This is the second in my features on low or no impact training.

Working out in water has a huge number of advantages and can be great fun as well. It is not only about swimming lap after lap!

Aqua aerobics and aqua exercise have been a popular way of keeping fit for years, particularly for people with certain health problems or those recovering from injury.

There is now a growing trend to appeal to younger fitness enthusiasts. Pools and gyms are offering an increasing number of classes with topics such as Water Boxing, Aqua Step, as well as using specialised equipment to extend the normal range of exercises. For example, using jog belts, aqua gloves, aqua joggers or foot floats all add to the fun and the intensity of the exercise. As a result, it now appeals wider range of people than ever.

Regardless of your fitness level, I am sure that you will thoroughly enjoy a water exercise class. .
Water exercise is commonly advocated for people with the following conditions:

If you have any of these conditions, however, you should speak to your doctor before undertaking any exercise regime.

There are lots more benefits:

1. Water offers 12 times more resistance than air
2. Water aerobics provides high calorie burning during and after a workout.
3. Water aerobics renews your energy level as it releases your stress and tension.
4. You don’t have to expose your body in front of others – you are mainly hidden under the water!
5. Water supports 50% of your body making exercise easier to perform
6. Although there is a variety of special equipment available, you don’t need it to get a great work out using the natural resistance of the water
7. The buoyancy of the water significantly lowers the risk of stress-related injuries that some land exercises have
8. The resistance of the water against your movements results in a higher workout intensity compared to land exercises.
9. A massaging effect is created when your muscles are surrounded by water.
10. It provides a great year-round activity with indoor pools, although in the hotter months it’s one of the best ways to get a total body workout without overheating.
11. You’ll come out of the water looking fresher and smelling nicer than many other exercise classes: no sweat, and no wet hair!

Another advantage of aqua aerobics exercise is that you can participate in a class without knowing how to swim!

Aqua aerobics

Although generally more low-impact than land-based aerobics, these classes have most of the fat-burning and endurance-building benefits that you get from other forms of aerobic activity. An aerobic water exercise of around 30 minutes will help you burn about 300 calories. Most classes will run for around 45 minutes and should include a warm-up, cool-down and stretching exercises. The classes will include things like jogging, kicking, jumping, squats, and dance movements, and may or may not be accompanied by music.

The main benefits of this type of exercise are:

Aqua exercise

Resistance/strengthening classes aimed at improving tone, strength and mobility. The main advantage of exercising in water is that it offers resistance in all directions, compared to land exercises where you work only against gravity. Because of the cushioning effect that water provides, this form of exercise is particularly beneficial to anyone at risk from bodily stress, including the elderly, overweight, or those recovering from soft tissue injury. It’s also particularly good for pregnant women and is an ideal post-natal exercise.

The main benefits of this type of exercise are:

Some Simple Exercises

If you don’t have classes in your area, here is a simple routine that you can follow by yourself at yor local swimming pool.

The Warm Up

Walk through the shallow end of a pool, increasing the depth to waist- or chest-level as your fitness increases, and then try to jog! As you advance, get yourself in the deep end and try to run whilst treading water. This exercise is great for toning legs and strengthening your hips, as well as increasing cardio-respiratory fitness levels.

Warmer Warm Up

Or to get the heart thumping and work out most of your body, try some jumping jacks. Stand about chest deep in the water, and jump out with your legs and swing the arms up at the same time

For the Quads

Water squats are great for toning your lower body as well. tand in hip-deep water with feet apart. Bend your knees and squat as low as you can comfortably manage (pushing our bottom back), using the side of the pool to steady your balance if necessary (but don’t use it to support your weight or you’ll lose the effect of the exercise). Return to standing. Repeat 5-10 times.

For hips and glutes

Facing the edge of the pool, at least waist deep, hold on with both hands and slowly bring one leg out to your side, keeping your back straight. Exhale while you bring it up as high as you comfortably can without turning at the ankle (this probably won't be as high as you could if you did turn your ankle). Bring it back down and repeat 5-10 times for each leg

For glutes only

KICK! Hold onto the side of the pool, let your legs come up behind you to the surface of the water. Then, scissor up and down with your legs. Keep your bottom tight. This motion is great for the buttocks and hamstrings, and it indirectly tones the abdominals (if you tuck them in a little). What could be more fun than this?

For the back, shoulders and arms:

Do pull-ups. Here you are up out of the water, facing the pool side, with you hands on the edge of the pool and your legs and feet dropping down into the water. Grasp the side of the pool, hands a bit more than shoulder width apart. Lower your body as far as your arms will allow. Keeping your knees bent, exhale and pull yourself up as high as you can (the range of motion for this will vary greatly from one person to another and you need reasonably upper body strength, but give it a try).

For the chest

Standing in water up to your neck, reach your arms out to each side, with your arms only slightly bent at the elbows and your palms facing forward. Slowly bring your palms together, clapping your hands, and then turn your hands to return to the starting position.

For triceps

Stand straight, about chest deep, with your open hands palms-down on the surface of the water. Keeping your elbows locked at your sides (pretend they're glued to your ribcage), exhale and push down until your hands are beside your hips. Turn your hands and bring them back to the starting position.

For biceps

Stand straight, about shoulder deep. Bring your open hands to the side of each hip, palms forward, with your fingers close together. Exhale as you slowly bend at the elbow to bring your hands toward your shoulders. Add some weights to increase the resistance.

For abs

You can simulate crunches, llying on your back and pulling the knees in toward your shoulders and then kicking out. Or here's a toughie! Stand with your back to the side of the pool, with your upper arms and elbows holding onto the rim of the pool. Bend your knees, and slowly bring them up toward your chest until you are in the sitting position. Hold for 10 seconds (but remember to breath). Then slowly lower the legs back down. Repeat at least 8-10 tmes. Be sure to keep your back straight and against the pool throughout this exercise.

So get on down to your local pool and get kicking. Have some fun too!

Quick Tip!

One very important thing to remember is to keep your feet as fully planted as possible while you do your pool exercises, especially when walking and running. If you tiptoe (which people tend to do without realizing it), your calves will be killing you the next day. Keep those heels down!