Sports-And-Fitness

Aqua-fitness

What is aqua fitness?

Aquafitness is a collective term for sports that are carried out in water and with which the entire body is trained. The water can be chest-deep or deeper. In addition, a wide variety of materials are used for training, these can be swimming noodles, rings, belts, dumbbells, discs or an aqua bike.

The aim of aqua fitness is to strengthen the entire body, to train mobility and coordination and also to train the organ of equilibrium. The water offers the advantage of training that is easy on the joints.

Since the movements in the water are a little more cumbersome and an aqua fitness course lasts at least 45 minutes, the endurance of the participants is also improved.

Indications for aqua fitness

Aquafitness for diseases

Aquafitness can help with a wide variety of complaints and symptoms and also improves the locomotor and postural apparatus.
A regular visit to aquafitness can make progress, especially with poor posture of the spine.
Aquafitness is particularly recommended for the following illnesses and injuries:

osteoporosis
Back and joint pain
Obesity
Cardiovascular complaints
venous and rheumatic complaints

Aquafitness can alleviate the pain and thus help you to feel better and improve your quality of life. Aquafitness is a very gentle sport for tendons, ligaments and joints.
People who often suffer from tension can also expect a significant muscle-relaxing effect from aqua fitness. Due to the reduced body weight in the water, the skeletal muscles have to work less and tension can be released more easily.

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Aquafitness for rehabilitation

Aquafitness is also used in the rehabilitation area. After surgery or injuries, aqua fitness is used to prevent muscle wasting and to rebuild and strengthen the damaged areas.

Aquafitness for prevention

However, aquafitness is also recommended for people who are not sick or injured. The preventive character of aquafitness is valued by many athletes and aquafitness is also enjoying increasing popularity as a compensation for stressful everyday work.

Who will benefit from aquafitness?

Young people

In general, aquafitness is suitable for everyone. Through aquafitness, young people can gain a better sense of their body and learn and deepen flexibility and coordination in a playful way. Swimming training in primary schools is a first step in bringing aquafitness closer to you.

Old people

For old people, aquafitness is a way to maintain mobility even in old age and to consolidate general fitness in a gentle and playful way.

Sports amateurs

Sports beginners get their money's worth as well as advanced and experienced athletes. The properties of the water have other advantages, especially for beginners. The risk of injury to the muscles and the skeleton is significantly reduced. The resistance prevents jerky movements and thus also reduces the likelihood of injuries.

Non-swimmers

The variety of aquafitness offers a solution for everyone. Even non-swimmers can easily participate in aqua fitness. Care should be taken that the water is as deep as the chest and that a pool noodle is used for safety.

People with health problems

Especially people with neck, shoulder or back pain can benefit significantly from aquafitness. The buoyancy of the water makes the body lighter and the strain on the joints and the supporting apparatus of the body is reduced. At the same time, the body's muscles can be effectively trained and strengthened through the water resistance.

Even patients with cardiovascular problems can improve the performance of their cardiovascular system through the targeted use of aquafitness without risking overload. Aquafitness can therefore be used particularly well in rehabilitation.

Declining

Aquafitness can also make a good contribution to the goal of weight loss. At water temperatures of 26 to 29 degrees Celsius, the body begins to burn more calories when it comes into contact with water. The body does this so that it does not cool down in the water. Exercising with dumbbells or paddling in the water also causes increased calorie consumption.

In general, an aqua fitness session that lasts 45 minutes burns as many calories as a session twice as long with the same exercises in the air. In addition, due to the reduced attraction, the heavy body of overweight people in the water becomes lighter and thus leads to a more pleasant feeling of movement, accompanied by easier movement.

Pregnant women

In the same way, pregnant women can benefit from aqua fitness and train their body awareness during pregnancy.

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Who shouldn't do aquafitness?

For healthy people, attending aqua fitness classes is no problem. In the case of illnesses of any kind, a doctor should always be consulted before attending an aqua fitness course so that possible risks can be excluded.

Patients with cardiovascular diseases

Patients with cardiovascular diseases in particular should speak to their doctor before starting aquafitness. This is mainly due to the increased pressure from the water. The cardiovascular system has to fight against external pressure and is therefore more stressed than in the air. Depending on the type of illness and only after consulting a doctor, aquafitness can be carried out. Aquafitness should be avoided if the risk of aggravation is too high.

General weakness of the heart, severe irregular heartbeat, very high blood pressure, or pain radiating from the chest to the arms (Angina pectoris) can prevent visitors to the swimming pool.

