Water exercise offers an enjoyable and challenging workout, regardless of physical limitations.
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Although Janice knew that exercise was good for her health, she frequently found an excuse to stay in her chair. Once she discovered water exercise, the excuses were over. She hasn’t missed a workout in more than two years.
Only about 30 percent of Americans over age 60 get regular exercise, even though most are well aware of the health benefits. For those who can’t get enthusiastic about walking, jogging or biking, water exercise is a sensible choice.
It’s also a healthy choice. In the Golden Waves Study [1997], a group of 60 previously sedentary women in their 70s taking part in a 16-week water exercise program recorded significant gains on numerous measures of health and fitness: stride length, balance, agility, speed walking, muscle strength, endurance and flexibility at selected joints. They also gained in more practical matters such as ability to climb stairs and move from sitting to standing; and their need for medication decreased. Perhaps most important, they reported improved self esteem, happiness in life and new-found friendships.
As with any exercise, an aquatic session starts with a warmup of slow, easy movements to loosen the muscles and ends with a brief cool down while the heart rate returns to normal. Sandwiched in between is the aerobic workout, orchestrated by an instructor to work all the major muscle groups.
Exercises might include walking in waist- to chest-high water, sometimes with hand weights held under the water; stepping on or off a platform; or “walking” or “running” in deep water with flotation devices.
Janice found water exercise to be fun, but it’s also a challenging workout. In one study, subjects expended an average of 5.3 METs during the exercise session–well within the 3.0 to 6.0 MET intensity level recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine.
One major advantage is the buoyancy offered by water, which virtually eliminates the risk of a injurious fall. A person who might be unsteady because of impaired coordination or a disability can learn to confidently perform movements with a normal range of motion.
For obese individuals or those with arthritis or diabetes, the buoyancy of water provides a welcome reduction of impact. In shallow water, the weight-bearing impact is 30 percent; at shoulder depth, it’s only 10 percent.
For postmenopausal women, weight-bearing exercise helps prevent bone loss associated with osteoporosis. Yet one small study found that postmenopausal women actually showed slight gains of bone density (0.33 to 1 percent) after taking water exercise classes once a week for a year. Most women of this age group experience bone mass losses averaging 1 to 2 percent a year, so even those modest gains were impressive.
Because water offers a resistance 12 to 15 times greater than that of air, water movements put a greater load on the muscles and the cardiovascular system, while at the same time allowing the individual greater control and a better chance of avoiding over-exertion. The harder a person pushes in the water, the greater the resistance felt; yet the muscles get almost immediate rest when the pressure is stopped.
Water is 25 times more effective than air at absorbing body heat building up during exercise, so there’s little risk of the body getting overheated. At 84 degrees Fahrenheit, most persons are able to exercise comfortably at about 4.2 METs; those exercising at a higher intensity, however, might require a cooler water temperature.
Another major advantage of water exercise is the hydrostatic pressure of water on the surface of the body. This too increases with depth; when a person is standing in five feet of water it is great enough to exceed diastolic blood pressure.
As a result of this hydrostatic pressure, water exercise enhances blood flow and reduces swelling throughout the body–a distinct benefit for persons with high blood pressure, vascular disease or congestive heart failure.
Basically a tough workout in a gentle environment, water exercise is often prescribed for young athletes coming back from an injury. Doctors now know it’s also an ideal option for persons with medical conditions making it difficult or uncomfortable to exercise.
As for Janice, she simply felt better as a result of her activities in the water–not only when she was exercising but throughout the day. And that kept her moving.
Listen to Your Body
During water activities–or any exercise–it’s important to listen to your body and adjust intensity accordingly. Exercise should be enjoyable and comfortable.
If you can talk while exercising, the pace is moderate to low. If you want a greater training effect, some huffing and puffing is normal but gasping for air is not.
To increase intensity:
· move faster through the water,
· increase the size of your movements (range of motion) or
· straighten the limb you’re using..
To reduce intensity:
· slow down or stop,
· make smaller movements or
· stop and substitute another move.
[SOURCE: Mary E. Sanders, “Water Exercise for Seniors Improves Living on Land,” IDEA Health and Fitness Source, June, 2001.
Adjusting the Temperature
Water generally offers a good environment for exercise, with the water absorbing the buildup of body heat resulting from physical activity. For individuals with certain medical conditions, however, the water temperature may have to be adjusted.
