Splash, Strengthen and Tone

Splash, Strengthen and Tone

(ARA) - John Compton’s backyard is beautiful by any measure. Heirloom and native plants fringe an emerald carpet of lawn. Roses, both old and new, scent the air. And sprawling oaks and splendid long-leaf pines tower over it all.

It’s a practical yard, too.

French doors open onto a large, stone patio to extend the family room during gatherings. On the side yard, a potting bench, laden with English terra cotta pots, makes gardening easy. And tucked in next to some oak leaf hydrangeas, there’s a small and beautiful swim-in-place pool. Exercise is just a splash away, and the wet venue fits in beautifully with this home’s garden.

Compton decided to get a swim-in-place pool after seeing an ad in an airplane magazine. “I love to swim; that’s mainly what I do for exercise. The thing is, we didn’t want to give up much of our garden for a pool. This is perfect.”

Google “water exercise” on your computer, and the 5.1 million hits you’re likely to get on any given day offer a hint as to its current -- and growing -- popularity.

Aquatic exercise is most definitely growing in popularity within the fitness industry, says Dr. Bob Keith, a nutritionist and fitness expert at Auburn University. “In past years, water exercise was done mostly by older adults, but now people of all ages are working out in the pool.” Dr. Keith cites a growing list of in-water exercises -- water walking, deep-water running, kickboxing, cardio/toning, circuit training, yoga and tai chi, in addition to the traditional lap-swimming -- that work to tone, strengthen and boost metabolism.

There are plenty of scientific as well as feel-good reasons for the popularity of water workouts. For lots of folks, aquatic exercise is both safer and more enjoyable than similar land-based programs. Here’s why:

• Water provides both buoyancy and support for your body. When you are up to your neck in water, you only need to support 10 percent of your weight. When exercising in waist-high water, you still only need to support 50 percent of your body’s weight. There’s very little, if any, jarring and pounding of body joints, bones and muscles that can occur with land-based workouts. Plus, you are less likely to experience aches and soreness following a workout in the water.
• According to aquatic-exercise experts, water provides about 12 times the resistance of air. This is smooth, continuous resistance that will promote increased muscular endurance and tone. You will see quicker results when exercising in the water, compared with the same exercise routine on land.
• Water exercise can improve flexibility without putting too much pressure on your joints. The effects of gravity are lessened when you’re in water so these joints can move more easily through a wide range of motion. This helps to improve long-term flexibility -- it’s especially important as we age.
• Finally, during a wet workout, the water continually cools the body, making the exercise routine more comfortable and enjoyable. (Experts say the ideal water temperature for an aquatic workout is 80 to 83 degrees).

Gearing Up

The vast choices in water exercise-related gear reflect this workout trend’s popularity.

Flotation belts often are used when exercising in deep water. They help to hold your body in proper alignment while you exercise. When used in deeper water, flotation belts free your lower body for uninterrupted movement, allowing you to increase your range of motion and work a greater muscle mass. Plus, you can jog with zero impact.

Water-exercise gloves are webbed between the fingers to increase resistance in the water. Hand-held fans also provide muscle-toning resistance. There are exercise steps especially made for the water as well as dumbbell-shaped hand buoys. Water weight boots help you tone. So do buoyancy cuffs that fit around your ankles. Plastic fins attach to wrists to work the upper body while helping to alleviate arthritis pain. Even your swimsuit can be high-tech, if you like. Chlorine-resistant unitards let you exercise without any bunching up from below. And functional and attractive water shoes take you from deck to pool to deck again.

Warm Water Workouts

Exercising in water is a wonderful way to improve flexibility and strength, build muscle endurance, increase balance, combat the aging process and boost your cardiovascular system. This goes far beyond simple swimming, and indeed encompasses more than just cool-pool workouts. The warm water and jet action of a hot tub, while greatly reducing stress on joints, stimulates the release of endorphins -- the body’s natural painkillers.

Today, you can find hot tubs built for both exercise and relaxation. Spacious exercise areas and relaxing, post-workout hot-tub zones allow soakers to make the most of water’s natural resistance and buoyancy while they flex, stretch, strengthen, rehabilitate and recharge. Some spas have special seats, offering room for full-body exercising with or without equipment. These spas, as well as swim spas, encourage workouts ranging from gentle to challenging. A swim spa is large enough and has powerful jets to allow you to swim in place and the jets can be adjusted to provide a mild or vigorous workout at your own pace.

Exercising in warm water causes a lot of good things to happen. It increases your circulation and causes your blood vessels to dilate. Oxygen and nutrients rush to working muscles, while the increased blood flow quickly carries lactic acid and other toxins away from these muscles. This process helps repair and rejuvenate as well as strengthen muscles. (Little wonder so many Olympic and professional athletes use hydrotherapy). During warm-water workouts your stress level drops, and so does your blood pressure. And since the water’s buoyancy takes 90 percent of your body weight off knees and joints, you can better relax – relieving pain and spasms.

Heat also makes collagen tissue more stretchable, so if you have arthritis, you’ll move more freely with less pain. That’s why the Arthritis Foundation recommends hydrotherapy for managing a variety of arthritic symptoms.

Beyond Body Benefits

The advantages of water exercise and therapy for arthritis and diabetes have been extensively documented, says Bob Hallam, owner of Dimension One Spas, Inc. But there are other rewards, too.

If you get in your hot tub for 10 to 15 minutes at night, you’ll sleep better. And if sleep isn’t your goal, the spa can help that, too, he says. “Other features aside, (a hot tub) is a great place to just relax and communicate.” Increased communication between significant others usually translates into a more sensual relationship, Hallam asserts. “Guys need to understand the benefits of talking to their wives more.”

A hot tub also is a great place to connect with your children -- especially teenagers, he adds. “Talking to your teens, trying to get more than ‘fine’ or ‘OK’ when you ask them about their day -- it’s like pulling teeth. Some of the best talks I’ve ever had with my kids have been in my hot tub. These are the magic 15 to 20 minutes,” he says. “When you’re both relaxed, they’ll talk more, and you’ll learn more.”

Hot tubs, Hallam adds, offer lots of benefits for stretching and exercising, for scoliosis and arthritis and diabetes sufferers. “But the biggest health benefits benefit the brain,” he says. “It’s about happiness and fun. When you’re happy and having fun, all sorts of good things happen to your body.”

And that, of course, is reason enough to encourage the increasing popularity of aquatic exercise.

Water exercise is a safe and energizing way to work out. The University of Florida’s division of recreational sports offers these tips for safe water exercise:

• Consult with your physician before beginning any new exercise program. Pre-existing health conditions, past injuries, certain medications and other factors can all influence your ability to safely participate in a new exercise program.
• Never swim or exercise in the water alone. Even the most experienced swimmer can encounter an in-water emergency that requires the assistance of another individual.
• Know the depth of the water before jumping in. Jumping or diving into too-shallow water can result in serious injury.
• If you are exercising in an outdoor pool, be sure to apply a water-resistant sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or above.
  

Courtesy of ARA Content
For more information on wet workouts in your pool and spa, visit www.poolpeopleusa.com, www.hottubliving.com, www.poolandspaliving.com, or contact NSPI at (800) 323-3996.