Top 5 Reasons To Choose Water Workouts Today
By Catherine M, Staff Editor
Last Updated on March 6th, 2023 / Published on October 18, 2018
Top 5 reasons to choose water workouts today
If all your workouts and training take place in the gym, it’s time you gave the swimming pool a chance to let you lose some weight. Training and exercising in water increase the number of calories you burn, improve muscle strength, and improve your posture and balance. Water workouts also provide great mobility and flexibility to your joints, ease stiff joints, and help in relaxing sore muscles. Additionally, water workouts also reduce fatigue.
So, if you are new to water workouts, some of the most popular beginner exercises you can perform in the water to gain these benefits include walking, running, leg raises, and shoulder flexion and abduction. If you have a trainer, which you should, you can ask them for additional workouts that are suitable for your individual needs.
Though you can perform several water workouts without using any equipment, some instructors or trainers may use pool noodles, kickboards, and foam weights for effective water workouts or water aerobics.
Many pools offer distinct water workout programs like prenatal water workouts, water aerobics, water yoga, etc. So, you can choose the one that best suits your needs and interest.
Different water workouts target and strengthen different areas like your core, arms, legs, glutes, and back. Therefore, water workouts or exercising in water has numerous benefits for you, and if the ones mentioned earlier are not enough, below are some more benefits that may compel you to hit the pool for a workout.
Low-impact fitness
Exercising has a lot of benefits for everyone. However, normal exercising does leave an impact or stress on muscles and joints, which can lead to muscle soreness, stress, and injury. When you work out in water, the impact of the physical movements on your muscles and joints is reduced. Subsequently, water workouts reduce the risk of muscle soreness, injury, and stress. Therefore, water workouts can be a great alternative to a regular workout, especially, if you suffer from chronic pains, are recovering from an injury, have joint problems, or are pregnant.
Relieves stress and decreases anxiety
While this is true for all types of exercises, water workout especially relieves stress along with other benefits, as water is a relaxing element that soothes the body muscles. Therefore, regular water workouts can make you feel better physically and mentally. Additionally, it helps improve the cardiovascular and respiratory system function by increasing the blood flow through water cardio.
Faster weight loss
It takes burning of approximately 3500 calories to lose a pound of body fat, and an average 30-minute pool workout is enough to burn approximately 300 calories. A minimum water workout of 3-4 times a week results in significant weight loss. Additionally, you can use a swimming calorie calculator to know the precise number of calories you burned during your water workout.
Builds core strength
Exercises that are focused on your abdominal muscles help you build a strong core. For abdominal water workouts, it is important to take guidance from a professional trainer to ensure safety. You may also consider wearing water workout shoes for the same.
Fun factor
Last, but not least, exercising is more fun when taken to water. Hence, if you are a water baby or generally enjoy your time in the water, then you are going to love working out in water too. If you have only hit the pool to swim or be in the water, then it will be a great new experience to exercise in water. The feel of water is refreshing for most of us; therefore, committing to a regular water workout can be relatively easier than a traditional workout.