Aqua Aerobics
If you don’t want to use the elliptical or treadmill, put on your swimwear. Aqua fitness exercise, also known as water aerobics, is a fantastic workout for various people, but it’s especially good for older persons and those who don’t want to overstress their joints.
Typically held in swimming pools, water aerobics sessions incorporate music to add enjoyment to the training. Teachers may join pupils in the water, demonstrate movements, or stand up on deck. Special flotation belts are necessary for deep-water aerobics to give buoyancy and stability.
Before enrolling, the majority of fitness centers provide a brief overview of the water aerobics session so you may choose whether it is more strength- or cardio-based. There are some universal benefits of water aerobics for people of all ages, regardless of whether you prefer a strength- or cardio-based program.
Exercises in the water can be particularly beneficial for those with limited mobility, which may be related to:
Physical traumas such as bone fractures and tendon rips, as well as joint disorders like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis physical recuperation following surgery or an injury
What is aqua aerobics?
The practice of aerobic exercise in water, such as a swimming pool, is known as water aerobics, aquarobics, aquatic fitness, aqua fitness, or aquafit. It is usually performed in waist-deep or deeper water, primarily vertically, and without swimming. One type of aerobic exercise that calls for participants to be submerged in water is called water aerobics.
For around an hour, a qualified expert teaches water aerobics in a group fitness class. The lessons emphasize weight training, cardio endurance, and using music to create a fun environment. Aqua Zumba, water yoga, aqua aerobics, and aqua jog are some of the several types of water aerobics.
Benefits of Water Aerobics
- It’s Low Impact
Water aerobics’ main low-impact advantage is that it is gentle on the joints. Water aerobics assisted persons with osteoarthritis and those who were overweight to find relief from joint stress, according to a March 2022 study published in Healthcare.
According to the study, the buoyancy of water supports the body’s weight, lessening joint effects and pain levels.
- Water Aerobics Builds Community
Regularly observes how water aerobics fosters a sense of community and encourages senior citizens to leave their homes and engage in social interactions.
According to a March 2021 study published in PLOS One by Penn State University’s Center for Healthy Aging, socialization may enhance older persons’ everyday cognitive function.
Exercise with friends makes it more enjoyable, which frequently keeps individuals motivated and consistent. Water aerobics courses can be a great way to get out of the house and meet new people in the neighborhood.
- You Get Mental Stimulation
Water aerobics not only strengthens your body but also your mind.
Maintaining a healthy brain at one’s age depends on the formation of new neural connections in the brain, which can be achieved by learning to do a sequence of movements as part of a routine.
According to a small July 2018 study published in PLOS One, older persons who took part in a six-month dance program that included choreography training improved their physical fitness as well as the volume of their grey matter, which is a marker of brain function and health.
Despite the modest differences between dancing and water aerobics, participants are still required to memorize the class choreography.
- You Get a Full-Body Workout
Water aerobics is a full-body exercise that varies depending on the class and water depth.
Using the complete body (and mind) is a component of aqua fitness. Using your legs and core for support, you can walk or aqua jog as part of the exercises. The exercise regimen is probably going to include water weights or hand motions above the water.
- You Build Cardiovascular Fitness
Water aerobics is a very heart-healthy sport. As you progress through the workout, it causes your heart rate to rise and your breathing to become labored.
Attending water aerobics courses regularly might help you enhance cardiovascular fitness by strengthening your body’s tolerance for greater heart rates and cardiovascular expenditures.
In turn, improved cardiovascular fitness will help you in daily life, like climbing stairs, going for walks, riding a bike, or cleaning and gardening.
- It Serves as Cross-Training
Water aerobics is the ideal cross-training choice to enhance your other fitness pursuits, even if your primary athletic interests are for other sports, such as cycling or pickleball.
Water aerobics can help your joints heal after strenuous exercises while still motivating your muscles to work out because it is gentle on the joints yet offers a high level of resistance.
Additionally, compared to other exercise routines, water aerobics may use distinct muscle groups, which allows other body parts to rest and encourages you to engage different muscles and thought processes.
- You Build Core Strength
If we grow sedentary as we age, our core strength may deteriorate. On the other hand, core strength is essential for everyday tasks like ascending stairs, standing up from a seated position, and maintaining our balance when walking.
When performing water aerobics exercises correctly, the body must use its core to maintain balance and stability. To execute each maneuver, your core must be activated by the additional resistance provided by the water.
