability levels are benefiting from aquatic workouts.
Studies show aquatic training improves our ability to perform activities of daily living (ADL). Older women who participated in 60-minute, shallow-water exercise classes 3 days a week for 12 weeks performed better in land-based ADL, but did not improve balance.
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The Golden Waves® program, used in this and other studies, has proved effective in all variables except for balance, which has had inconsistent results. For balance improvement, water depth is critical, and shallower is better.
People of all ages and ability levels can improve strength, endurance and body composition through effective aquatic training. For example, fit young men who did a periodized strength training program 3 times a week for 12 weeks significantly improved muscular strength and power and increased lean body mass.
Healthy, untrained older women who did 60 minutes of shallow-water exercise (including 20 minutes of upper- and lower-body resistance training with equipment) 3 days a week for 24 weeks increased lean body mass by 3.4% and significantly improved muscular strength.
Another benefit of water fitness is water properties lead to less muscle soreness and damage. A study comparing high-intensity land- and water-based plyometrics programs found that training in water produced less inflammation and muscle soreness.
WATER FITNESS LOWERS BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS
And here’s a real bonus for millions: water fitness lowers blood sugar levels for people with type 2 diabetes. A recent study of 35 people with type 2 diabetes compared land-based training with aquatic exercise. All participants trained for 45 minutes 3 times a week for 12 weeks. Participants in both groups experienced a significant reduction in A1C levels—a measure of glucose control.
WATER EXERCISE HELPS ATHLETES
For those of you who already have a solid base of fitness, here’s some great news about water fitness—water exercise helps athletes!
More collegiate and professional athletic coaches are seeing value in aquatic cross-training as a regular off- and on-season method.
Benefits include:
Reduction of overuse injuries
Supplements land training
Adds variety and helps overcome training plateaus
Increases muscle strength (because cardiovascular and muscle endurance training can occur concurrently in the water)
Supplements speed and sports training
Facilitates post-workout recovery
WATER FITNESS PROGRAMS TO EXPLORE
As water fitness continues to grow, innovative programs are emerging like:
Shallow- and deep-water training, including deep-water running for endurance athletes
Aquatic boot camp, HIIT, cycling and boxing
Aquatic yoga, Pilates, dance, barre and pole dancing
Core training, yoga and Pilates on unstable floating mats or paddleboards
Aqua mermaid and merman workouts
Combination land and water programs
Athletic coaching/personal training
If you find yourself curious about water fitness, or want to explore it more, I recommend you work with a water exercise specialist to develop an effective program for your needs. A simple Google search of “water exercise specialists” in your area is a good place to start.
I hope you’ve found this article useful, that you’ve learned something new and have a better understanding of how water fitness could fit into your life.
Until next time may you be at ease and peace and remember to love yourself healthy!
References
Colado, J., et al. 2009. Effects of a short-term aquatic resistance program on strength and body composition in fit young men. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 23 (2), 549–59.
Delevatti, R., et al. 2016. Glucose control can be similarly improved after aquatic or dry-land aerobic training in patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19 (8), 688–93.
Robinson, L., et al. 2004. The effects of land vs. aquatic plyometrics on power, torque, velocity, and muscle soreness in women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 18 (1), 84–91.
Sanders, M., et al. 2016. Aquatic exercise for better living on land: Impact of shallow-water exercise on older women for performance of activities of daily living (ADL). International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education, 10 (1), 1–19.
Tsourlou, T., et al. 2006. The effects of a twenty-four-week aquatic training program on muscular strength performance in healthy elderly women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20 (4), 811–18.
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