In the United States, running is one of the most popular pastimes. However, it is a high-impact activity that can result in a variety of lower-body ailments. This aqua jogging workouts information will help you to get more advantages for your body health.
This isn’t to say that going for a run on a daily basis isn’t beneficial, but mixing up your cardio can be beneficial. Is there a solution? Aqua jogging is a type of jogging that takes place in water.
What Is Aqua Jogging, And How Does It Work?
Aqua jogging is a unique hybrid of running and swimming that can help you retain cardiovascular endurance and running form while decreasing road running wear and tear.
Aqua jogging, also known as deep water running, is a year-round activity that may be done outside in the summer or indoors in the winter. Aqua jogging can be done in a group setting, or by running laps in the pool or running in place.
Who is the best candidate for aqua jogging? Almost every single person.
Adults In Their Later Years
The sport may appeal to the baby boomer age as a means to maintain cardiovascular endurance while reducing joint impact. Aqua jogging has been demonstrated to improve explosive strength, body composition, and blood pressure when done twice a week.
Runners Who Have Been Injured
It’s also a good alternative for runners, especially those who are injured and want to do something low-impact. Swimming-based activities have been demonstrated to aid in the regeneration of new muscle fibers that have been lost due to injury. Aqua jogging keeps you active while you recover.
Women Who Are Expectant
For pregnant women, water aerobics, such as aqua jogging, is a safe, low-impact option. Women who did water aerobics were less likely to require pain relievers during labor, according to one study.
Runners Who Are Professionals
When injured or as a supplement to their tough training regimes, many professional runners incorporate water jogging into their routine. When some elite athletes continued to exercise in the water for up to eight weeks, they reported little to no loss of aerobic capacity.
Beginner runners who are hesitant to take the streets right away but want to familiarize themselves with the motion, action, and length of running can benefit from a combination of aqua jogging and land running.
Health Advantages
Aqua jogging can help you enhance your cardiovascular fitness, posture and form, and muscular strength, in addition to reducing joint friction.
Low-Intensity Exercise
The impact of impacting hard surfaces, such as asphalt or concrete, is reduced with water exercises. Reduced joint tension may help to lessen the chance of harm to the body.
Strengthens The Body
Because water is thick, it contributes to the resistance of this process. Water has 12 times the resistance of air, according to the Arthritis Foundation, and can help grow, strengthen, and tone muscles. You work harder and burn more calories while building muscle strength since water is denser and more difficult to maneuver through.
It Doesn’t Matter How Fast You Go.
Being overly focused on the demands of a training regimen, such as your pace, length, or performance outcome, can put your mental health at risk.
In water, however, everyone is working against each other and exerting the same amount of effort, so there is no motivation to attempt to go faster.
It’s Possible That It Will Help You Lose Weight.
Aqua jogging, like regular running, provides aerobic exercise and resistance training while burning calories and fat to help maintain or lose weight.
You’ll Require the Following Equipment
You might feel out-of-place strapping on a pair of swimming goggles versus tying up running shoes, but as with most sports, aqua jogging comes with its unique set of exercise accessories, designed to aid in your success.
There is a wide range of equipment available to assist or improve your aqua jogging practice in the pool.
Beginners should start with the fundamentals, which include an athletic swimsuit, swimming goggles, and, in many cases, a swim cap.
Once you’ve gotten used to the exercise, the belts will fall into place. They can be worn around the waist to provide buoyancy in the water, allowing you to concentrate on your posture and movement while keeping your head afloat.
Water weights can be used by skilled aqua joggers for increased resistance.
Workout Example
If you’re ready to try swapping the road for the pool, here are a few movements to get you started.
Warm-Up
In the water, do 5-10 minutes of running or walking movements. This will get your muscles warm and help you adjust to a new center of balance in the water.
Intervals
Repeat the following 2-4 times based on your skill level and duration of your training regimen. You can increase the intensity by adding water weights to any movement.
- 1-minute of a cadence run (starting at a slow cadence and gradually increasing over the course of the minute)
- 8 sets of 5-second sprints, with 15 seconds of recovery in between each sprint
- 1-minute of water walking
- 1-minute of a cadence run
- 5 sets of 30-second hard cross country running (a hard effort of the legs, traveling forward and backward in the water), with 30 seconds of recovery in between each set
- 1-minute of a cadence run
- 6-8 sets of 10-second high knees, with 15 seconds of recovery jogging in between each set
- 1-minute of a cadence run
- 1-minute of water walking
- 1-minute of a cadence run
Cool-Down
Perform 5-10 minutes of light running or walking movements in the water, similar to the movements conducted in your warm-up.
Some Pointers On How To Get Started
Deeper Water Training Is Recommended.
Conroyd believes that in order to be able to mimic land running form while also running fast enough to get your heart rate into the moderate to higher heart rate zones, you must be in water that is deep enough that you do not come into contact with the bottom. For many people, this indicates a depth of at least 5 feet, 5 inches tall and at least as deep.
Pay close attention to the how your upper body is positioned.
Lifting your head, bringing your chin in, pulling your shoulder blades together and down, and pulling your belly button to your spine are all good examples of postural cues, according to Conroyd. To make a pendulum motion in the water, arms should be bent at a 90-degree angle and swinging.
Make Use of Lower Body Fundamentals.
It is beneficial, according to Conroyd, to begin with a vertical flutter kick and then progressively expand up the stride to replicate land running biomechanics with the legs. It is important to maintain a modest knee bend while walking. The quad pushes the water forward rather than up, and the heel leads the backward portion of each step. In order for the foot to operate like a paintbrush, it should be relaxed and sweeping back and forth.
Consider Shortening Your Workout Session.
Exercises that involve water can increase your metabolic rate and energy expenditure. As a result, according to Gasnick, you may discover that you become fatigued more quickly with aquatic exercise as compared to land-based activities, and that your workout time should be reduced.
Take, for example, the substitution of a 45-minute treadmill run with a 30-minute aqua jogging session.
If You Have Heart Problems, You Should Consult Your Doctor.
Most indoor and outdoor pools are heated to a certain degree. Due to the fact that your heart rate increases as the temperature rises, Gasnick recommends that anyone who has a heart condition or high blood pressure visit their doctor before beginning aquatic training.
Final Thought
Aqua jogging is a safe alternative to running on the street or treadmill. When used for rehab, it allows you to retain cardiovascular fitness and concentrate on running technique while lowering the pain associated with your injury. It’s also a wonderful supplement to an overall training regimen, whether you’re injured or not.
Consider trading out one of your usual cardio days for an aqua jogging session. You can alter the workouts by using a running belt and jogging in place or running laps in the water.