- It Can be a Recovery Workout
Water aerobics can help you recover from your previous efforts, just as it can provide a chance to cross-train for other fitness activities.
A particularly calming method of connecting with your body, breath, and mind is water yoga. Because you feel weightless in the water, aqua yoga can make even challenging postures or yoga exercises a little bit easier because of the water’s buoyancy.
- It Improves Mobility and Flexibility
You may move your body in a low-risk setting with water aerobics. Bending toward your toes, reaching back to stretch your quadriceps, or extending up to stretch your arms and back are a few possible exercises.
It’s okay to work on your mobility in water aerobics because the water provides a gentle landing even if you trip or lose your balance during a stretch.
Stretching and mobility exercises may also seem less restricted and taxing due to the weightlessness caused by the buoyancy of water.
- The Water Feels Nice
Heated therapy pools are used for the majority of water aerobics classes. The heat aids with muscular relaxation and joint lubrication. The water itself is helpful for people who have mobility issues or joint pain.
Cooler lap pools may be used for other water fitness sessions. For people who struggle with arthritis or aching muscles, cold water may have an anti-inflammatory impact.
The disadvantages of water aerobics
- It Minimizes Gravity’s Effect
The drawback of water aerobic exercise’s mild impact is that it doesn’t effectively increase lean muscle mass or strong bones. The capacity of water to make you feel weightless can be calming for your body and joints, but it also means you’re missing out on other important fitness foundations.
Exercise involving weight bearing strengthens muscles and bones. Water aerobics is not the ideal exercise for that because water reduces the effects of weight and gravity.
Gravity’s effects are lessened by water. As a result, it doesn’t do much to strengthen bones; only weight-bearing workouts may accomplish this.
You might want to incorporate some weekly weight-bearing activities, such as balancing work, dumbbell exercises, or working with a personal trainer, to get the most out of water aerobics.
- Decreased Calorie Burn
Despite being a fantastic exercise, water aerobics does not burn as many calories as other, more strenuous types of cardio.
Although it doesn’t burn as many calories as other forms of exercise, water aerobics does. An hour of water aerobics can burn about 300 calories for a 155-pound adult, but an hour of treadmill running at 7.5 mph would burn nearly 900 calories for the same person.
However, according to a tiny study published in PLOS One in May 2018, people who solely did water aerobics for 12 weeks saw improvements in their upper body’s “explosive strength” and a decrease in their triglycerides, systolic blood pressure, and body fat composition.
Don’t get too caught up on calorie burn unless you want to use water aerobics as part of a weight management or weight loss regimen, as all of them are great effects that have nothing to do with burning calories.
- The Pool Has Harsh Chemicals
Recreational pools typically come in two varieties: salinated and chlorinated.
Chlorine is used extensively as a water disinfectant in chlorinated pools. A scientific process converts salt into chlorine in saline pools. In any case, a disinfectant of some kind is used in both saline and chlorinated pools to ensure that they are safe for public use.
Although everyone who swims and does water aerobics needs safe, clean water, the chemicals might cause skin irritation. A prolonged period spent in a disinfected pool can cause a few skin diseases.
When hair follicles become inflamed, a skin irritation known as folliculitis results. Folliculitis is sometimes called “hot tub rash” because the heat and chemicals in chlorinated water provide the ideal conditions for the disease to develop.
Several factors can lead to contact dermatitis, which is brought on by an allergic reaction to a substance or by direct touch with it. Although the rash can be quite unpleasant, it is not communicable. It can be brought on by chemicals in pools, such as chlorine.
Dry Skin: People who swim frequently report having dry, itchy skin. This side effect of spending a lot of time in a chlorinated pool may be mitigated by using a body wash that contains chlorine and by applying extra moisture after swimming.
- You Still Sweat
Sweating should be closely monitored, but it is not always a negative aspect of any exercise.
Fun fact: water aerobics still causes perspiration. You still need to stay hydrated because of the physical exertion and the warm water in most aerobics pools.
At any aqua fitness class, don’t forget to pack a water bottle, sports drink, and a post-class snack. You should also make sure you are drinking hydrating beverages during the entire water aerobics session.
- Misconceptions About Water Aerobics Attendees
It’s a common misperception that water aerobics is only done by elderly or mobility-impaired people. However, anyone can benefit from aqua fitness.
It’s a common misperception that water aerobics is only for senior citizens. I do, however, have triathletes, runners, and cyclists that love doing water lessons.
