Water Workouts: A Fun Way to Get Healthy

When you think of exercising in the pool, do you imagine elderly ladies in bright bathing caps bobbing their way through a water aerobics class? Maybe you can’t see yourself in that scenario, but Loren Yavelberg, Ph.D., CEP, urges you to keep an open mind.

“Although water has a buoyancy effect, it increases resistance,” Dr. Yavelberg says. He is a post-doctoral associate at the Cancer Research Advancing through Nutrition and Exercise (CRANE) Lab, at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Yavelberg and his colleagues study lifestyle medicine and how people can reduce their cancer risk.

Because regular exercise is among the best cancer prevention strategies, the American Cancer Society and American College of Sports Medicine recommend a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days of the week with the goal of being physically active for 30 minutes every day. Dr. Yavelberg recommends setting SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals, which include 30 to 90 minutes of physical activity (aerobic plus resistance) on most days of the week.

Two of the most important factors to successfully adopting a healthy, physically active lifestyle are enjoyment and consistency.
– Loren Yavelberg, Ph.D., CEP

If you’ve skipped your daily walk or run thanks to our hot, humid summers, consider this: Water provides 12 to 14% more resistance than air.

That means working out in the pool can be as effective as land-based exercise for burning calories and conditioning the body.

And unlike pounding the pavement, aquatic exercise protects your joints from jarring impact.

“There’s a balance between loading and overloading the joints. If walking or jogging makes your joint pain worse, try a water workout. Exercising in slightly warm water is ideal because of its therapeutic effects,” Dr. Yavelberg says.

Between 82 and 85 degrees provides the most relaxing therapeutic benefit. “While cold water has been cited to reduce inflammation, the literature regarding the benefits remains unclear, and the cold can be uncomfortable for some.”

Water workouts are especially beneficial if you haven’t exercised in a while.

“Water is a good introduction to building up your exercise tolerance and can help with thermoregulation. If you have been sedentary, you can be sensitive to heat; your heart rate and breathing can also be affected. You can build up your exercise tolerance in as little as a week with water workouts,” Dr. Yavelberg says.

If you don’t want to join a water aerobics class, go solo – swim laps, jog, walk, do lunges, squats, kicks, and jumping jacks against the resistance of the water. For high-intensity interval training (HIIT), Dr. Yavelberg recommends working out in shoulder or hip-deep water so that your feet still touch the bottom.

Want to add more resistance? “Use water dumbbells, resistance bands, and webbed fins or gloves.”

Speaking of equipment, you might also consider goggles, a swim cap, and a kickboard. And remember water-resistant sunscreen or UV protective clothing in outdoor settings.

Pool workouts are great for people recovering from an injury or operation.

“If you had a recent surgery, get clearance from your surgeon and make sure you have no open wounds or scars, which can be susceptible to infection,” Dr. Yavelberg says.

As with any exercise routine, he advises you to “ease into it and listen to your body.”

If you want to join a water fitness class, “Look at community centers like the YMCA, country clubs, or public pools. Most facilities with a pool try to incorporate water aerobics classes into their program offerings.”

Ocean swimming provides a vigorous full-body workout.

But, be aware of conditions such as undertows, rip tides, depth, jellyfish and other aquatic life before diving in. Pay attention to lifeguard flags for currents and wind information at the beach. Even strong swimmers can benefit from the buddy system, especially if swimming in new areas or areas without lifeguards.

The takeaway? Don’t let a sizzling South Florida fizzle out your fitness routine.

“Any movement is good movement,” Dr. Yavelberg says.

Nancy Moreland is a regular contributor to the UHealth Collective. She has written for several major health care systems and the CDC. Her writing also appears in the Chicago Tribune and U.S. News & World Report.