Water workouts have built-in motivation. Each one offers a host of fun movements and full-body conditioning that help you get fit fast, with less wear and tear on your body.
You've known it since you were a child: Few activities are more fun and refreshing than playing in the water! But water-based exercise also offers a wealth of real fitness benefits, like greater strength, endurance, and range of motion. And water workouts can spare your body the stress of high-impact, land-based workouts. That makes water a great medium for rehabbing after an injury and for staying fit when you have arthritic joints or other types of pain. In other words, water workouts make a great fitness routine for seniors.
Because aquatic exercise includes any kind of workout done in the water, the choices are nearly endless! Here are 4 common types of water workouts you might be interested in:
Because water supports your body weight, aquatic exercise puts very little pressure on your joints. So, mixing your land-based workouts with some low-impact water workouts now and then may help spare your joints over time. And water workouts make a great choice if you have balance problems, joint pain, and/or an increased risk of falling. Exercising in water may:
Like land-based workouts, water workouts boost your health and fitness, too. They offer a total-body workout that can help:
Aquatic exercise can offer mental and emotional benefits, too. Water workouts can help:
If you have a health condition, water workouts might be right for you. Studies suggest that swimming and other aquatic workouts help with some of the health problems that are more common in seniors, such as:
Most water workouts are done in a public or home swimming pool. You can find pools at some gyms or parks and recreation facilities. You will likely have to join as a member to be able to use the pool. Be sure that any pool you use is at least 3 feet deep. And it should be large enough for you to move around in without touching any walls, ladders, or ropes.
Some water workouts, like swimming and water sports, can be done in open water, like a lake or an ocean near you. If you’re interested in water sports, check to see if there are rental services where you can rent the gear you need. You may also want to take lessons or sign up for guided excursions or tours. That way, you can learn the ropes from an expert and stay safe. And if you’re interested in swimming, make sure you’re a strong swimmer if you’re swimming in open water.
Whichever water workout you try, make sure you never work out in the water alone, even if you’re a strong swimmer. Public beaches and pools often have lifeguards on duty at certain times. If you’re doing aquatic fitness classes, the instructor will be there, along with other people who are taking the class. You can also work out in the water with a buddy or group of friends, which is not only safer, but also more fun.
Doing aquatic exercise doesn’t mean you have to give up land-based workouts altogether. But having a water-based alternative can help you stay active even when you’re:
Plus, since many water workouts can be done in an indoor pool, they offer a great way to stay fit year-round. You can side-step the risks posed by the weather—rain, snow, ice, and heat. Of course, if you'd rather work out in open water or an outdoor pool, water workouts are perfect when the weather is warm.
As exercises for seniors go, water-based fitness is second to none. So, switch up your ground-bound fitness routine and dive into the water for some refreshing, buoyant aquatic workouts. You may find you look forward to your workouts instead of dreading them. That's a great way to boost your motivation too! Check out these tips for pushing past 5 of the most common workout excuses.
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References
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This article was written by Nora Byrne, edited by Gail Olson, and clinically reviewed by Jossue Ortiz, DC.