Hydrogymnastics promotes strengthening and balance – 07/25/2023 – Equilíbrio

When Kelly Amerson López discovered water aerobics, she realized that it was nothing like she had imagined. Kelly was in her early 30s, concerned about her fitness and running half marathons in New York’s Central Park. One day at the gym, she saw a group of people working out in the pool. They ran and spun in chest-deep water. The instructor was sweating more like a drill sergeant than a water aerobics instructor.

“It looked like they were having a great workout,” he says.

Kelly started taking water aerobics classes and found that running in deep water helps her develop more upper body strength than running on land. Since that time, she has incorporated pool workouts into her fitness routine. She is now 68 years old.

Pool training is often seen as something for seniors or people recovering from injuries, but it can also be a form of high intensity interval training (HIIT) that is different and lower impact than land training. For example, in the pool it’s easier to balance on one foot without falling or to perform explosive jumps where your knees come up to your chest.

Plus, says Laurie Denomme, a fitness instructor in Bradenton, Fla., who has been teaching the sport for 30 years, “There’s 360 degrees of resistance in every direction. You can be going up, down, moving left or right or doing circles, but you’re always moving against resistance.”

How to begin

To start an aquagym program, all you need is a swimming pool and a swimsuit (or wetsuit in which the bottom part is shorts, if you prefer). According to Denomme, the water should be at 28-30ºC, warm enough that your body doesn’t have to adjust, but cool enough to avoid overheating.

She suggests starting without equipment so you can learn to use the water’s resistance to optimize your workout. Moving slowly, such as jogging in place or doing leg exercises, is great for mobility and balance. Moving faster, for example doing jumping jacks, has both cardiovascular and strength benefits.

Once exercising without equipment starts to get easy, she recommends using webbed aqua gloves. They increase stamina and help strengthen your core and upper body. Denomme suggests nylon gloves over neoprene products, which cause too much resistance.

Most people exercise in the shallow end of the pool, but some end up going to the deep end, using a buoyancy belt, to make the workout even more difficult in terms of balance and stability.

To get started on your own, try doing the following workout in chest-deep water. It should take about 20 minutes in all. Add or subtract time or reps to make it easier or harder. Staying hydrated is important, especially on hot days, even when you’re exercising in the water. So be sure to drink water after training.

Heating

Before starting, warm up for about five minutes. Spend a minute running in place in each of the foot positions listed below to allow different muscles to be stretched and strengthened, recommends Denomme. Move directly from one position to the next, with no rest in between, at a moderate pace.

• Feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
• Feet together, side by side.
• Right foot slightly ahead of left foot.
• Left foot slightly in front of right foot.
• Fingers pointed out diagonally, like a duck.

The train

This full-body workout involves high-intensity intervals interrupted by active recovery and can be done with or without webbed gloves. If you feel unsteady during any of the movements, hold onto the edge of the pool.

The faster, more intense exercises in this workout should be done at about 80% capacity once you feel comfortable with them. Try to do the entire sequence without taking a break, taking advantage of the gentler exercises to catch your breath. If it seems too difficult, take breaks between movements or go slower.

jumping jacks

Do 20 jumping jacks as fast as you can: perform them as on land, but stop your arms before they come out of the water. Then do 10 slower jumping jacks.

Run for three minutes at a moderate pace, using three of the warm-up running variations. If you want to make the exercise more difficult, jump up, pulling your knees up, and swing your arms vigorously.

arm movements

Pull your arms back hard 20 times as fast as you can: start with your arms floating in the water in front of you, thumbs up. Open your arms wide, keeping them as straight as possible. Keep your arms under the surface of the water and bring them back to the starting position after each repetition. Then repeat the movement ten times, more slowly.

Pull your arms down hard 20 times as fast as you can: start with your arms floating in the water on each side, palms facing down. Push your arms down into the water until they touch the outside of your legs. Return to starting position and repeat. Repeat the movement ten times, more slowly.

Do 20 combinations of the two moves as fast as you can: start with your arms in front of you, open them to full extension, then pull them down against your body. Return your arms to the starting position and repeat. Repeat the movement another ten times, more slowly.

Then do 20 jumping jacks as fast as you can, followed by 10 slower jumping jacks. Then run for three minutes at a moderate pace, using three of the warm-up variations.

Bicycle with one leg

Pedal one leg as fast as you can, counting 30 seconds on each leg. Support yourself on one leg and make a pedaling movement in the water with the other.

shake the water

Swirl the water one minute in each direction. Standing with your legs hip-distance apart, stir the water with both hands as if you were stirring a large pot of soup. Move both arms together or alternate one at a time. Make circles clockwise and then counterclockwise.

Translation by Clara Allain