Don’t let your preconceived notions about who attends water aerobics courses prevent you from going. A wide variety of ages, physical capabilities, and athlete types can be found in any given aqua fitness class, which may surprise you.
How It Works
Don’t be afraid to try this low-impact exercise that increases your endurance and muscle strength. You may choose how difficult you want it to be, and it’s enjoyable.
A water aerobics class typically lasts an hour. To keep you motivated, an instructor will guide you through a sequence of routines, frequently to music.
Every water aerobics class consists of a warm-up, strength-training and cardio activities, and a cool-down. You can anticipate activities like leg lifts, bicep curls, kickboard maneuvers, and water walking. You won’t be swimming, and most water workouts are done in the shallow end of the pool.
The water’s buoyancy is gentle on your joints. Water aerobics is therefore a wonderful option if you are recovering from an injury, have joint issues, or experience chronic discomfort. Pregnant women and senior citizens also like it.
Even though it’s low-impact, you can intensify the exercise. For instance, increase the number of times you perform each exercise or work out more quickly. Underwater interval training could be a part of a more advanced course.
Areas It Targets
Core: Lunges, side leg lifts, and other exercises that target your abdominal and other core muscles are a common feature of water aerobics courses.
Arms: Exercises that target the arms include underwater bicep curls. For extra resistance, you can also utilize kickboards and pool noodles.
Legs: Common exercises in water aerobics include walking, jogging, jumping jacks, and underwater kicks.
Glutes: You may tone your glutes with squats, lunges, and high knee kicks.
Back: Back discomfort can be reduced and back muscles strengthened with low-impact water exercises.
Do you require any specialized equipment?
Any equipment you need will probably be provided by the fitness center if you take an aquatic class there. Some pools may even contain cycles, ellipticals, and water treadmills.
But it’s crucial to include a pair of goggles, a swim cap, and a towel.
You might want to think about purchasing or renting some of the following equipment if you want to work out alone:
Resistance gloves, hand paddles, strap-on wrist or ankle weights, and foam dumbbells—which are light while dry but heavy in the water.
kickboard, which enables you to maintain your buoyancy while performing lower-body movements
By keeping your head above the water, a buoyancy belt allows you to perform arm workouts without stepping on water.
Best Water Aerobics Exercises
Water Walking

The quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core were the muscles used.
Benefits: Although walking is arguably the simplest cardiovascular exercise, moving freely against the water’s resistance is far more difficult. As you enter the deep end of the pool, your leg and core muscles will have to exert even more effort. This cardiovascular exercise will become even more difficult if you increase the pace from a stroll to a jog.
How to achieve it:
- Stand completely upright in water chest-deep.
- Let your arms swing at your sides as you begin to move through the water.
- Keep going for the desired amount of time or distance.
Flutter Kicks
The following muscles were used: erector spinae, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis.
Benefits: Flutter kicks are a core- and cardio-focused aquatic workout that works your quadriceps, glutes, hip flexors, and lower abs. It can help you develop a strong stomach and strong legs. As you kick your way down to the other side of the pool, you must also maintain proper posture in the water by keeping your erector spinae (lower-back muscles) engaged.
How to achieve it:
- With your arms out in front of you, hold onto a kickboard or the pool’s edge.
- Keep your legs as close together and straight as you can as you extend them behind you.
- Maintain a neutral spine, contract your core muscles, and start rapidly and deliberately kicking your legs up and down.
- For the duration or distance you have specified, keep up a constant pace.
Leg Lifts

The following muscles were used: erector spinae, glutes, hip flexors, hamstrings, and core.
Benefits: Muscular imbalances and lower back pain can result from weak, inactive glutes caused by a sedentary lifestyle. Leg lifts are an activity that can instantly activate your glutes and minor stabilizer muscles, so you can take care of that in the water. However, don’t be shocked if you have a severe burn in a matter of seconds.
How to achieve it:
- Stand at the shallow end of the pool, waist deep.
- With both hands, hold onto the pool’s edge until your arms are fully stretched.
- Keeping your torso straight, kick your left leg out to the side until it is at a 45-degree angle, and contract your core.
- Lower your leg back to the beginning position after squeezing your glute.
- For as many repetitions or as much time as you like, repeat on the opposite side.
Wall Slides
Core, hamstrings, latissimus dorsi, and deltoids were the muscles used.
