Splish Splash – But You're Not In The Bath: The Health Benefits Of Deep Water Aerobics

Aerobics is all about getting your heart rate up, which is crucial for both burning calories and for getting a quality workout. But if you suffer from muscle aches and pains or if you have some sort of physical disability, it can be impossible to engage in regular aerobic workouts. However, there is an alternative exercise that can get your heart rate up and running without having any impact on your sore muscles: deep water aerobics. So if you're wondering what the health benefits of deep water aerobics are for your body, then here's what you need to know.

No Stress

For your muscles, that is. Water aerobics uses the natural resistance of the water to provide the resistance you need in aerobic exercise, but the water itself has no power to bruise or tear your muscles, making it incredibly effective if you suffer from something like chronic back pain, which makes other exercise difficult and painful, not to mention the fact that it can open you up to reinjury, which can permanently damage you. Deep water aerobics only require you to support about 10% of your actual body weight, allowing you to move around freely without fear of working past your reduced capabilities.

Weight Loss

Any sort of exercise correctly done over a period of time will help you to lose weight, but deep water aerobics can be especially effective due to the environment that it is performed in. Because water offers more resistance than the natural air on land, it makes any exercise performed in the drink more effective—and more efficient—than those done on solid ground. In case you've been feeling a bit out of shape since your disability presented itself, the water also creates an environment where no one can see anything below the tops of your shoulders, letting you exercise with incredible peace of mind.

Heart Healthy

Yes, water's great for you—but did you know exercising in it could actually help your heart to run more efficiently? Submerging your body in water allows the water to push on it evenly all over (as opposed to dry land, where standing on your feet or sitting on your rear necessarily impair blood flow), helping your blood to flow back to your heart and circulate more efficiently in your body.

All in all, considering not only how beneficial water aerobics is for your health, and how perfectly it's suited for someone with physical limitations, it'd be in the best interest of your health to find a class and start helping your body heal as quickly as possible. If you're interested in taking this sort of class to exercise despite your pain, contact your physician (like Gary Jett, MD Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) for their advice.