A Guide to Water Aerobics for Seniors

Top Benefits of Water Aerobics for Seniors

Keeping active after retirement is essential to maintaining your independence, yet for many, it can be difficult to know where to start. While there are some exercises that can be difficult for certain parts of your body, water aerobics for seniors are a great option! With water aerobics, you can achieve the full benefits of your workout without causing pressure on the joints.

Read on to discover all the benefits of water aerobics for seniors and the various exercises you can do to stay fit, all year long.

Basics of Water Aerobics

Ultimately, water aerobics is simply a form of low-impact exercise performed in water. In these exercises, you will be focusing on cardio and heart rate and will get your blood pumping throughout your entire body. A typical water aerobic class consists of a warm-up, cardio and strengthening exercises, as well as a cool-down. As a result of this cardiovascular conditioning, you will improve your overall stamina for daily activities.

Benefits of Water Aerobics for Seniors

Here are some of the many ways seniors and retirees can benefit from water aerobics.

Balance and Coordination

While typically recognized as cardio, significantly improving a person’s cardiovascular health, water aerobics can also enhance balance and coordination. Using the water’s resistance while making a movement and tightening your core is an effective way to ground yourself and find your center of gravity. As a result of this, you are also able to improve your coordination, since it helps you to focus on controlled movement and breathing.

Strengthening

In addition to the development of coordination, some of your major muscles are also strengthened. With many of the exercises targeting your arms, chest, and shoulders, you will not only be able to strengthen your core, but you will also be able to enhance your upper body without placing excessive strain on your joints. Using buffered movements, you are significantly less likely to sustain an injury while still participating fully in your workout.

Rehabilitation

The benefits of water aerobics include injury prevention due to the buffered movements, but they can also assist in rehabilitation. When overcoming an injury, these exercises can help to strengthen weakened areas and accelerate the healing process. In general, this is an excellent activity for seniors since it can relax their minds, strengthen their bodies, and soothe their spirits, resulting in an overall feeling of renewal.

Mental Wellbeing

As well as benefiting the body, these exercises can also benefit the mind. Being in the water is calming which creates a comfortable and tranquil headspace. It is a great way to relax while also getting in some much-needed cardio.

Top Water Aerobic Exercises

Now that you know the benefits of water aerobics for seniors, let’s dive into some of the best and most simple exercises to jumpstart your workout.

The Art of Aqua Jogging

In addition to being the simplest water aerobic exercise, water jogging is also one of the most effective for cardio. With this low-impact move, you will be able to accelerate your heart rate and get your blood pumping throughout your entire body. One of the advantages of this exercise is that it can be performed at your own pace. You may choose to walk through the water back and forth, march back and forth, or attempt to jog. For a successful workout, no matter how you pace yourself, it is essential that you make it challenging.

Flutter Kicks

Flutter kicks are another excellent low-impact exercise. Adding a kickboard to this exercise will provide additional support. By holding onto the board and fluttering your legs, you can move from one side of the pool to the other. In the absence of a kickboard, you can initiate a front float while holding on to the pool’s side and begin flutter kicking. Keep a steady pace to maintain your stamina.

Leg Lifts

Exercises such as leg lifts are ideal for improving balance. You will lift one leg to the side and then lower it back down using the resistance of the water. Repeat this exercise until your leg tires, and then switch to the other leg. As well as improving your balance, this exercise will strengthen your abdominal muscles as well.

Standing Push-Ups

A standing water push-up is an excellent way to build upper body strength without putting too much pressure on your joints. As an analogy, you can think of this as a wall push-up, but in the water. In order to ensure proper form, be sure to place your hands a bit wider than shoulder width along the side of the pool. You should bend your arms and lean into the wall without touching it. Repeat this until your arms tire.

Arm Curls

Arm curls are another exercise for the upper body. If you wish to increase the resistance of this move, you may use water weights. Hold your arms out in front with your palms facing up. Curl your arms upward and then return them to their original position. You’ll want to repeat this until you’ve reached your limit. As a general rule, when building strength, you should aim for three sets of 12 to 15 repetitions. You may also perform this exercise with your palms facing downward depending on your preference and pace.

Dive into Water Aerobics at Seafields at Kiawah Island

Water aerobics is an excellent way to maintain a healthy lifestyle and make improvements at your own pace. At Seafields at Kiawah Island, we value wellness on all levels. Enjoy your own self-led water aerobics practice in our resort-style pools, or take part in group wellness activities such as yoga. In addition to living in a luxurious environment, Seafields residents have the opportunity to grow in terms of independence, health, and well-being!

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