Aerobic Water Exercises: Practical Application

Part 2:

Part 1 discussed some of the more theoretical aspects to aerobic water exercise or aquatic therapy.

For now, lets move on to some of the more practical ways to use aquatic therapy and deep water exercises. Firstly, what are you going to need? Besides from a pair of bathers and an open expanse of water, the only other thing you need is a float of some sort. There are specially designed float belts and vests that you can buy, but any old life jacket, ski belt or floaty will do the trick as long as it keeps your head above water. Just make sure it doesn’t interfere with the movement of your arms and legs too much.

To the right are a number of superb examples of professional floatation devices designed specifically for deep water exercise. The first is a floatation belt which fits around the waist and connects at the front. This will provide ample buoyancy to keep just about anyone afloat. The second picture, to the right, shows one of the flotation vests which is very similar to a life jacket, except that it provides a greater amount of freedom to move around.

However, if you don't have access to one of these professional devices, don't panic. For years I simply stuck an old swim floaty down the front of my bathers, it wasn't pretty, but it did the trick. You can do the same, an old piece of foam or float tied around your waist will keep your head above the water.

Now lets have a look at your body position in the water and a few common mistakes people tend to make. You want to position yourself in a similar posture to that of running on land. Keep your head up and your shoulders back. Your torso should be relatively straight with a slight (very slight) forward lean. Do not bend forward at the waist and alternately do not lean back into a sitting position. Refer to the picture at the left for a visual example.

In this position you should be free to move your arms and legs in all directions. From this position there are a number of actions you can take. The standard is the running motion. This should be performed as you would run on land. Make sure you have long strides, fully extending your legs, thinking smooth and long. Don’t forget your arms, move them back and forth, keeping your shoulders relaxed.

Or, try cross country skiing, keep your arms and legs straight, moving them back and forth like a cross country skier. Or what about over exaggerating your stride, like a runner over hurdlers. The choices are endless, make up some of your own.

A word of caution. Before going straight into a serious work out, spend a couple of sessions just concentrating on your technique and getting comfortable in the water. I can guarantee you that the first time you try this sort of exercise, it will feel very strange and uncomfortable. After a few easy sessions you'll start to get the hang of it. Then, once you’ve mastered this new form of exercise, you can move onto a more structured work out. Try one of the examples below.