Water Aerobics Health Benefits: Fitness Over 50

I love working out in the water. For one, I don’t have to sweat! I am not fond of sweating. I don’t know who is. But knowing that exercising in the water also includes amazing health benefits makes this a winner for me.

I have been blessed with a pool at my home. If I was smart, I would have been using the heck out of it all along. But laziness interfered with smart thinking and I am making strides to take back my life and improve my health.

It is harder to get started when you are over 50. However, I have been working out for over a year using the pool. With some time off due to back problems and the cold weather, I do feel so much better when I am in the pool. I want to share some of the health benefits with you that can hopefully make a choice on the road to happy healthy 50 plus.

Water Aerobics Health Benefits: Fitness Over 50

* Easy on the Joints – when you run or workout on land, it can be tough on your joints. The older your body the more careful you have to be. Starting your exercise routine in the pool with help protect your body.

* Improves Muscle Strength and Flexibility – Working against the water movement and resistance really helps build those muscles and tendons. In older people we see more falls and unbalance from too much sitting and inactivity. Working out in the pool will help improve the condition of muscles and your strength.

* Improves Stamina – Just like building your muscle strength and flexibility, using the water as resistance will help improve your stamina and endurance. Pushing and pulling your body in moves through the water is empowering and will work your body!

* Low Impact Exercise – Water aerobics and swimming laps is a low impact exercise that is easy on the joints so therefore is a great choice for older people. Starting a walking routine on land may be too much for you if you have been inactive for a long time.

* High Calorie Burns – Just like any other exercise, you are going to burn calories. However burning them in the pool doesn’t seem like a chore. At a normal weight, you can burn 500-600 per hour. Because I am over weight, I burn about 900 an hour. That does not hurt my feelings in the least. Plus I probably burn a bit more because I work out hard.

These are the top 5 reasons I use water aerobics for my cardio. There are so many more too! I love what it is doing for my body. My blood pressure is super low and I have loads of endurance and strength for living life. I am going to make sure it is a part of my life for as long as possible!