Aerobic Water Exercise
and Aquatic Therapy

Water Aerobics, or Aquatic Exercises, are a superb form of
exercise for injury rehabilitation and maintaining fitness!

Part 1:
It's been called everything from aerobic water exercise to aquatic therapy and water aerobics. However, it's more than just kicking up and down the local pool or spending some time in a hot, bubbling spa. Used correctly, aquatic therapy is a marvellous tool to complement your regular training, or for assisting recovery from hard training and serious injury.

So what is actually meant when someone talks of aerobic water exercise or aquatic therapy? In its broadest sense, aquatic therapy can be any activity that is performed in water. However, I like to break these activities into two major areas that relate specifically to sport, exercise, fitness and health.

Firstly, aquatic therapy is any exercises done in water to complement and enhance your regular training and exercise. Secondly, aquatic therapy is any activity performed in water to assist in rehabilitation and recovery from hard training or serious injury.

One of the main features of aquatic therapy is that it allows you to exercise without the jarring and jolting experienced when training on land. It is estimated that body weight is compounded up to five times during the heel strike when running or jogging. This does not occur during deep water or aquatic exercise. The buoyant properties of water mean that you are able to perform exercise without any significant impact at all.

This feature alone makes aquatic therapy stand out from a number of other recovery and rehabilitation exercises. When injured it is extremely difficult to find exercises and activities that allow you to maintain your current level of fitness and don't jeopardise or risk further injury. However, the use of aquatic therapy or deep water exercises puts the body in a near zero gravity environment. Meaning there is virtually no impact or jarring on any of the body's joints, muscles, ligament, tendons or bones.

This is especially important when you have spent time organising your goals and putting them into a plan of action. The last thing you want to do is have to take time off because of an injury. Even during your normal exercise routine there is always the possibility that small, minute injuries occurred during the session. It is these small, minute injuries which, if left unattended, can build up over time and lead to major, debilitating injuries which can cost you weeks, if not months, in recovery time. This is where aquatic therapy can assist by helping recovery without any loss to your training schedule.

Another important feature of aquatic therapy is that water increases the resistance experienced while training. The great thing about this increased resistance, is that it's variable. Meaning, the faster and harder you work against the water, the greater the resistance you encounter and the harder the work out. So, if you're injured or just looking for an easy work out, you can take it slow and gently move your limbs against the water. However, if you want a tough work out, go as hard and as fast as you can, the water will always return an equal resistance.

From the two features mentioned previously, you can see that aquatic therapy is a very safe and beneficial form of exercise. As well as a number of cardiovascular and respiratory benefits, aquatic therapy also helps to:

• increase and maintain muscular flexibility;
• improve mobility and range of motion;
• increase muscular strength; and
• improve coordination, balance and postural alignment.

Other benefits include:

• a high calorie consumption;
• a massaging effect on your muscles;
• the ability to train during very hot weather, (using an outdoor pool or freshwater lake;
• the ability to train during very cold weather, (using an indoor heated pool);
• a great supplement or alternative to regular training;
• is usually pleasurable and very relaxing; and
• because your body is supported by water your heart rate is slightly lower, meaning aquatic therapy is relatively safe for obese individuals, pregnant ladies and those suffering from hypertension and heart disease.

That takes care of most of the theoretical aspects of deep water running. In next month's issue we'll have a look at some of the more practical ways to use aquatic therapy and aerobic water exercise.

Part 2:

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.

Warm Up: Run or stride easy for 10 to 15 minutes, gradually increasing the speed and intensity. Do a few stretches to loosen up the muscles and finish the warm up with a few short, fast sprints.

Main Set: Alternate between running and cross country skiing for 3 minutes at a moderate o hard pace, then 1 minute at an easy pace. Repeat this 5 to 10 times, depending on your fitness and goals.

Or: Run or ski;

• First 2 minutes easy.
• Next 2 minutes moderate.
• Next 2 minutes hard.
• Next 2 minutes moderate.
• Last 2 minutes easy.
• Repeat the above 2 to 4 times.

Or: Simply run or ski at a moderate intensity for 30 to 40 minutes. Remember to keep your heart rate at a steady, consistent level, don't go too hard too soon.

Cool Down: Run easy for 10 minutes gradually decreasing the intensity. Finish with a good stretch and you'll feel great.

Next time you're laid up with a minor injury or just looking for something a little different to beat the boredom of your usual workout, remember to give deep water running a try. You'll be surprised at the great workout you can get!

If you enjoyed this month's issue of The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter, please feel free to forward it to others, make it available for download from your site or post it on forums for others to read. Please make sure the following paragraph and URL are included.

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Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and
sports injury consultant with over 15 years experience
in the health and fitness industry. For more articles on
stretching, flexibility and sports injury, subscribe to
The Stretching & Sports Injury Newsletter by visiting
http://www.thestretchinghandbook.com/newsletter.htm.
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