July 2008
Take the water challenge
You burn more calories in the water than from similar exercises done on dry land.
There's an image of water workouts as only for people who are older or have physical limitations," says Julie See, president
and director of education for the Aquatic Exercise Association. But, she says, "Water can challenge any ability level." That's
because it offers more resistance than air to your muscles, which also have to work against buoyancy, or the tendency to float.
Walking, running, or lifting weights in a pool is often safer than doing it on land. That's an advantage for those with back or joint problems, and people who are frail, overweight, or pregnant.
Another advantage of working out in a pool is that the experience is cooling, energizing, and, because of the buoyancy, literally uplifting. So aquatic exercises can seem less tedious and draining than their gravity-bound counterparts.
This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
Walking, running, or lifting weights in a pool is often safer than doing it on land. That's an advantage for those with back or joint problems, and people who are frail, overweight, or pregnant.
Another advantage of working out in a pool is that the experience is cooling, energizing, and, because of the buoyancy, literally uplifting. So aquatic exercises can seem less tedious and draining than their gravity-bound counterparts.
This article first appeared in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports on Health.
