This is a guest post by Noel Blanco.
People with very high body fat percentages who are classified as overweight or obese, or elderly individuals, often have various joint problems, most commonly in the knees and the trunk. They experience pain in these areas when they bend forward or run, but have to exercise as part of their doctors' orders to lose body fat, strengthen their muscles, and have a healthier lifestyle. This makes lifting weights, running, and many other types of exercises problematic for these individuals, as they may cause more problems than they can solve. What then is the solution?
AQUATIC WORKOUTS
Working out in a pool is an excellent solution to this problem, as the water can relieve pressure on the joints, freeing the individual from the pain that he or she might normally experience. There are plenty of exercises that can be performed under water, but for the totally inexperienced, running in water is a good start:
- While wearing a flotation jacket (so you don't sink during the exercises or lose balance too much), run from end to end and perform several laps.
- It would be wise to have a partner with you at all times to assist you in any way during your routine.
- Try to time yourself so that each time you do a lap, you give yourself the goal of beating your old time.
- The water also helps to cool you down during the session so that you will be able to exercise more, allowing you to expend more energy and burn more body fat than you might normally would.
- Don't think of the activity as a chore and always remember to have fun. Think of it more as having fun in the water than following doctor's orders.
- Once you get used to the water and strengthen your relevant muscle groups enough, you can progress to harder exercises, such as actual swimming, and even weight lifting.
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CLOSING THOUGHTS
Aquatic workouts aren't just for individuals with joint problems and other health concerns. They're very effective for everyone, no matter what their fitness levels are. If you're currently bored with your exercise routine and want to spice up your workouts, then give aquatic workouts a try! They'll give plenty of variety to old exercises that you most probably will never have experience before!
What are your thoughts on aquatic workouts? Have you ever tried it before or have further questions about it? Please leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
About the Author: Noel Blanco is a fitness and martial arts fanatic who runs his own fitness blog at Fitness Philippines.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Great article Noel. I think one of the most important things about an injury or joint problems is not only rehab but also being able to give a client options to stay active and still get an endorphin rush after training. Swimming is definitely one of the best options, a little resistance and cardio combined.
Another training tool that works really well for rehab is Vibration training because you are getting the muscles that have switch off to start firing again and also you can train with less impact on joints.
Keep up the great blogging Amanda
Thanks very much for the reply, Amanda. Yes, aquatic workouts are great to stimulate muscles despite various injuries.
Also, I’ve never heard of Vibration Training before. What exactly is it?
I love swimming and I do it daily as part of my exercise. In additional of your aquatic workouts, you can even play games inside the pools especially if you are in a group. Tag someone and he’s it then he is trying to catch someone. Of course, swimming is the best option.
That’s a great point, Anne! Water workouts bring a whole new dimension to the exercises and the environment, so, if you’re creative enough, you can create all sorts of fun new activities to enjoy and help you stay in shape!