For therapy after injuries, the benefits of water have long been used. However, aqua fitness is now establishing itself more and more in the wellness and fitness sector, because fitness gymnastics in water is a gentle, effective whole-body workout. Water is an ideal medium for movement training, muscle building, increasing strength and endurance, and general fitness. What all is behind aqua fitness, we present here.
Aqua fitness: training, prevention and rehabilitation.
Aqua sport is stretching, strength training, endurance training and relaxation all in one. Aqua fitness is great for strengthening all muscle groups and is an optimal cardiovascular workout while being easy on the joints. The movements in the water appeal to health-oriented people as well as fitness-oriented people. The sport is also ideal for pregnant women or those who are overweight. The positive effects of water on the human body can be combined well with an effective workout. Joint stress, as in other sports, is largely eliminated by the water. Balance, coordination, mobility and performance can be trained in an ideal way.
What are the types of aqua fitness?
Aqua fitness is the generic term for various sports in water, such as:
- Aqua aerobics
- Aqua-Jogging
- Aqua Boxing
- Aqua-Balancing
- Aqua-Dancing
- Aqua-Zumba
- Water gymnastics
Also suitable for physical complaints
The fun in the element of water and the easier movement strengthen the well-being. Exceedingly healthy is the weight relief for overweight people who still want to be active in sports. Walking in the water is also balm for people whose joints already have signs of wear. The beauty of it is that aqua fitness can be done by anyone, even people who haven’t done sports in a long time. The contraindications are severe cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure or inflammatory diseases in an acute phase.
7 positive effects for the body
Aqua fitness has various positive effects on health:
- Tendons, ligaments, joints and spine are protected by the buoyancy in the water.
- Training in the water also strengthens our immune system.
- Water aerobics offers the opportunity to become more mobile, get fit and stay fit in a gentle and healthy way.
- The respiratory muscles are trained, the metabolism stimulated and mobility improved.
- Since the muscle tone is reduced in the water, it comes to a muscle relaxation – even the often tense abdominal and back muscles.
- Training in the water strengthens the cardiovascular system and helps to more strength and endurance.
- Tightening of the tissue through increased blood circulation.
Aqua jogging: training – but how?
The best training effects are achieved when you exercise two to three times a week for half an hour to three quarters of an hour. The ideal water temperature is between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius. While swimming aims for the lowest possible water resistance, aqua jogging is the opposite: the more resistance, the better the training effect for muscles and cardiovascular system. The equipment therefore includes a buoyancy belt and devices to create more water resistance. The head remains above water, arms and legs are moved under water as in running or gymnastics.
6 Tips for Aqua Jogging
What to look for:
- Running is done in waist or chest deep water.
- Make sure your posture is upright (not leaning too far forward, but also not too far back).
- Make sure you are slightly forward (as when jogging on land).
- The deeper the water, the more strenuous the movements.
- Advanced practice in the deep.
- Optimal training duration: 30 to 45 minutes, preferably 2-3 times a week.
A first impression pleasing? Then just look at the following two aqua jogging exercises as a start.
Exercise 1: continuous running step
Small steps with slight bending of the knee joint are important. The individual phases – lifting the knees, pre-swinging the lower leg and pulling phase – are deliberately emphasized.After pulling the lower leg forward, extend the foot and step the leg back again. The sole of the foot pushes water away, providing propulsion.
Exercise 2: Walking step
The walking step is characterized by extended arms and legs that swing in opposite directions. The movement execution is similar to the diagonal step in cross-country skiing. The arms determine the pace of the beat.
Aqua Boxing
Just like other variations of aqua fitness, water resistance is an essential aspect of the workout in aqua boxing. Special boxing gloves further enhance this resistance. With movements borrowed from boxing and Thai boxing, you train responsiveness, body control and agility, but endurance and strength are also honed. Since the movements are slowed down by the water, they can be performed in a much more controlled manner, which trains coordination skills.
Fitness in the pool: training in the water
Aqua sports take advantage of the physical properties of water, because the density of water is about a thousand times greater than the density of air. Therefore, this medium puts a significant resistance to all movements.
- Water buoyancy:
One’s body weight appears lighter because gravity is reduced in water. The water buoyancy makes the body weigh only about 10 percent of its weight. The gentle and relieving effect of water therapy on joints, ligaments and tendons is due to this buoyancy. - Hydrostatic pressure:
Water pressure is significantly higher than air pressure. Water therefore exerts pressure on the superficial blood vessels. The increased hydrostatic pressure leads increased blood to the heart, its stroke volume increases by up to 20 percent, that is, the blood supply to the heart is increased. Heart and circulation are more stressed by water pressure and water resistance and thus strengthened in the long term. - Water resistance:
When the body tries to move forward against the water, resistance forces act back on the body. Water resistance increases with the speed of movement and especially the position of the body in the water. Swimming provides the least resistance and running provides the most resistance in the water. Working against the water resistance has a strengthening effect of the muscles and a massage effect. - Thermal conductivity:
Water has a great conductivity – the body gives off about three to four times more heat to the water than to the air. The body must compensate for this heat loss by increasing metabolism. To keep heat loss as low as possible, the blood vessels contract in the water; when the body leaves the water, the vessels expand again. Through the temperature change and the adaptation of the body, the immune system is strengthened.