A water temperature of 83 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit is fairly neutral and ideal for exercising at about 4.3 METS. Arthritis patients and those with handicaps restricting motion may need a warmer temperature, however, while obese or elderly persons might experience cardiovascular stress from temperatures too warm.
[SOURCE: Kim R. Beason and James Gilbert, “Benefits of Deep Water Exercise for Ambulatory Impaired Adults,” Palaestra, Summer, 1995; Mary E. Sanders, “Water Exercise for Seniors Improves Living on Land,” IDEA Health & Fitness Source, June, 2001]
Music for Swimmers
Walkers and joggers often listen to music while they work out, and now swimmers can do the same.
“Aqua Tune” is a waterproof pouch on a belt that allows you to take your Walkman or Discman player into the water with ear phones that stay put under your cap. A more expensive option is the recently released Swimman Waterproof Personal Stereo system produced by Hydrophonics.
[SOURCE: “Ask Swimmer?” Rodale’s Fitness Swimmer,” January, 2001]
Certification for Instructors
If you plan to take an aquatic exercise fitness class, look for one that’s taught by someone certified in water fitness and safety. The United States Water Fitness Association and the Aquatic Exercise Association offer certification. The Arthritis Foundation sponsors classes designed for persons with joint problems.
[SOURCE: “Water Workouts: A Low-Impact Way To Stay Fit,” Harvard Health Letter, February, 1998]
Heart Rate Lower in Water
When you’re exercising in deep water, your heart rate will be about 10 percent lower than for a similar amount of exertion on dry land.
Exercise specialists say the intensity of the workout should be measured by the actual heart rate rather than the perception of intensity. The heart rate can be determined by checking the pulse of the carotid artery in the neck for six seconds and then multiplying by 10.
[SOURCE: Kim R. Beason and James Gilbert, “Benefits of Deep Water Exercise for Ambulatory Impaired Adults,” Palaestra, Summer, 1995]
Water Exercise Gets Results
A recent study of 30 apparently healthy women in their 60s and 70s found that those enrolled in a 12-week program of water-based exercise showed a significant increase in fitness, a 24.3 mg/dL decrease in total cholesterol and improvements in muscle power and agility compared to control subjects who continued their usual daily activities.
In another study of 106 women with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, subjects who performed water exercises twice a week had less pain and significantly greater flexibility and mobility than other subjects who received educational materials about arthritis.
[SOURCE: Sally Koch Kubetin, “Water-Based Exercise Benefits Elderly Women,” Family Practice News, September 15, 2002; Michele Stanten and Selene Yeager, “Arthritis Relief: Add Water: Aquatic Exercise May Make Moving Easier,” Prevention, March, 2002]
Pilates, Yoga in the Water
Pilates and yoga classes have become increasingly popular fitness options among persons seeking strength, flexibility, stress reduction and improved breathing, posture and body awareness. Some exercise instructors have recently combined these two approaches with water fitness, also popular and offering many of the same benefits.
The slower movements of yoga and Pilates are well suited to a water environment. They are usually performed at mid-chest depth.
Because of the cooling effect of water, some of the more static yoga poses must be countered with or combined with the more flowing movements of Pilates.
[SOURCE: Carol Argo, “Integrating Pilates & Yoga into Aquatic Classes,” IDEA Health & Fitness Source, November-December, 2001]
REFERENCES:
Kim R. Beason and James Gilbert, “Benefits of Deep Water Exercise for Ambulatory Impaired Adults,” Palaestra, Summer, 1995.
Cay Butler, “Walking in Water, Inside MS, Summer, 2002.
Bruce Jancin, “Warm Water Exercise Works Wonders for Elderly,” Family Practice News, December 15, 1999.
Sally Koch Kubetin, “Water-Based Exercise Benefits Elderly Women,” Family Practice News, September 15, 2002.
Mary E. Sanders, “Water Exercise for Seniors Improves Living on Land,” IDEA Health & Fitness Source, June, 2001.
Mary E. Sanders, “Water Fitness for Seniors,” IDEA Health & Fitness Source, June, 2002.
Valerie Simmons and Paul D. Hansen, “Effectiveness of Water Exercise on Postural Mobility in the Well Elderly: An Experimental Study on Balance Enhancement,” The Journals of Gerontology, Series A, September 1996.
Michele Stanten and Selene Yeager, “Arthritis Relief: Add Water: Aquatic Exercise May Make Moving Easier,” Prevention, March, 2002.
“Water Workouts: A Low-Impact Way To Stay Fit,” Harvard Health Letter, February, 1998.
