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Healthy You Archives |
Staying Fit
The Wonderful Water WorkoutIt’s for people of all ages and fitness levels
The pool offers benefits to everyoneAt Cedar Crest College’s Rodale Aquatic Center, Linda Fechnay Baas of Whitehall says “Come on in!” to (l-r) businesswoman Jessica Baltimore of Whitehall, field hockey player Jessica Werley of Allentown, cyclist and triathlete Michael Bender of Boyertown, and Matthew Coffman of Macungie. What Should You Look for in a Pool?Besides the location, hours and cost, here are some other key considerations:
If you want to get in shapeUse the pool as an aerobic floor, running track or strength-building gym. “The pool is a liquid weight room—it offers 12 times more resistance than air,” Meade says. Some pools offer kickboxing, step aerobics and water cycling classes, and teach you to use equipment like styrofoam dumbbells.Your workout can be as intense and varied as you want. You can do it at your own pace, says Joanne Koury, exercise physiologist and aquatic director at 24-7 Fitness’s Westend location. “Since there are no mirrors underwater, there’s no pressure to be in sync with the class. If you want to push harder, it’s safer in the pool because the water cushions you.” To strengthen your legs while burning calories, wear water shoes and jog or walk in the shallow end, says Meade’s colleague, family physician and swimmer Mark Wendling, M.D. Want to make it more intense? “Wear a jogging vest and go to the deep end,” he says. “You’ll expend more effort and calories trying to balance yourself.” If your focus is upper body, Wendling says, “wear paddles on your hands and move your arms in different directions to work your chest, arms and back. The faster you push, the greater the resistance.” For those interested in yoga or Pilates, some pools offer these classes. But you get the same benefits by moving and stabilizing yourself during water exercise. “These activities strengthen your core muscles,” Koury says. If you have joint problemsYou may not be able to jog or do aerobics on land—gravity multiplies by six the weight of your body on your joints—but you’ll be fine in the pool. “It’s like being on the moon,” Meade says. “There’s no gravity—water unloads the pressure and eliminates pain.”Another benefit: You can move in ways you usually an’t. “For example, people with back pain can do abdominal crunches in the pool,” Wendling says. “You float on your back, place your legs over the pool’s edge and let the water help lift you.” If you’re an athleteThe pool is a prime place for land athletes to cross-train. Ask Sue Butz-Stavin, coach of the Emmaus High School girls’ field hockey team. During the summer, her players swim and run in the water once a week for 20 minutes. “In the pool, you work different muscles and become a more well-rounded athlete,” she says. “You’re conditioned when the season begins and less likely to get injured.”A swimming pool is also a natural rehab center for athletes recovering from a sprain or fracture. “Any sport can be safely simulated in the water,” Meade says. “You can run, jump and do drills to get you back into the game much sooner.” If you have a chronic diseaseFor people with diabetes, “cardiovascular exercise is vital in helping regulate blood sugar and prevent heart disease,” Wendling says. Exercising in water is safer because there’s less risk for sustaining an injury that won’t heal. If you have vascular problems, the water pressure improves your circulation and massages fluid out of your legs, he says. “It’s like wearing a compression sock.”For those with asthma, “swimming helps you become less dependent on your inhaler,” Wendling says. “As you time your breathing to your stroke, it trains and strengthens your lungs.” If you just want to relaxTaking a dip can cool you down from another workout. It stretches you and helps release the lactic acid and stress that cause muscle tension. “Water is soothing—your whole body has contact with a quiet aquatic environment,” Meade says, “It’s like being in utero.”This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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 September October 2005 Eating Healthy
Staying Fit
Caring for Mind and Body
Just for Women
Just for Men
Raising a Family
Heart of Healthy You
Protecting Your Health
Coping with Illness
Aging Well
Keeping Up to Date
Weight Control
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