Water Aerobic Exercises

Getting into water is not only refreshing but fun too. Both the non-swimmers and the swimmers enjoy water aerobics. One of the aerobic activities that people cherish during the summer months is water aerobic. Water aerobics helps in enhancing one's overall strength and body fitness. Injuries to bone and joint and muscles can be reduced considerably because water provides the necessary buoyancy.

Water Aerobics - What is it?

Water aerobic exercises are a wonderful stress buster. It is not just about swimming a few laps but it is a complete exercise regimen that helps in burning the excess calories. Water aerobics increases the oxygen flow in your blood, thus strengthening your muscles and bones. Water aerobics can be performed by anyone who is happy to step into the swimming pool. It is not necessary that you have to be a swimmer to perform water aerobic exercises.

Water Aerobic Exercises

When you perform water aerobics, water offers resistance from all sides. This is one of the reasons why water aerobic exercises make an excellent rehabilitating exercise. A few of the common water aerobic exercises include walking, stretching, running and jogging underwater. These exercises will not only help to develop stronger leg muscles but also improve the level of the cardio-respiration fitness. Given below are a few exercises that are useful to tone your muscles.

• To Tone Thigh Muscles: This exercise is done in shallow water. Stand with your feet apart, arms bent at your sides, hands flat with fingers together and palms up. Now slowly bent your knees to simulate a sitting-in-a-chair position. Try cupping your hands behind your back, all the while keeping your back straight and abs tucked in. Slowly exhale and stand straight. This exercise can be performed couple of times.
• To Strengthen Hip Muscles: Face the edge of the pool and hold on to the railings. Slowly raise your legs to your side, keeping your back straight. Exhale slowly as you bring it up. Raise your legs to a comfortable level and then slowly bring it down. Repeat the same for the other leg also.
• To Tone Abs Muscles: Hold on to the rim of the pool with your elbows while standing with your back to the pool. Without bending your knees, slowly simulate a sitting-in-a-chair position. Be in this position for ten seconds. During this exercise do not hold your breath. This exercise can be done few number of times or. However, always remember to keep your back in line with your limps.

The water aerobic exercises help in strengthening and toning your biceps and triceps. There are specific exercises to strengthen one's back, arms, and shoulders.

Water aerobics could cause dehydration. Therefore, it is necessary to drink plenty of water before and after water aerobics exercises. The chlorine in water can cause your skin to become dry. Use a good body lotion to avoid dryness of the skin. Experiments show that water aerobic exercises helps in strengthening the leg muscles and joints of people suffering from arthritis. These people should use a lukewarm water pool instead of a cold water pool. One of the best ways to have a total body workout without overheating is by performing water aerobic exercises. People of all age groups can perform water aerobics.