Aerobic Water Exercise
and Aquatic Therapy

Water Aerobics, or Aquatic Exercises,
are a superb form of exercise for injury
rehabilitation and maintaining fitness!

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Part 2:
In last months issue we discussed some of the more theoretical aspects to aerobic water exercise or aquatic therapy. If you happened to miss last months issue or would just like to refresh your memory, Clink here to have a look at Part 1 of this article.

For now, let's move on to some of the more practical ways to use aquatic therapy and deep water exercises. Firstly, what are you going to need? Besides from a pair of bathers and an open expanse of water, the only other thing you need is a float of some sort. There are specially designed float belts and vests that you can buy, but any old life jacket, ski belt or floaty will do the trick as long as it keeps your head above water. Just make sure it doesn't interfere with the movement of your arms and legs too much.

To the right are a number of superb examples of professional floatation devices designed specifically for deep water exercise. The first is a floatation belt which fits around the waist and connects at the front. This will provide ample buoyancy to keep just about anyone afloat. The second picture, to the right, shows one of the flotation vests which is very similar to a life jacket, except that it provides a greater amount of freedom to move around.

However, if you don't have access to one of these professional devices, don't panic. For years I simply stuck an old swim floaty down the front of my bathers, it wasn't pretty, but it did the trick. You can do the same, an old piece of foam or float tied around your waist will keep your head above the water.

Now lets have a look at your body position in the water and a few common mistakes people tend to make. You want to position yourself in a similar posture to that of running on land. Keep your head up and your shoulders back. Your torso should be relatively straight with a slight (very slight) forward lean. Do not bend forward at the waist and alternately do not lean back into a sitting position. Refer to the picture at the left for a visual example.

In this position you should be free to move your arms and legs in all directions. From this position there are a number of actions you can take. The standard is the running motion. This should be performed as you would run on land. Make sure you have long strides, fully extending your legs, thinking smooth and long. Don't forget your arms, move them back and forth, keeping your shoulders relaxed.

Or, try cross country skiing, keep your arms and legs straight, moving them back and forth like a cross country skier. Or what about over exaggerating your stride, like a runner over hurdlers. The choices are endless, make up some of your own.

A word of caution. Before going straight into a serious work out, spend a couple of sessions just concentrating on your technique and getting comfortable in the water. I can guarantee you that the first time you try this sort of exercise, it will feel very strange and uncomfortable. After a few easy sessions you'll start to get the hang of it. Then, once you've mastered this new form of exercise,  you can move onto a more structured work out. Try one of the examples below.

Warm Up: Run or stride easy for 10 to 15 minutes, gradually increasing the speed and intensity. Do a few stretches to loosen up the muscles and finish the warm up with a few short, fast sprints.

Main Set: Alternate between running and cross country skiing for 3 minutes at a moderate o hard pace, then 1 minute at an easy pace. Repeat this 5 to 10 times, depending on your fitness and goals.

Or: Run or ski;

• First 2 minutes easy.
• Next 2 minutes moderate.
• Next 2 minutes hard.
• Next 2 minutes moderate.
• Last 2 minutes easy.
• Repeat the above 2 to 4 times.

Or: Simply run or ski at a moderate intensity for 30 to 40 minutes. Remember to keep your heart rate at a steady, consistent level, don't go too hard too soon.

Cool Down: Run easy for 10 minutes gradually decreasing the intensity. Finish with a good stretch and you'll feel great.

Next time you're laid up with a minor injury or just looking for something a little different to beat the boredom of your usual workout, remember to give deep water running a try. You'll be surprised at the great workout you can get!

If you enjoyed this issue of The Stretching & Sports Injury Report, please feel free to forward it to others, make it available for download from your site or post it on forums for others to read. Please make sure the following paragraph and URL are included.

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Article by Brad Walker. Brad is a leading stretching and
sports injury consultant with nearly 20 years experience
in the health and fitness industry. For more articles on
stretching, flexibility and sports injury, please visit
The Stretching Institute.
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