Work Out Without Working Up A Sweat May 2, 2014
Posted by nrhatch in Exercise & Fitness, Health & Wellness.comments closed
In 7 Ways Water Workouts Work Wonders, we touched upon the many benefits of staying cool while working out and getting fit.
Water exercise, or aquatics, is a terrific non-impact fitness tool. Almost everyone can benefit from joining an aquatics class, including pregnant women, out of shape folks, the elderly, and patients recovering from injuries or certain surgeries.
* Water’s buoyancy reduces your “weight” by 90%, resulting in less stress on weight-bearing joints, bones, and muscles.
* You’re less likely to have sore muscles after working out in water, which makes it perfect for folks with arthritis, back problems, knee problems, or motivational problems.
* Water exercise, done right, encompasses all fitness components: cardio-vascular, endurance, strength training, flexibility, and body fat reduction.
* The water’s resistance offers an excellent opportunity to strength train without using weights.
To create additional resistance, cup your hands and pull or push the water away from you, or just run in place.
* Because of the water’s support, you can perform stretches that would be difficult (or impossible) on land. As a result, you can move your joints through a wider range of motion and achieve greater levels of fitness and flexibility in and out of the pool.
Being in the water is calming and energizing at the same time. Instead of creaking and groaning on land, you move with the ease and grace of a kid.
And, if you stay in the shallow end of the pool, you don’t even need to know how to swim!
Aah . . . that’s better!
Spirit Lights The Way 