Aqua Training

Ahhhh, summer is here.  My favorite time of year.  My kids are home with me all day.  I get to sleep in on off days, take naps, no more homework and the pool!!!   Next to running, its my favorite way to workout.

After months and months of training for a marathon and experimenting new workouts on myself, finally training in the pool is back.  I absolutely cannot say enough wonderful things about working out in the water.  Don’t misunderstand me, this is not your mom’s water aerobic class.   You can get such an intense workout with the joy of no joint pain afterwards.

When I run I just accept my knees will hurt. It’s my little reminder of my hard work.  When I do my strength training, I know my muscles will ache some.  In the water though, I can run, jump, break a big sweat and work my muscles until they beg me to stop. Then I get out of the pool and feel refreshed,  rejuvenated with pain free joints.

I know that sounds crazy, but you can work so hard in the pool.  The water is giving you resistance with every move you make.  It is also constantly working on your balance and core strength.  When you add cardio intervals in the deep water to that, you have a fantastic all in one muscle strengthening, cardio improving, calorie burning crazy workout.

My favorite part of the pool is the equipment we use called Aqualogix.  This is a set of hand held bells and ankle straps that come in different resistances to create drag in the water.   The exercises can be very similar to what you do inside like a chest press or a row.  In the water though, you are doing the chest press and rows all at once because of the constant resistance. You end up getting more bang for your buck.  You are working harder for each exercise and in the end getting in more exercise in the same amount of workout time.

Even though there are similarities, the exciting exercises are the intense plyometric ones you cannot do in the studio such as Jump Squats, Jumping Lunges, Tuck Jumps and more.  Plyometric exercises are so good for your body, if your body can do it and handle the ouch afterwards.  Do not get me wrong, I love my plyometric exercises, but in the water I have so much more power and speed because  I am weightless and free to move harder and longer.  This provides an opportunity to try challenging moves you might not try on the floor.

Summer is always over so fast.  I encourage you to try aqua training while you have the chance.  It is unique, enjoyable and a great way to change up your workout routine during the summer.

Happy Training, Dolores