Best Way to Get Started with Deep Water Aerobics Exercises

Are you looking into adding water aerobics exercises into your fitness routine? Finding new ways to workout is a great way to keep your exercise motivation up and going strong.

Additionally, surprising your body and your muscles with new exercises is a good way to prevent fitness burnout and a great way to prevent workout plateau. If seeing changes in your body is important to you in your workout, preventing this plateau is key. 

Pool exercises are a favorite for women over 40 for the low impact, health benefits and well, it’s just an all around fun way to burn calories!

One really great way to include new exercises into your routine is to add water aerobics in deep water into your fitness schedule. If you have access to a pool to workout in, you may just find yourself loving this new addition to your exercise lineup! 

What are Deep Water Aerobics Exercises?

Deep water aerobics exercises are simply exercises that you perform in deep water. It is technically considered resistance training and is done vertically, mostly without swimming.

Deep water exercises are a great option for a full body workout. If you are unfamiliar with water aerobics, you will be pleasantly surprised to learn that water exercises are a great way to burn calories and get fit with a low impact work out.

Specifically, it is great for toning your body, building stamina and losing weight. There are many health benefits to water aerobics that many people don’t realize.

The water acts as a form of natural resistance, which helps build muscle and burn fat, while also being a very low impact exercise which is easier on your joints. That makes this the perfect exercise for those recovering from injury, those just getting started or anyone wanting to mix up their workouts a bit.

Oh, and just so we are clear, recent studies have shown that water aerobics are just as effective as similarly paced high intensity exercises that you would do outside of the pool. 

Who Can Benefit from Aquatic Exercise?

As we mentioned earlier, aquatic exercise greatly benefits anyone. People of all ages, even those who may be dealing with recovery from an injury, anyone with joint issues or those who have been asked to avoid high impact exercise (pregnant women, osteoporosis sufferers, etc) can see benefits from this exercise.

This type of exercise is also beneficial for fitness enthusiasts and beginners alike, people of all fitness levels can see results from water fitness. 

How Can You Receive Better Results from Water Aerobic Exercises?

Like any other type of exercise, there are things that you can do to help yourself receive better results from your water workouts. 

• Combining your pool exercises with a proper diet will help you to achieve better results. 
• Maintaining a regular workout schedule will be beneficial in reaching your fitness goals. 

Should You Warm Up Before Your Workout?

As with any workout, you should definitely warm up before your workout.   Warming up your muscles is important because it helps you to avoid injuries.

One of my favorite warm ups for aqua exercises is to just swim. You can leisurely swim around the pool to warm up your muscles. It’s a good way to get your upper body and lower body for your workout ahead.

What are the Best Deep Water Aerobics Exercises?

If you are looking for the best deep water aerobics exercises to include into your workout routine, there are quite a few options for you. If you prefer to be led in your workouts, you can contact local pools and fitness centers to find aqua aerobics classes or deep-water aerobics classes that are available near you. 

For those that like to be in charge of their own physical activity, you can check out some of these low-impact exercises to include into your new workout!

Water Walking

Water walking can be done in two different ways:

Waist-Deep Water Walking

For regular water walking, you can stand in waist deep water and simply walk from one side of the pool to another, keeping your feet on the bottom of the pool as you walk (as opposed to swimming and kicking your feet).

Do 10 laps (or until you are tired) Water walking is one of the best ways to get started with aqua exercises because it is quite easy to do and no equipment is necessary. 

To increase the benefit of this workout, try increasing your speed with each lap, or you can walk one lap moving forward, while moving the next lap backwards.

Alternated direction helps to build your core muscles. You can also add ankle weights or carry foam dumbbells to increase your workout.

Deep Water Walking

If you are ready to give deep water walking (or aqua jogging) a try, you’ll need a flotation belt. You need your body to be floating at roughly shoulder height without your feet touching the pool floor.

Once you are floating at the right depth, it’s time to start walking! You can do normal walking movements, you can lift your knees higher while walking, or you can even walk backwards and sideways. Any of these will create a more intense workout. 

Leg Raises

Underwater leg raises are a great lower body exercise. To do this exercise, hold on to the edge of the pool with one hand. Bend knees and slowly swing your right leg to the side, holding it for several seconds.

Lower the leg down and then repeat this motion. Do this 10 times and then repeat with the other leg. 

Jumping Jacks

Jumping jacks done underwater are very similar to regular jumping jacks and are a great deep water workout. For this exercise, stand in shoulder deep water with your arms to your sides.

Simultaneously jump up while raising your hands out to your sides and spreading your feet just past shoulder width apart. Immediately reverse your movement back to the starting position. Repeat to exhaustion. 

Flutter Kicks

Hold on to the pool wall at the deep end of the pool. Allow your feet to float out behind you and kick.

The buoyancy of the water helps to keep you up while also providing resistance against you while you kick your feet. You can also do this by holding on to a pool noodle and moving throughout the pool.

Where to find water aerobics classes

Water aerobics can be a lot of fun and help to prevent boredom from doing the same types of exercises all of the time. Find a water aerobics class at a local gym or YMCA, or simply enjoy deep water aerobics in your own private pool.