Easy On the Joints

When you are waist-deep in water, your body carries only 50 percent of your body weight. When the water is chest level, only 25 to 35 percent of your body weight is carried. Whether you are swimming laps or taking a deep-end aquatics class, water exercise gives your joints a break from the pounding common in other activities such as running, tennis, or kickboxing. It has also been shown to increase joint use and reduce joint pain among those with osteoarthritis.

Strength and Flexibility

Moving your body through the water, especially when swimming, requires that many joints extend through their full range of motion, improving flexibility. Water also provides about 12 times the resistance of air — making it a challenging yet gentle way to improve strength.

Cross-training

During water exercise, the body is challenged to work in ways very different from exercising on land, which makes it ideal for cross-training. When swimming, you challenge the respiratory system because you must gain better control of your breathing pattern (particularly as your breathing rate increases). Your muscles are also challenged in new ways as you move your limbs to stay afloat.

Beginners to Advanced

Beginning an exercise program for the first time or restarting after a long break can be intimidating. Water exercise provides a way to ease back into fitness while reducing stress on the knees and ankles. Your heart rate will stay elevated as you keep the body in motion to stay above water. Working in speed intervals and increasing the length of your exercise session will keep you challenged as you build your fitness level.

Weight Loss

In a 30-minute workout, a 150-pound person will burn 359 calories while doing the breaststroke and 279 calories while swimming at a moderate pace or jogging in the water. Despite the calories burned, many studies indicate that swimmers are at risk of weight gain. This is because water exercise can increase appetite. The increase in hunger is attributed to the drop in body temperature that occurs during water exercise. Track your calorie intake to be sure you don’t eat more calories than your body needs.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Healthy Swimming

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.