By Jodi Broz - Personal Trainer
Have you ever tried a Liquid Cardio class?
Did you know water workouts work wonders on the whole body and are one of the most therapeutic activities for you? Water aerobics builds cardio endurance, strength and flexibility all while being easy on the joints and who can resist the resort-like environment of the Paseo Club’s pool.
The idea behind liquid cardio is to take the ground out of the mix of your land workouts. The buoyancy of your body in the water makes for a low impact workout. Low impact does not mean easier, just less taxing on the joints. Working without gravity can alleviate pressures from normal wear and tear. Think about running on land versus in the water. On the road every step hits a hard surface resonating up the leg and through the whole body. In the water, your body and legs can make the same movement pattern and without the ground there is no impact, but the results can be the same. Every part of the body is still working. In fact running in the water for just twenty minutes can be equivalent to running on land for 3 miles.
The water of the pool is in constant motion, creating a moving force against the body that can be 42 times greater than air. Your body needs to move through this natural resistance force not against it. Adjusting to the push and pull of the water requires the body to move in various directions and studies have shown this to naturally increase flexibility and range of motion in the joints. In fact, hydrotherapy is one of the leading forms of therapy for those with joint problems.
Adding dumbbells and speed to a water workout will increase the resistance level. The combination of strength and cardio along with the water ensures the entire body is getting a rigid workout. Depending on the activity, weight, water temperature, volume and buoyancy the body can burn between 400-500 calories in an hour of exercise. Running in the water also burns more calories, approximately 3 calories more per minute. This is attributed to the resistance of the water and an increase in upper body work for the aqua runner.
\Resistance of the water is not only a buoyancy feature to help work the muscles but the compression of the water on the body as a whole can help relieve stress. The water pressure works with your blood and enables the body to circulate blood flow more effectively. This can decrease blood pressure and in the long run decrease your resting heart rate. This benefit means your heart is maintaining its productivity while putting less stress on your heart.
Liquid cardio is not limited to any age group or skill level. Young or old, swimmer or not, you can get a great workout in this class. It is also not limited to any season. The Paseo pool maintains a temperature of 82-degrees which makes it inviting any time of year. Don’t let the outside temperature deter you from a great workout and a fun activity to bond with friends and meet new members.
Dive into a new workout regime with a Liquid Cardio class.
There are five classes on the schedule… Monday and Wednesday mornings 9:15am, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings at 9:00am.
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