This summer we tried Aquafit for the first time and had a blast! Getting into a bathing suit first thing in the morning and dipping into a swimming pool before coffee was never on the radar but opportunity presented itself and we took advantage of it! Aquafit helps to balance out muscle groups that may become uneven through repetitive actions and brought attention to the difference between my left and right side for balance, stretch and dexterity.
I became more conscious of how one side of my body was stronger than the other and spent the summer trying to even things out. Working out in water is different then working on the floor or a weight machine as water provides equal resistance through your full range of motion, a phenomenon known as double concentric muscle action. Who knew? Water also supports the body, putting less stress on your joints and muscles, helping to build strength with less strain on your heart. Because there is less impact of gravity in the water, you can expand your range of motion beyond what you would normally be able to do. Who knew? Aqua aerobics can be a full body workout that does burn off calories, but there are many factors in how many calories you can burn. Who knew that water temperature, volume of water (how deep you are emersed), level of cardio versus stretching and buoyancy all play a factor. Depending on our teacher, the level of difficulty in the routine we were burning between 300 – 450 calories a session. Give it a try. If you are like us…you may just love it!