Gyms and fitness centers are seeing members return for personal training, group exercise and fitness rooms. Pools have their lap swimmers again, but aqua classes seem to be the last to resume in the wake of Covid.
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Gyms and fitness centers are seeing members return for personal training, group exercise and fitness rooms. Pools have their lap swimmers again, but aqua classes seem to be the last to resume in the wake of Covid.
Exercising in water minimizes the strain of gravity on the joints and ligaments to prevent overuse of the muscles, all while enhancing recovery time and improving flexibility and power.
Now is the perfect time to learn some new techniques and upskill your training, as various new formats are being introduced into the aquatic environment.
1. Barre
Land Barre classes have been wildly popular and are now being crossed over to the pool. Programs like Aqua Barre, Barre H2O and Barre-A-Cuda teach aqua instructors of all levels how to help their participants lengthen and lean their arms, legs and torso.
Related: Paradise Spa's Customizeable Water Exercise App
2. Tabata
Another well received format, this type of high intensity interval training class works with intermittent bouts of movement and rest, strengthening the cardiovascular and muscular systems. Tab-Aqua Quickies and Tab-Aqua Power teach this HIIT format adjusted for the resistance of the water. Pool attendees of all ages and levels will finish these workouts feeling exhausted yet satisfied knowing they have accomplished an intense workout without the impact on their joints.
3. WATERinMOTION Strength
This workout focuses on muscle endurance, power and overall toning in 45-minute session using aqua dumbbells. The creative use of drag, resistance and buoyancy are used to build lean muscle. As a high intensity, low impact workout, it is comprised of short rounds of intense work to develop and maintain muscular and cardio endurance.
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Benefits of Water Workouts
Adding these unique strength training programs will attract new populations into the pool, drawing in extra income and maximizing the business' potential.
Anyone who has ever exercised in a pool knows that no matter what exercise is performed, all the muscles in the body kick in for stabilization. Every move in the aquatic environment creates some kind of contraction of the muscles.
Usually the lower body is the main focus for most water exercise classes since that is the part submerged. The arms are then added to counteract the legs. The more forceful the movement, the greater the muscle use.
Sara Kooperman, JD, is CEO of SCW Fitness Education, WATERinMOTION and S.E.A.T. Fitness. Kooperman won the 2022 Most Innovating Fitness Pro by Fitness Industry Technology Council and is an inductee into the National Fitness Hall of Fame. She is also an esteemed panelist for IHRSA’s Talks & Takes Monthly Talk Show.
