Aqua Fitness or Aquagym, may seem to be something for older people, but that is most definitely no longer the case! It actually has become very popular and many fitness schools where they have a pool offer this type of exercise. Also more and more wellness centres and spa hotels start offering this activity to their guests. The Océano Hotel Health Spa in Tenerife is one of our partners where the aqua fitness activities form an important part of the health programs.
And there are some good reasons that Aqua Fitness training is becoming more and more popular. Working out in the water is one of the most therapeutic activities one can take part in. Water aerobics builds cardio, strength and resistance all while being easy on the joints and in a cool and relaxing atmosphere!
Aqua fitness offers numerous health and fitness benefits!
The water’s buoyancy helps to move more freely. And this helps to protect the joints. For people who suffer from joint problems, hydrotherapy is the ideal form of therapy. The hydrostatic pressure works with your blood as well and enables one’s blood flow to circulate more effectively throughout the body. This effectively decreases blood pressure and, in the long run, decreases resting heart rate. This benefit means your heart is maintaining its productivity while putting less stress on your heart!
The resistance during strength training in the water is dynamic: the more strength you use, the higher the resistance. The water creates a higher resistance than air and makes muscles work harder. Yet being in the water, the body only weighs a sixth of its mass and all movements become easier. So even though your muscles work harder you will not even notice it!
During Aqua Fitness training, the training intensity remains within the optimum range. In addition to the great workout benefits, training remains aerobic – meaning you avoid damaging overexertion.
In addition, water removes heat so that your metabolic rate is greatly increased when training in water. You burn more calories, which the body takes from fatty tissue. Did you know that 30 minutes of aquagym burns approximately 600 calories, the equivalent of one and a half hours of gym outside water?
Aqua Fitness helps coordination, as habitual asymmetries are eliminated by the high level of weightlessness in the water. Clearly, there is no risk of falling in water, unlike most other sports!
Good for the spirit
Besides all these health and fitness benefits being in the water is a joyful experience. It carries us and gives us a feeling of lightness that helps us forget our extra pounds. And unlike traditional group classes such as aerobics or dance, aquafit is non-competitive. No one can tell if you mess up a move when you’re in the water and you don’t have to worry that anyone’s judging you. Many people find that they can be more focused on the movements when they aren’t worrying about keeping up with everyone else.
Water also has a soothing effect creating a relaxed state of mind. Aquagym, like any other sport, leads to the release of endorphins, the pleasure hormone. After a few minutes of exercise, you feel naturally good!
The options are endless
As more and more people discover the benefits of working out in water, spa´s and fitness schools offer an ever-increasing variety of specialized classes, from water running to aqua yoga or aqua tai chi. There are practically no limits to how you can move in the water: jumping, walking, jogging, boxing, dancing, cycling…
And besides all these activities there is floating! A proper pool has plenty of space for this. It can lead to deep relaxation or be used for effective and gentle osteopathic techniques, particularly in a treatment with a specialized therapist.
Aqua Fitness and floating at the Océano Health Spa in Tenerife
The Océano Health Spa in Tenerife is one of the leading health hotels where aqua fitness and floating form an important part of their health programs. Their pools are ideal for this purpose. The pools are filled with sea water freshly pumped from the Atlantic Ocean and heated to the desired temperature, depending on the activity. The salt content of the sea water increases all the described effects in comparison to fresh water. Salt water also aids remineralisation instead of mineral loss, which is otherwise unavoidable during longer bathing sessions.
At Océano they make use of aqua bikes as well as all the usual aids such as pool noodles, aqua dumbbells and belts. The upstream swimming system combines swimming and aqua walking endurance training with massage effects. For more relaxing purposes such as Ocean Balancing and Sea Water Osteopathy, the pool can temporarily be heated to the required temperature of 36°. And to top it off ;-), the Océano Spa has underwater speakers providing a new kind of musical experience! In the water we perceive music via our bones, not through our ears, making our entire body vibrate, an extraordinary experience!
All in all enough reasons to try Aquafitness for yourself. As you know now, you don’t have to be a senior citizen to get a great workout from aquafit. Get in the pool and give it a try!
For more information about the Océano Health Spa in Tenerife: http://www.spa-in-spain.com/hotels-and-spas/hotel/oceano-hotel-health-spa/
Aquafitness is exactly what suits people of advanced age. There is absolutely no risk of damaging joints and ligaments!
I like the Aqua Fitness workouts. Before I have become the Aqua Zumba instructor, I have participated in many Aqua Aerobics classes. For me the water workouts with music are one of the most effective and safe workouts possible. You can easily follow the steps, burn the callories and stil the excercises are safe for the body and they are a great fun! I like all the water workouts.
Aqua Fitness, especially Aqua aerobics, Aqua Zumba and Aqua workouts are very suitable for People in each age. Younger and older participants can take those classes. There are a lot of advantages from such water activities.