10 Benefits of Water Aerobics for Women
Are you considering trying out the water aerobics class at your local pool?
If you’ve been on the fence about throwing on your suit and trying this aquatic exercise as your physical activity of choice, prepare to be convinced. Getting gentle exercise in water does wonders for your joints and sore muscles.
We need aerobic exercise to keep our muscles strong and our cardiovascular systems in top shape. However, there are more health benefits to water aerobics that you might not know. Today, we’ll explore the basics!
What Is Water Aerobics?
Not to state the obvious, but the term “water aerobics” refers to aerobic exercise that takes place in water. More specifically, water aerobics is a class led by an instructor who can make the workout fun and engaging.
Often, instructors incorporate foam weights into water workouts to help build muscle. These weights might feel as light as a feather when they are out of the water, but you’ll definitely be feeling the burn with underwater resistance factored in!
These simple but effective workouts can help you build a strong core and increase your ability to deal with daily challenges. Performing these workouts in water increases their effectiveness and significantly impacts your workout.
Why Is Aerobic Exercise Necessary?
Strength training, balance training, mobility and flexibility, and aerobic fitness are all part of a well-rounded fitness regimen. So, what is it that makes aerobic exercise such an important component of your routine?
Aerobic exercise forces you to breathe more quickly and deeply, increasing the amount of oxygen in your blood. This is a positive thing for a number of reasons. Your heart rate will increase, which in turn increases the blood flow to your muscles and back to your lungs.
Your heart, lungs, and blood vessels all work together to transport oxygen throughout your body more efficiently as your aerobic fitness improves. This is why an aerobic fitness routine starts to feel easier after a few weeks of consistent training.
Any aerobic exercise routine can boost your health in many ways, including water aerobics. Let’s grab our favorite swimsuits and dive in to learn about all the health benefits of water aerobics!
Helps Reduce Stress and Anxiety
Exercise can improve your overall mood and reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol. However, water aerobics does this differently than other aerobic exercises. It may help lower blood pressure, which can take your stress level down.
Water has a soothing effect; think about how often day spas have water imagery or the sound of the ocean playing in their massage rooms. Water is serene and relaxing, so you will be able to feel the stress melting away even as you break a sweat.
Keeps Excess Weight Off
As much as we exercise to be strong and support our mental health, we have to admit that maintaining a healthy weight is a factor. Weight loss makes it easier to get around, perform daily activities, and do the things that we want to do.
Water aerobics is especially good for those who are already considered overweight and want to start losing weight. Water makes our bodies more buoyant, so we are able to exercise for longer than we might be able to on dry land because there is less pressure on our joints.
Provides a Low Impact Exercise Option
There are many reasons why we should make low-impact exercise a part of our exercise programs. Variety is the spice of life, and a fitness routine is no exception.
For those whose bodies can handle pounding the pavement, a couple of days of water aerobics in a swimming pool per week can help give your joints a break. Those of us who are already suffering from joint pain can find a hugely beneficial low-impact exercise option in water aerobics.
Strengthens Bones and Prevents Bone Loss
As women, we know that bone loss and osteoporosis can be a very real challenge, especially as we age. Aerobic exercise can help to strengthen the bones throughout your whole body and protect us if we happen to suffer a fall.
Weight-bearing exercise, in general, does this as well, but not everyone is physically able to do higher-impact cardiovascular exercises like running or jumping.
It Will Get You Out of Breath … Seriously!
You’ve probably seen someone doing water aerobics and thought it looks pretty easy. Don’t be fooled! Water aerobics provides a serious cardiovascular workout, especially for beginners.
You will not believe how much of a workout you will get and how great you will feel afterwards. Cardiovascular fitness is important because we need to have strong lungs to live long lives.
Getting your heart pumping — and even getting a little winded — can make a huge difference in our overall fitness.
May Provide Some Relief for Arthritis Sufferers
If you are someone who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis, water aerobics might be the perfect workout for you! There are a few reasons for this.
First of all, due to the buoyancy of the water, your body will be supported and there will be less stress on your joints, as we learned above.
Also, the warm water can feel great for your arthritis if you are using a heated pool. It can be tough to find a suitable resistance workout when you have arthritis, since lifting heavy objects is not an option. Water provides natural resistance to help you perform muscle-building workouts without the stress and strain.
Increase Your Flexibility
Another benefit you may not have expected is increased flexibility and better range of motion. Of course, stretching is always a good thing, but water aerobics can help take you to the next level.
Once again, it is the resistance of the water that provides this benefit. As your muscles are pushing and pulling against the water, they are also lengthening and contracting. This contrast is the perfect combination for helping you stay lean and limber.
Builds Endurance
Have you ever noticed how you are totally exhausted after an afternoon of swimming, whether at the beach or poolside? This is because being in the water is one of the best exercises you can do!
As we mentioned before, water aerobics is a form of resistance training, which challenges your muscles. As your muscles grow, they will be able to maintain a workout for a longer period of time. And not just a workout! Daily activities will seem easier, too.
Due to the cardio aspect of water aerobics, your heart and lungs can keep up with your busy schedule.
Gives You a Great Core Workout — Without Crunches
We cannot overstate the importance of a strong core, and we are not just referring to six-pack abs! This also includes your lower back muscles and your obliques, which essentially help you with every task.
Carrying in your grocery bags? You bet you’re gonna be using your core. Even just getting up off of the couch requires core strength.
Because you are in the water, every exercise will target your core, even if the exercise is not geared towards those muscles specifically.
It’s Fun!
One of the most overlooked aspects of physical fitness is the need for it to be enjoyable. If you don’t like the activity you’re doing, you might do it for a while before ultimately giving up on it. That’s why people who work out together are often more successful in the long term; there’s the aspect of fellowship and camaraderie, which makes it more fun.
Water aerobics as a workout is fun! We promise that you’ll have a blast while you’re blasting calories and dancing your heart out.
Conclusion
Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of a good low-impact water aerobics class. You can get an amazing workout and burn calories without all the stress on your joints.
Not only that, but you are killing two birds with one stone by doing resistance and cardiovascular training all at once. Most importantly? It’s fun, and you can do it with friends.
The pool is calling!
Sources:
Water Aerobics: Low-Impact Pool Workout | WebMD
Diving In: Water Exercises for Arthritis Relief | Healthline
10 ways aerobic exercise can help you live longer and healthier | Mayo Clinic