Water Fitness
Northwest Personal Training
 

In the summer months many exercisers turn to the water for their workouts.  But not only is it a good way to enjoy the sunshine, water fitness can also improve muscle strength and endurance, flexibility and cardiovascular health,  decrease body fat, improve circulation, help rehabilitate injuries, and even enhance sports skills.  On top of all this, water fitness is a lot of fun and if you participate in an organized program, it’s a great way to meet new people with similar interests.

In fact, many people prefer water fitness year-round for the following reasons:
 

1. The buoyancy of water allows people to do exercises that are too difficult for them on land.  Ninety percent of your body is buoyant when the water is up to your neck so your body is exposed to a lot less pounding and jarring.
 

2. Water offers 12-14% more resistance in comparison to exercising on land.  This means there is continual resistance to every move you make which enhances muscle definition.
 

3. Water disperses heat more efficiently, so there is less chance of overheating.  Exercising in the water is cooler and more comfortable than it is on land.   

If you don’t have a home pool and need to venture out to a local pool, consider the following suggestions offered by IDEA, the International Health and Fitness Association.

1. Check Out the Facility.  Look for a pool that is clean, appears safe and is well-maintained.  The water temperature should be comfortable: 82 to 84 degrees Fahrenheit (28-29E Celsius).  Inquire about the types of classes available.  A facility that offers a lot of water fitness tools such as buoyancy belts and dumbbells, gloves, noodles and paddles will probably provide a greater variety of programming options.
 

2. Check out the Instructors.  Be sure the instructors are certified water fitness instructors and not just lifeguards to ensure they have the proper training to modify movements and intensity depending on your needs.  
 

3. Know Your Limitations. Luckily, water fitness is one of the safest activities you can do for a variety of special conditions including pregnancy, orthopedic problems and arthritis. However, it’s always a good idea to inform your instructor of any medical or injury issues.  If you can’t swim, it’s safest to stick to programs that will be instructed in shallow water. 

Many exercisers are surprised at how many workout options are available to them in the pool:

•  Water Walking: Moving forward, backward, and sideward, using regular, short, quick, or long steps, in waist-deep to chest-deep water.
 

•  Water Aerobics: Full body rhythmic exercises conducted in shallow and/or deep water for 20 minutes or more, designed to provide cardiovascular benefits.
 

•  Water Toning/Strength Training: Upper and lower body moves designed to strengthen, firm, and sculpt the muscles by using the resistance of the water and/or water exercise equipment.

•  Flexibility Training: Large movements using each body part's full range of motion, along with full body stretches.
 

•  Water Therapy & Rehabilitation: Procedures in the water designed and implemented for specific clinical purposes.
 

•  Water Yoga & Relaxation: Gentle, easy-flowing moves using the water as a relaxation medium.
 

•  Deep Water Running: Simulating land running in water depth where the feet do not touch the bottom of the pool. Flotation devices are used. Various running styles, drills, and methods can be used.
 

•  Wall Exercise (Deep or Shallow): Using the pool wall for support to isolate various body parts.
 

•  Lap Swimming: If you are a proficient swimmer, of course you can always resort to swimming back and forth using various swimming strokes to obtain a great workout.  However, it is still suggested that lap swimmers also consider other forms of water exercise in addition to lap swimming to maintain balance in their muscles.

Call your local pool to find out which programs are offered. 

Alex & Sherri McMillan, M.Sc., have won countless international health and fitness industry awards, have authored three different books and written numerous articles for magazines such as Shape, Fitness and Self, and have presented health and fitness workshops all over the world.  They are the owners of Northwest Personal Training & Fitness Education in downtown Vancouver, WA, local fitness columnists, were both awarded the prestigious “40 under 40” Business award and are spokespersons for Nautilus, Nike, Spri, FitterFirst, and PowerBar.  They can be contacted at www.nwpersonaltraining.com or (360)574-7292.

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