The buoyancy of water suddenly frees us from the constant drag-down effects of gravity and can feel like a blessed relief. For those of us who feel less mobile or have had an injury, this can offer very real benefits. But while movement may become easier, that doesn’t mean that using water is exercise-lite; water reduces our body’s weight by as much as 90 per cent, but it is also 800 times denser than air. This means there’s more resistance – although with less strain – so it’s the perfect environment for strengthening and toning.
According to Mary E. Sanders, PhD, associate professor of exercise science at the University of Nevada in Reno and director of WaterFit (www.waterfit.com), water provides about 15 times more resistance than doing the same moves on land.
Swimming can be particularly useful for people with arthritis and other painful inflammatory joint conditions. As one review reported regarding maintaining function for those with arthritic states: “When people are unable to exercise on land, or find land-based exercise difficult, aquatic programs provide an enabling alternative strategy.”1
When we are submerged, water pressure has a cushioning effect on the joints, limbs and tissues, whereas more energy is needed to move the body, so more calories are used. All of this together with the calming effect, via the parasympathetic nervous system, of being submerged in water offers the perfect combination of a stress-relieving, yet effective, workout.
The cushioning effect of water also means that people with injuries can continue training in ways that would exacerbate damage and inflammation if performed on land. Points of weakness can be strengthened, as water allows traction and an increased range of motion without further strain – for example, in the knees, hips and lower back, common areas of sports- and age-related injury. The hydrostatic pressure of water even has a massaging effect, acting as an auxiliary heart pump, bringing fresh blood flow to areas needing rejuvenation.
The warm-up
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BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 2011; 12: 123 |