Benefits: By placing your shoulders and lats in a deep stretch position, wall slides can help you loosen them up. This is a great full-body workout since it works your core muscles and lengthens your hamstrings while you bend and straighten your legs.
How to achieve it:
- Stand in water that is breast-deep.
- With both hands, hold onto the pool’s edge until your arms are fully stretched.
- Keep your knees bent and place your feet on the pool wall.
- While using your core, extend your legs until your hamstrings and lats feel stretched.
- Return to the beginning position by bending your knees, then repeat for the required number of repetitions or duration.
Jumping Jacks
Deltoids, latissimus dorsi, quadriceps, glutes, calves, trapezius, and core muscles were used.
Benefits: Without this full-body cardio workout, no aerobics session on land or in the water would be complete. Since your upper and lower bodies must work in unison to maintain proper form, jumping jacks are an excellent way to raise your heart rate and get your blood flowing. To make this nostalgic exercise more challenging, hold onto a pair of foam dumbbells or fasten water cuffs, which are pool-safe ankle weights, around your ankles.
How to do it:
- Place your feet together and keep your hands by your sides while you stand in chest-deep water.
- Jump your legs out at the same time as you bring your arms together above until your hands make contact.
- To go back to the beginning posture, bring your feet together and your arms back down toward your sides.
- Do this for as many reps or as long as you want.
High Knee Jog
The following muscles were used: hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, deltoids, obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and rectus abdominis.
Benefits: It’s likely that you have done high knees as a warm-up or as a component of a HIIT workout if you have ever participated in sports. On land, this explosive plyometric exercise is difficult because you have to quickly force your knees into your chest while keeping a constant pace. Your heart rate will rapidly increase and your fast-twitch muscles will be activated when you jog at a high knee position in the water.
How to achieve it:
- Place your feet hip-width apart and stand in chest-deep water.
- With your left foot firmly placed on the pool’s bottom, explosively drive your right knee toward your chest.
- Drive your left knee straight toward your chest after lowering your right.
- To maintain rhythm, switch sides and match driving your knees upward with pumping your arms.
- For the desired time or distance, maintain a constant pace.
Pool Plank
The following muscles were used: erector spinae, deltoids, rhomboids, trapezius, glutes, obliques, transverse abdominis, and rectus abdominis.
Benefits: A pool noodle assists this water-based plank. Your rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and other core and lower back muscles still bear the majority of the duty for maintaining your body in the most upright position possible, even with the help of this instrument. Planking is an excellent method of promoting proper posture both on land and in the water.
How to accomplish it:
- Place yourself in water chest-deep.
- Grab a pool noodle that is positioned horizontally in front of you.
- Make sure your body is in a straight line by extending your legs behind you.
- Maintain a neutral spine, contract your lower back and abdominal muscles, and hold the plank posture for as long as you like.
Biceps Curls (With Water Weights)
Worked muscles: core, triceps, and biceps
Benefits: You can bet your biceps will be burning by the finish, whether you’re performing simply for yourself. Even more resistance against the water is provided by using foam weights, which allows this two-headed muscle to get bigger and stronger with each repetition.
How to accomplish it:
- Place yourself in water chest-deep.
- Keep a pair of water weights close at hand.
- Keep your torso upright, contract your core, and curl the weights to the water’s surface.
- Lower the weights back to your sides by steadily pushing down on the water after contracting your biceps at the height of the exercise.
- Continue until you reach the required amount of reps.
Pool-Edge Push-Up

Worked muscles included the rhomboid, trapezius, biceps, pectorals, and core.
Benefits: The push-up, arguably the most well-liked bodyweight exercise, is an excellent method for increasing upper-body size and strength. Gaining proficiency in this exercise can also improve your performance on more conventional exercises that call for strong chest and triceps, like as the overhead press and bench press.
How to accomplish it:
- Face the wall while standing in the shallow part of the pool.
- With your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, place them on the pool’s edge.
- Take a step back until your body is in a plank-like straight line from head to toe.
- Lower your chest and bend your elbows gradually until you are only one to two inches from the pool’s edge.
- For one or two seconds, hold the position at the bottom.
- Then, push through your palms to extend your arms and go back to the beginning position.
- Continue until you reach the required amount of reps.
Squats

The quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, erector spinae, and core were the muscles that were worked.
