Aqua Training Workouts – Burn Calories with Water Aerobics

Determined to keep that bikini body, but that nagging knee, foot, and/or low back injury is keeping you off the track? Well, don’t fret! Put your swimsuit back on and take your workout into the pool.

Whenever I tell people that I do aerobics in the pool for cross training, I get the same reaction, “How many laps do you swim?” to which I answer, “None. I do aerobics in the pool.” For some reason, when we think of aqua aerobics, we envision a pool full of grannies bobbing around in flowered bathing caps and skirted swimsuits. Not so anymore! Go to any primetime aqua fitness class and you’ll find a pool full of fitness enthusiasts and former athletes looking for a challenging workout that’s easy on the joints.

Because buoyancy offsets the downward pull of gravity, the primary force acting on the body, in chest-deep water, is the water’s horizontal resistance. During aqua aerobics, the horizontal resistance does two things: it decreases the stress on your joints and increases the workload on your muscles. Former NFL Rams player, Frank Johnson, discovered aqua aerobics after total knee replacement. After surgery, Frank gained 60 pounds from his new sedentary lifestyle and started getting low back pain. His physical therapist said the back pain was from lack of exercise and the extra 60 pounds he was carrying; Frank knew it was time to get back into the gym! Frank’s therapist recommended he try an aqua aerobics because it would simultaneously give him the cardiovascular conditioning and resistance training he needed without causing more pain to his back or knee. After Frank’s first class, he was smitten, “I can’t believe what a challenging workout aqua training can be! It’s an awesome conditioning program for any sport.”

Aqua Training Workout #1 – Tips for Success

• Workout Wear: Appropriate workout wear will streamline you in the pool. T-shirts and baggy shorts will cause too much of a drag and may fall off! Wear a one-piece or a two-piece swimsuit designed for beach volleyball.
• Foot Wear: Although the impact is less in the pool than on land, there is impact, so you might need arch support. Many athletic shoe manufacturers make aqua sneakers that have arch support and strategically placed holes for water drainage; however, since you don’t need full support in the pool, I recommend wearing an old pair of athletic gym shoes. Just make sure to wash them before you bring them into the pool, and only use them for the pool!
• Water: Bring a bottle of water with you to the pool. Even though you are surrounded by water, you will need to hydrate your body with plenty of fluids.
• Stretch: Just like any fitness program, perform a total-body stretch at the end of your session. It is common to get calf soreness after aqua training, so remember to do extra calf stretches.

Warm Up – Perform Each Warm-Up Drill for 1 Minute

• High Knees (forward motion/short levers)
• Side Knees (side motion/short levers)
• Pendulum (side motion/long levers)
• Side Knees (side motion/short levers)
• High Knees (forward motion/short levers)
• Cross Country (front-back motion/long levers)
• Hamstring Curls (back motion/short levers)

Cardio – Perform each cardio drill 3x

Intervals

Core