Home fitness has increased in popularity over the last couple of years, largely due to pandemic worries. If you have a pool, now is a good time to take a closer look at water fitness. Water exercise has changed dramatically over the years and now includes high intensity workouts for younger and more advanced fitness levels. How do you follow along with workouts in the pool? There’s an app for that!
The PoolFit app allows users to download workouts and take their device poolside and follow along with instructor-led workouts. PoolFit founder, Mark Grevelding, has trained water fitness instructors for the past 20 years and is on a mission to dispel the myth that you can’t get a good workout in the water. Below he offers 5 compelling reasons to take your workouts to the pool.
#1 Reduced Joint Impact
Buoyancy, the opposite of gravity, is an uplifting force that reduces or eliminates impact on feet, ankles, knees and hips. Exercising in shallow water at chest depth means that you are only bearing 25-35% of your body weight. This reduced impact allows individuals to participate in more vigorous and athletic exercise programs. Exercising in deep water means zero gravity and zero impact. If you gave up jogging because it hurts, the good news is that you can sprint as hard and as fast as you want in deep water. Deep water running with a flotation belt is a popular way to burn calories and get fit.
#2 Water’s Resistance/Muscle Balance
Exercising in the pool provides total-body resistance thanks to the viscosity of water. All movements are resisted in water and that means muscles on both sides of a joint are targeted. Improving muscular balance can reduce chronic pain and decrease the risk of injury. Simply put, the water itself is one of the best types of fitness equipment available.
#3 Cross Training/Injury Recovery
Injury is the biggest obstacle to maintaining regular exercise as we age. Physically active people become frustrated by what seems like a never-ending cycle of injuries that limits their fitness activities. Don’t get frustrated; get in the water. Fitness buffs who jog, cycle or engage in other land fitness activities should explore water exercise for cross training purposes. Exercising with all-out intensity in the joint-friendly environment of water can help break workout plateaus.
#4 Weight Loss
People often get discouraged trying to lose weight because they participate in exercise activities that are too strenuous or cause pain. Excess weight adds stress to weight-bearing joints, such as the knees. Exercising with reduced impact in water helps to eliminate discomfort and pain during fitness activities. The water also provides a cooling factor, which reduces sweating and the chances of overheating.
#5 Move Better, Feel Better, Live Better
Water exercise also allows people to move their limbs more freely in multiple directions, improving range of motion and the ability to perform daily activities more efficiently. People can exercise longer and with more intensity in the water, improving muscular endurance and stamina, which helps them move better, feel better and live better.
The pandemic has forced us to make many sacrifices, but your fitness goals shouldn’t be one of them. If you are struggling to get your exercise regimen back on track, try taking your workouts to the pool.
The PoolFit App offers a wide variety of water workouts for all fitness levels. There are currently over 115 pool workouts available. Two new videos post every month. Try one month free and then the subscription fee is $15.95 a month. There is no commitment and subscribers can cancel at any time. Register on the PoolFit website, the App Store or the Play Store.