The American College of Sports Medicine suggests that people perform at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Most healthy people can easily accomplish this, but the muscular-skeletal system may suffer from the impact. Water exercise, otherwise known as aqua aerobics, may provide a viable solution to this dilemma. Exercise physiologists Len Kravitz, Ph.D and J.J. Mayo, Ph.D. explain that the buoyancy of water results in a 90 percent reduction in body weight, thereby reducing the impact on the joints. They also cite research stating that the density of water is approximately 800 times the density of air. The resistance provided by water increases the intensity of the exercise.
Step 1
Put on your aqua jogging shoes and your webbed gloves. Go to the shallow section of the pool. The water should reach the middle of your chest. Perform forward and backward jogging, as well as sideways traveling movements Continue for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Continue jogging. Extend your arms in front of you at chest height. The palms will face each other. Bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other. Perform 20 repetitions.
Step 3
Jog forward and then walk backward. Use your core muscles to maintain an upright posture. The resistance of the water makes this more challenging than it sounds.
Step 4
Place one foot in front of the other. The arm opposite the front leg will be in the forward position. Engage your core to keep your body in an upright position. Perform a jumping move to switch the arm and leg position. Since you are in deep water, your feet will not touch the bottom of the pool. Continue for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Get your buoyancy weights and move to the deeper water. Perform jumping jacks. Your arms will be raised to shoulder height as you open your legs. Perform five jumping jacks in place, five moving forward and five moving backward. Then, perform one jumping jack facing front, one to the right, one to the back, one to the left and then one to front. Repeat the sequence. But begin by facing left. Return the weights to the edge of the pool.
Step 6
Continue deep-water jogging for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Tips and Warnings
Get a group of at least five people. Jog in a circle for about 4 minutes, and then reverse directions. You will be working against the resistance of the water. Some fitness facilities now have underwater treadmills and aqua step aerobic classes.
Avoid water exercise if you are allergic to chlorine.
Things You'll Need
Aqua jogging shoes
Webbed water gloves
Water weights
Buoyancy belt
Step 1
Put on your aqua jogging shoes and your webbed gloves. Go to the shallow section of the pool. The water should reach the middle of your chest. Perform forward and backward jogging, as well as sideways traveling movements Continue for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 2
Continue jogging. Extend your arms in front of you at chest height. The palms will face each other. Bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades toward each other. Perform 20 repetitions.
Step 3
Jog forward and then walk backward. Use your core muscles to maintain an upright posture. The resistance of the water makes this more challenging than it sounds.
Step 4
Place one foot in front of the other. The arm opposite the front leg will be in the forward position. Engage your core to keep your body in an upright position. Perform a jumping move to switch the arm and leg position. Since you are in deep water, your feet will not touch the bottom of the pool. Continue for 5 minutes.
Step 5
Get your buoyancy weights and move to the deeper water. Perform jumping jacks. Your arms will be raised to shoulder height as you open your legs. Perform five jumping jacks in place, five moving forward and five moving backward. Then, perform one jumping jack facing front, one to the right, one to the back, one to the left and then one to front. Repeat the sequence. But begin by facing left. Return the weights to the edge of the pool.
Step 6
Continue deep-water jogging for another 5 to 10 minutes.
Tips and Warnings
Get a group of at least five people. Jog in a circle for about 4 minutes, and then reverse directions. You will be working against the resistance of the water. Some fitness facilities now have underwater treadmills and aqua step aerobic classes.
Avoid water exercise if you are allergic to chlorine.
Things You'll Need
Aqua jogging shoes
Webbed water gloves
Water weights
Buoyancy belt