Patients with external diseases

External illnesses such as open wounds and skin diseases should first be completely cured before taking part in an aqua fitness course. In the water, the wounds can become infected and worsen. Inflammation can become lodged and seriously disrupt the healing process.

Epilepsy and asthma patients

Epilepsy and severe asthma are other diseases, which is why participation in aqua fitness is not recommended.

What is the cost of aqua fitness?

The cost of aqua fitness can vary widely. Special and trial offers include trying out the inexpensive aqua fitness option at least once. In general, the costs depend heavily on the region and provider. There are also different versions of aqua fitness, which are characterized by different prices.

The classic aqua jogging program costs participants between 35 and 65 euros for ten units. Other courses take a little longer than aqua jogging and are correspondingly more expensive.

For example, an AquaRiding course can cost between 50 and 100 euros.

Aquafitness can also be prescribed by a doctor as a rehabilitation measure and is therefore covered by health insurance.

Where can I do aqua fitness?

Aquafitness can be offered by a wide variety of organizations. Water sports can be carried out in hospitals and rehabilitation centers as a health insurance benefit and at your own expense. Nowadays, however, there are more and more providers who also specialize in this sport.

Various fitness studios and especially swimming pools and thermal baths are further places where you can book and attend aqua fitness courses. The many providers also ensure correspondingly moderate costs, as the market is highly competitive.

What equipment do I need for aqua fitness?

Usually you don't have to buy the aqua fitness equipment yourself. If you want to hold the courses at a club, a swimming pool or similar facilities, you can assume that the providers have the appropriate aids and equipment.

However, there are also providers who do not provide any equipment and encourage the participants to get equipment with which they can then also do the exercises in their free time.

The selection of devices is now very large and varied. Aqua-Discs are actually used in every aqua fitness course and significantly increase the resistance when moving in the water, so that a good training stimulus can be set.

The situation is similar with the aqua dumbbells. These work more with the weight of the dumbbell than with the resistance from a larger area.

The pool noodle is already a classic among water equipment for aqua fitness.

Other equipment and aids for training are:

Rubber bands
Fins
Other types of weights
Weight cuffs
Float
Swim belt

With these aids and devices, the training can be built up much more effectively.

Aquafitness for pregnant women

Many pregnant women still want to do some exercise despite their progressive pregnancy. However, not all sports are recommended for a pregnant woman anymore. Aquafitness can be a good alternative here. Special courses for pregnant women are offered in many places and cater precisely to the needs of pregnant women.

One advantage of moving in the water is the reduced body weight, which means that women can still move around easily and carefree. When moving in the water, the bones and joints are spared, as the body weight is reduced by the buoyancy.

Aquafitness for pregnant women has a similar effect to classic pregnancy gymnastics. However, aquafitness is particularly relieving for the body and also provides a relaxing effect.

In addition to lower weight, aqua fitness also has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system and muscles. The circulation is stimulated and endurance and strength are gently trained. The oxygen supply to the body of the woman and the unborn child increases and the external pressure also improves the return flow of the veins.

The uterus also feels the effects of the water and relaxes and expands. This gives the baby more space in the uterus. But other muscle groups, such as the neck and shoulder muscles, also relax significantly in the water and thus ensure better posture.

Depending on which aquafitness exercises are performed for pregnant women, the pelvic floor can also benefit. The muscles relax there too and the pelvic floor becomes more flexible. Usually such courses are recommended and offered from the 16th week of pregnancy.

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Aquafitness after pregnancy

After pregnancy, women attend postnatal gymnastics courses to strengthen and rehabilitate their muscles and tissues after the strenuous birth.In addition to the classic regression course, an aqua regression course can also be carried out here.

The advantages of doing this course in water are a very gentle and relaxing way of regression. Cramped muscles can relax optimally in water at around 30 degrees Celsius and thus contribute to general wellbeing.

The pelvic floor muscles can be gently rebuilt through targeted pelvic floor training. The women benefit from the reduced body weight in the water as well as the support of the vein pump in the body through the external water pressure.

Often there is also the option of taking the child with you to the courses. In addition to the regression after pregnancy, this also strengthens the bond between mother and child.

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How high is the calorie consumption in aquafitness?

The calorie consumption in aquafitness courses is comparatively high. This sport is therefore not only interesting for the elderly, pregnant women and those doing rehabilitation, but also for professional athletes. Properties of the 28 to 31 degrees Celsius warm water are therefore used by many target groups.

The body burns calories adored by the water temperature in order to protect the body from cooling down. Thus, half an hour of aqua fitness can burn over 400 calories. A jogging lap on land of the same duration burns “only” about 300 calories. Aquafitness is therefore a factor that should not be underestimated when it comes to weight reduction.