When the temperature and humidity levels are high enough to put a damper on your usual outdoor exercise routine, try taking your workout to the water. Aquatic exercise gives you the exercise you need – without having to succumb to the sweltering heat outside. 

Aquatic workouts can be done in a pool or in the open water of a lake, bay or ocean. They can be used as part of your cross-training regimen, or as an alternative to your regular workout. Because water workouts are isokinetic, you can work as hard or as easy as you like because the water resists only as much as you resist it.

You can also vary the intensity of your workout by changing your environment. For example, swimming in open water (as opposed to a pool) such as a lake offers challenges such as current, colder temperatures and marine life.

Benefits of Aquatic Exercise

Aquatic exercise offers many of the same benefits as land exercise including aerobic fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility and better balance. Water’s buoyancy makes the workout easier on your joints and its resistance challenges your muscles.

Water cools more efficiently than air, so the body is able to eliminate excess heat more effectively. Unlike exercising on land on a hot day, being in the water helps prevent you from overheating and washes away perspiration. Although the body is cooled more effectively, you still lose fluids from perspiration, so proper hydration is essential. Be sure to drink water before, during and after exercise.

Because water has such an intense cooling effect, it is extremely important to begin your workout with a warm up that will elevate your core temperature and prepare your joints for the workout. This will help prevent injury and provide comfort in the long run.

According to the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), the typical aquatic exerciser (combining upper and lower body movements) burns between 400 and 500 calories per hour. Although a person doing an aquatic workout generally has a lower heart rate than a person running or walking on land, cardiovascular benefits are comparable since certain factors (such as lessened gravity, pressure, and the cooling effect) influence the exercising heart rate when submerged in the water to mid-chest.

Northwestern Health Sciences University's Master Aquatics Program offers a variety of swimming classes. For more information, click here

Pool Running

Pool running (or aqua running) is not only a great cross-training activity for serious runners, but also a great workout for those who need a break from the leg-pounding of running on hard surfaces. When done correctly, pool running can provide a balanced, full-body workout.

According to Doug Stern, a deep-water-running instructor for the New York Road Runners, pool running strengthens all key running muscles, which helps to increase your land-running turnover and stride length. Some studies have even shown that runners who train in the pool often improve their hip extension and run faster 5K times!

If you’ve never experienced pool running, it may take a while to get used to the way it feels. To start off, you should be in deep water, submerged to your chin. Instead of using the arm and leg motions you use in land-running, try to use a more sweeping, pendulum-like motion from hips to toes. Stern also recommends turning your toes slightly downward with your arms and legs straight (with almost no bending at the knees and elbows). Each stride should be short, and your head, chest and hips should remain upright and aligned. Unlike land-running, you will stay stationary. If you find you are traveling around the pool, you may be leaning too far forward – be sure you stay upright at all times.

To make pool running easier, the AEA recommends wearing shoes (either your regular athletic shoe or a specialized water shoe). This will help absorb shock – not to mention add more cushioning and comfort. Wearing shoes will also provide ankle support and protect your feet from rough surfaces. You can also purchase an aqua belt or aqua vest that will help keep you afloat and in an upright position while doing your workout.

Sources: Aquatic Exercise Association; Runner’s World Magazine