In the sweltering summer months I am sometimes torn between sweating it out at the gym or relaxing poolside. I need to get my, ahem, Vitamin D. Both are great options, but usually I end up cutting my leisure time short for the sake of burning a few extra calories. And now with a little one to take care of and make pool trips with, I need to be extra diligent about finding leisure time, exercise time and allowing my daughter to experience her own kiddie pool fun.
Maybe I can do all three.
International Fitness Presenter Jeff Howard has a few thoughts on aqua fitness. The world-renowned fitness industry veteran also happens to teach a few classes at Lexington Athletic Club, and his training for the instructors had me practically begging for a life preserver. Throughout the workout I began to feel more and more like a sinking rock than a strong fitness instructor.
According to Howard, water fitness is extremely effective because water is 12 times more dense than air, so any movement through water is not only an increased cardiovascular workout, but it is extremely great at toning muscles. Think: increase your lung capacity and cardiovascular system and get good muscle-toning results all while putting virtually no pressure on the joints and enjoy quicker recovery times.
“The body has to work more efficiently in the water than the air,” he said. “So jogging in the water for 15 minutes is going to be more effective on the body as a cross training tool. It’s a great workout add-on, especially for the heat of the summer.”
Also, since muscles are used to being pulled down by gravity, water is pushing them up — creating a different method of muscle training that tricks the body into getting different results. Have you been stuck in a results rut? Maybe try the same kinds of exercises in the pool.
For me, I am always trying to maximize my time and calorie burn while also fitting in some fun with my daughter. Kids or no kids, get to the pool for some fun and your muscles will thank you.
“For the summer months, while you’re in there playing with your kids, if you were just to jog in place or do jumping jacks, you’re going to get more results than just walking on a treadmill,” Howard said.
Athletes in training also can benefit. Howard said he has trained athletes in the water and seen their speed on land improve by almost 20 percent when they added water workouts once or twice a week.
“Also, the core in the water has to be stable because of the turbulence of the water,” he said. “You’re getting a workout that you don’t even know it.”
Some easy tips from Howard include using basic pool toys like noodles or floaties and creating your own exercises with them. Work on stationary movements, jumps, leg lifts, jogging in place, flutter kicks, chest presses, tricep curls and any other movements on land that you can mimic in the water.
Water fitness is gaining traction for young and old, men and women. Howard said when he travels the world and educates fitness professionals overseas, water fitness is huge in countries like Brazil and France. Some gyms are even taking spinning and boot camp to the water. Aqua Zumba is already gaining popularity.
“The way we teach water fitness is not what it used to be in the past,” he said. “It is more intense these days. This is not your mother’s water class anymore.”
He challenged fitness junkies and athletes alike to add one day of water fitness a week to their regimen and see their on-land performance improve and injuries decrease.
Sounds good to me. Any excuse I have to get in the pool this summer, I am all for it. I may just be bicep curling my daughter out of the water.