Benefits: Squats, the most popular lower-body exercise, may be very exhausting on land, particularly if you’re using large weights. People of all skills and fitness levels can use the water-based version, though, because it is considerably easier on the joints. You can extend the time under stress by pausing at the bottom of the squat, even though you are not allowed to bring your barbell into the water.
How to accomplish it:
- Place your feet shoulder-width apart and tip your toes slightly outward while standing in waist-deep water.
- Straighten your arms in front of you.
- Bend your knees, push your hips back, and keep your body erect as you descend into a squat position.
- Reduce your body height until your legs are at a 90-degree angle.
- To get back to the beginning posture, push through your heels and spread your legs.
- Continue until you reach the required amount of reps.
Advice about safety
Although there are many advantages to water-based activities, it’s crucial to keep a few safety precautions in mind.
Drink plenty of water because you might not be able to detect how much you’re perspiring when in the water. Drink a lot of water both before and after going out, and think about leaving a water bottle on the edge of the pool.
Make use of a flotation device: If you’re not a good swimmer, wear a flotation vest or buoyancy belt. You could avoid drowning by doing this.
Maintain good pool hygiene: Using public pools raises your chance of contracting swimming-related diseases such as lung infections, swimmer’s ear, and diarrhea. If you’re sick, cancel the day’s pool workouts and refrain from swallowing water while in the water.
Avoid hot water: Refrain from exercising in a pool that is hotter than 90°F (32°C).
If you have any of the following symptoms, it’s critical to cease exercising:
dizzy or lightheaded
difficult to breathe
nauseating,
weak,
faint pressure or discomfort in your upper body or chest
Conclusion
Exercise in the water is a great way to build your body’s main muscle groups and increase your cardiovascular fitness.
Exercises in the pool are particularly beneficial for persons with injuries or joint difficulties, pregnant women, and those who struggle with balance.
Before starting a new fitness regimen or if you have any health concerns, see your physician.
FAQs
Is weight loss possible with aqua aerobics?
Definitely! Maintaining health and increasing metabolism need burning fat while gaining muscle, which water aerobics does. This mild yet efficient workout can help lose obstinate weight because it can burn up to 800 calories every session.
Can you lose tummy fat with aerobics?
Targeting visceral belly fat may also be accomplished with aerobic exercise (cardio). Intensity is also important. Compared to strength training or low-intensity aerobic exercise, moderate to high-intensity exercise can help reduce the amount of abdominal fat.
Is walking comparable to aqua aerobics?
Swimming helps you reach your fitness objectives while putting less strain on your joints and muscles than vigorous walking.
What drawbacks do water aerobics have?
Drawbacks. Practically speaking, water aerobics has certain drawbacks. Aqua aerobics necessitates having access to a swimming pool through facilities, and classes may incur additional costs on top of any membership fees for facility use.
After 45 minutes of water aerobics, how many calories are burned?
Aqua lessons are one of the best ways to burn fat and calories, despite their benign appearance. Depending on their level of intensity, most people will burn 400–500 calories in a regular session.
Is 20 minutes of aerobic exercise sufficient?
These research findings are also supported by American Heart Association (AHA) guidelines. The American Heart Association advises engaging in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week, or about 21 minutes each day.
By age, how much exercise do you get each day?
They advise people between the ages of 18 and 64 to engage in moderate-intensity physical activity for at least 150 minutes a week and to perform strength training exercises at least twice a week. They advise including activities aimed at enhancing balance for people over 65.
How should I dress for water aerobics?
First, a racerback bathing suit is essential for ladies. In contrast to normal straps, which tend to slip off the shoulder during vigorous motions, the racerback straps will stay in place while you jump and bounce around during water aerobics. Make sure your bottoms allow for free movement if you decide to wear a two-piece.
Reference
- Jenny, K., & FatCamera/E+/GettyImages. (2023, April 27). 10 benefits of water aerobics (and 5 drawbacks). Livestrong.com. https://www.livestrong.com/article/273601-pros-cons-of-water-aerobics/
- Wikipedia contributors. (2024, December 13). Water aerobics. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_aerobics#External_links
- Helmer, J. (2023, March 23). Water aerobics. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/a-z/water-aerobics
- Cronkleton, E. (2024b, November 28). Try these 8 pool exercises for a Full-Body workout. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pool-exercises#safety
- Cnc, S. S. C. (2024a, September 13). The 10 best water aerobics exercises, according to a CPT | Garage Gym Reviews. Garage Gym Reviews. https://www.garagegymreviews.com/water-aerobics-exercises
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