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Simon Gama
Water-based aerobic classes follow the same land principles of land-based exercises with exceptions noted here. Water-based exercises are predominantly for lower body exercises in low impact, resistant based, environment.
Although water-based begin with an emphasis for the elderly, which is no longer the case, you will find participants with varying levels of fitness and full spectrum of ages in attendance.
Land versus Water Exercise
The principles of water-based training are similar to land-based training: however, the techniques are different. The body is uplifted in water by the process called buoyancy and since the viscosity or thickness of the water is greater than the air, movement of the body through the water provides an increased level of resistance over land-based exercise.
The buoyancy factor provides support for the body, thereby reducing likelihood of muscle, bone and joint injuries. Buoyancy is defined as the ability of water to support body weight. Items float or are buoyant in water because they displace an amount of water that weighs the same as the items itself. To simplify, an item floats when it displaces its own weight in water.
This is why heavy iron ships float and small rocks sink and is subject to size, weight and shape or surface area in contact with the water. It was the ancient Greek mathematician, engineer, physicist, and not the least astronomer Archimedes that first stated this principles and we have been using it ever since. If you can’t float in water, at least you know why.
Muscle is not as buoyancy in water as fat. Therefore, both the chest and abdomen provide the greatest buoyancy since this is where air and most body fat is located. This becomes more significant in deep water versus shallow water immersion.
Benefits: reduced impact on joints, reduced stress on joints by decreasing weight bearing, tones muscles, provides resistance in both eccentric and concentric muscle movements, improved balance and posture, increased flexibility, reducing capability of injury, allows special populations to exercise easily, equivalent calorie burn as land- based exercise.
Because of reduced influence of gravity, joints can easily be moved through full range motion without excess joint stress helping to improve flexibility. Deep water-based running exercise can provide an augmented or alternate training regime for runners who need to reduce the chronic effects of land-based running due to impact injuries.
Since the effects of gravity are reduced in water, impact is reduced while resistant to movement is increased due to fluid dynamics. A water-based class can burn more calories than a comparable land-based class due to the increased resistance to movement while providing an increase in muscle strength and endurance. Both cardiovascular and strength training exercises may be a part of an aqua fitness programme. Strength gains are not as good as weight bearing exercises on land since the weight is reduced by the buoyancy of the water. The speed of body movements through the water will subsequently be slower due to the increase in resistance. The equivalent level of fitness can be accomplished in water-based exercises as with land-based exercises.
Water-based exercise reduces body weight by about 90% when immersed to the chest level, and 50% when at waist level alleviates stress on joints and the supporting tissue. At the same time resistance is increased by multiple factors depending on the speed of movement due to water higher density over air, which is about 800 times greater. Exercise in water has an added advantage that it can provide a user selectable resistance to movements. In addition, water pressure on the legs assists in circulation.
Water-based exercise classes provide less joint stress, not only for healthy individuals, but also for those special populations affected by medical conditions such as arthritis, neck and back problems, strokes and obesity. This type of aerobics also may be more acceptable for the self-conscious overweight exerciser.
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