Reservation Blues

Physical activity is an important part of daily life. It allows for many benefits in health and well-being, just 30 minutes a day can reduce the risk of developing certain diseases and conditions. This includes water aerobics.

Aerobic exercise in general is important because your body uses oxygen to produce energy for physical activity. Aerobic means with oxygen. This can be accomplished by participating in water aerobics. Water aerobics is a good way to achieve an aerobic metabolism. Aerobic metabolism occurs when the body breaks down fat and glucose by combining them with oxygen. During intense aerobic exercise, your body uses more oxygen and your breathing and heart rate increase. Over time, regular aerobic exercise will improve your health and fitness and reduce levels of body fat.

There are many benefits that are gained from participating in water aerobics. Water Aerobics allow the expansion of physical range of motion, along with improved strength and flexibility. Another advantage is that resistance training feels easier because of the way the water controls the weight(s). Water displaces the stress that weight training (on land) can put on the body, especially joints, which is particularly beneficial for those with arthritis. It is also used to rehabilitate people who are recovering from injuries and accidents or just to heal muscles. Water aerobics is also used for people with disabilities to increase the speed of motor skills. Some other benefits are increased circulation, stronger heart, improved physique or figure, and increased energy.

Other benefits that are gained from water aerobics relate to social interaction. One of the social benefits is, camaraderie, which occurs between many different types of people, because water aerobics benefits everybody, including athletes, those who need walkers to walk, and pregnant women. It teaches discipline due to the regularity of a weekly class. Water aerobics teaches time management skills because you learn that daily/ weekly exercise is important in maintaining good health. The last social benefit that happens during water aerobics is increased self-confidence and self esteem.

For my water aerobic routine I’m going to use different types of water activities to meet the criteria for each specific section that includes a six minute warm up, some cardio, some toning exercises, and about five minutes of cool down.

For the warm up I think we should use a mid paced song, I think Incubus’s clean will work well. The warm-up should consist of mostly stretches for six minutes. In order to prevent injuries all stretches should be held for 3 minutes each. So for my warm-up I would include lunges on both legs each held for 3 minutes for a total of six minutes of warm-up. Your front leg in your lunge should always be flat and your knee should never bend past the tips of your toes (your foot and knee should be parallel). The back leg should be slightly bent and the tips of your toes should be the only part of your foot touching the bottom of the pool. For added flexibility, stretch your arms at the same time, by crossing one arm across your chest and use your other arm to stretch it bye bending your arm at the elbow and pulling your extended arm in towards your body. Make sure to switch arms when you switch legs while your lunging.

Cardio is an important aspect of all aerobic exercises. For my cardio it is important to use low impact walking in the water, and gradually build up to a higher impact jog or run done in a deeper part of the pool. For added resistance to your legs, running backwards will push the current against your body instead of with you, which occurs when you run foreword. “The warm-up activities at the beginning of the class should be low intensity and prepare the person for more vigorous activities during the formal work-out period. As the exercise moves from the warm-up to the actual exercise routine, it is important to control exercise intensity.” (bodybuilding.com) If you're just beginning an exercise program, start slowly by walking in shallow water. Gradually increase the intensity of your workout by moving to waist-high, then chest-high water, and adding movements that use both arms and legs. Cardio should be done to an upbeat song like, the way you make me feel by Michael Jackson. Start by walking in the water (by width) in the shallow end for