If you’re a senior looking to get into the water to get your exercising in, you’re in luck. Working out in the water can be very beneficial, and most of your water exercises are very similar to the exercises performed working out on land. There are a few different activities that make up water exercise programs, from water aerobics to general aquatic classes. If you have a pool at your Savannah senior housing facility, try these exercises on for size.
Water Exercises
There are a number of different exercises you can do in the water, and here is s good list of some of the more common ones to try:
- Jumping jacks
- Side bends
- Hopping
- Stretching
- Cross country ski movements
- Walking
- Aerobics
- Ballet
- Yoga
- Tai Chi
When you perform exercises in the water, it eliminates muscle and joint pain that generally come along with exercising. The buoyancy helps to support your weight when you’re in water, therefore less stain is placed on your body. Your joints and bones move more freely when in the water.
Water also provides more resistance than air. Overall, exercises done in the water provide the same health benefits, but you can get the exercises done in less time. Add some more fun to your exercises by using hand paddles, beach balls, Styrofoam dumbbells and noodles.
Benefits
The benefits of working out in the water include an increase in metabolism, increased muscle tone, increased strength, a reduction in cholesterol levels, improvement in posture, building lean muscle, an improvement in agility and flexibility, and an increased freedom of movement.
It’s very important that you warm up your muscles before you begin your exercise program, just as you would when exercising on land. You should also end your routine with a set of cool-down exercises. And who knows, maybe you’ll end up getting other residents of your Savannah senior housing facility in on the fun.