I have never been very good in the water. I can’t swim very well which is one reason why I stay away from pools, lakes, and oceans. Yet, at times I feel like I am missing out on all the fun things I could do in the water such as water aerobics.

I know it seems like something old people do to keep their bones from shackling apart, but really who wouldn’t want to dance in the water for good exercise?

Aquatic training has always been the go-to for those that have severe or rheumatoid arthritis which explains the older audience, but have you ever thought about trying it to switch your routine up? Well, allow me to lay out the pros and cons so you can decide for yourself if you want to go swimming with the sharks.

PROS

Low gravity

Water provides a minimal gravitational pull on the body. The weightlessness you have in the water is almost what you get in space. The low gravity places less stress on the joint which would be awesome for someone who has achy joints.

Resistance

You would think with minimal gravity, and low to zero impact on the joints, what kind of workout out will you be getting? Well there is a thing called resistance and that is what gets you in the water. Resistance in the water can be more than 30 time greater than air. So if you think you would coast through those classes, think again.

Heart

Well if you are someone that has heart or blood pressure issues, aerobic exercise will definitely be a great stop! Due to the hydrostatic pressure of water it actually aids with blood flow getting back to the heart. This effect places much less stress on the heart and places less strain on those heart muscles.

CONS

Now there are some downsides of participating in water aerobics. One heavy hitter would be the burning of calories. Due to the decreased energy to stay afloat and perform moves, one will not be losing 400-500 calories an hour. This kind of a reason is why an individual can spend hours in the water and not be totally exhausted. So if calorie burning is your thing…you might want to place this exercise on the backend of your workout.

Strength

There is a slight downside of not exercising on dry ground and that would the loss of strength. Aquatic aerobics provide resistance but not weight barring resistance which is needed for skeletal muscle. Without weight barring exercises you may be able to swim for days but not be able to lift 20lbs over your head. So you definitely will need to work those barbell days into your fitness schedule.

Joint health

Water can be a double bladed sword. It can be great for preserving your joints while also causing more joint irritation. If you have had a serious shoulder injury and you want to do aquatics you might want to think again. Sticking to something that places minimal stress on the shoulder joints would be best (i.e. rotator cuff exercises) before jumping in the water.

Just like anything else aquatic exercising has its pros and cons. If you have been thinking about participating in this type of exercise I believe it’s worth a shot. Switch it up, have fun, I believe you will have a blast!

-Phil