There are lots of different ways to stay active and focus on your physical health, but very few are as COOL as the POOL! In this post, we’ll DIVE into the benefits of an aquatic fitness practice.
You might be asking yourself if it’s possible to get a full-body workout in the water. The answer is YES (and you don’t have to train like an Olympian to do it, either). In case you’re wondering, a full-body workout is pretty much exactly what it sounds like—exercise that hits all your major muscle groups during a single workout. When you swim, that’s easy to do! Even if you don’t know how to swim there are plenty of effective exercises that can be done in just four feet of water. Check out this workout that takes just 30 minutes to do.
Want more good news? Exercise in the water is the ULTIMATE low-impact workout. Low-impact exercise is when you’re able to increase your heart rate while reducing the impact to your joints. Because we are buoyant in the water (meaning we tend to float), we counteract gravity and get that fun, weightless feeling. In addition to being a good time, it’s HEAVEN for your joints, especially if you suffer from osteoarthritis.
Although the exact number is hard to pin down, experts agree that there are more than 250 joints in the human body. All the more reason to take care of them, right?
Swimming laps isn’t the only way to get fit and build endurance. Even just walking in shallow water, aka wading, uses your body’s weight against the pressure of the water to create resistance. There are also ways to incorporate paddles, weights, and floatation devices into your workout.
One of the easiest ways to get going in an aquatic routine is to join a water aerobics class. Water aerobics is a group activity with multiple participants working out together in a pool. The goal is in the title—aerobic—meaning to raise your heart rate and get you breathing more rapidly. Most water aerobics classes are designed to be easy to follow, social, and fun.
At Melrose Meadows, we’re big fans of water aerobics…so much so that we have it THREE days a week (every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). Our heated indoor pool is kept at a balmy 88 degrees and is accessed by a series of short, shallow steps for easy in and out.
For more information, check out our activities calendar today!
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