It’s well known that there are tons of amazing health benefits of swimming, but there are also plenty of health benefits of aquatic exercise (other types of physical activity performed in the water besides swimming). And, if you’re not familiar with water-based workouts—yes—there are lots of easy-to-learn aquatic exercises for people of all ages, general health, body types, fitness levels, and swimming abilities.
Below are just some compelling reasons to add water aerobics and other wet workouts to your fitness regime. If you’re new to this type of activity, though, also brush up on some basic safety and health tips for aquatic exercise beginners.
Why Do Aquatic Exercise?
- It’s a form of resistance training, which means it builds muscle, improving your general physique and boosting your metabolism
- Aquatic exercise also provides cardiovascular (aka aerobic) workouts, which are great for increasing circulation, reducing blood pressure, improving heart health, and burning calories for weight management
- This robust sort of workout reduces your risk of developing all sorts of diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and many cancers
- Resistance from the water also increases endurance
- Water-based workouts improve flexibility and range of motion
- They also target some less-used muscle groups and those that commonly get missed during dry workouts (sometimes because they’re difficult to target without specific equipment or honed techniques)
- Its capacity to enhance range of motion makes aquatic exercise useful for many types of physical therapy and rehabilitation
- These are low-impact or even no-impact exercises, which are perfect for seniors, people with bone or joint problems, individuals with back problems, the obese, many types of injuries, and others who need to limit impact during workouts
- It can double as a form of hydrotherapy for people with arthritis or other joint disorders
- There’s a relatively low risk of injury as compared to other forms of cardio and strength training
- The combination of exercise and the pleasant water environment is highly effective for managing stress and anxiety, combating depression, and boosting your mood
- Water workouts are fun, so they’re easier to stick to for the long haul so you can keep enjoying all the major health benefits of aquatic exercise!
