Modify your aqua fitness lesson for different populations

Aqua fitness instructors should never assume that every participant in their class have the same fitness level. Neither should they assume that older participants need a gentle workout. What they should do is to observe their participants to see what they are capable of, and teach to those capabilities. Instructors should be ready to offer options for those who want a higher intensity level as well as options for those who need a lower intensity level from the rest of the class. 

Aqua fitness for children

Obesity is becoming a significant health care concern for children as well as adults. The level of physical fitness in children has declined significantly, and the prevalence of obesity is rising rapidly. A decrease in physical education programmes, afterschool activities, and outdoor play combined with the availability and convenience of unhealthy fast foo increase the risk for children to become obese, unfit, and consequently unhealthy. Many fitness leaders and physical educators are concerned that children are not as active as they should be. Exercise can provide the same benefits to children as to adults, and water is an ideal environment for tempting children to play and be active. Most children love the pool and water activities.

Aqua fitness equipment

According to the Aquatic Exercise Association there are five types of equipment that professionals can incorporate into their aquatic programmes. All professionals should know the proper use of equipment, which means understanding the function, purpose, limitations, properties, safety factors, and biomechanics of the equipment.  

Aqua cycling

Aqua cycling is quite a new trend in the world of aqua fitness. As most of the aqua fitness programmes, it started from fitness studios but with more benefits than the original and with more categories of population to be able to use it. We all know that cycling and spinning classes help you improve your fitness levels as well as strengthen your legs, abs, and buttocks. However, people with back or joint issues will be hard to keep up with the rest of the group.

Cool down phase in an aqua class

The cool down allows participants to slowly recover from the work they have done in the conditioning phase. If the last set ended with an interval, you will want to continue the active recovery exercise for a few minutes. Then you can have participants begin to go into slower, lower intensity movements. One way to do this is to repeat the warm up, perhaps in reverse order. Another option is to include a set of toning exercises. These can be exercises for muscular strength, or they can be abdominal and core strength exercises.

Warm up phase in aqua class (deep water)

The warm up phase in a deep water class must accomplish two things. Participants not only have to make a body temperature adjustment to the colder temperature of the water, as in a shallow water class, but they also have to adjust to the unstable environment in deep water. An upright posture is important to maintain the spine in neutral alignment so that all the exercises can be performed safely. Good posture, however, is not automatic in deep water. Begin the warm up with a vigorous, short-lever move, such as knee high jog, while offering postural cues to help participants achieve neutral alignment. Teach them how to scull, which will help them stabilize. As they begin to feel more comfortable, you can begin to increase their heart rates in preparation for the work out. The entire warm up should take between 5 and 10 minutes.

How to increase intensity in an aqua fitness class (shallow water)

In certain times during your aqua fitness class (interval training) you would want to increase the intensity of your programme so that the participants’ heart rates climb up into the upper level of their target heart rates for a short time. That will help them improve greatly their cardiorespiratory fitness. A good aqua fitness instructor should know how to increase and decrease intensity, and how long to have participants work in the upper level of the target heart rate.

Pros and cons for the various options of teaching an aquatic class

Today's post is for you, who enjoy being in an aqua class. You have already watched your instructor teaching your class either from on the pool deck, from in the pool, or by going back and forth between the deck and pool (these are the three options an instructor has while teaching an aquatic fitness class). Which are the advantages and disadvantages of each teaching position? We'll find out today.

Teaching from the pool deck

This is the preffered method for the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) in most situations. AEA recommends that the instructor remain on deck when there is no additional lifeguard on duty, when there are new participants in the program, or when new movements are being demonstrated.

Exercise in the water helps for stress relief

Exercise in the water can help in a number of ways. It can help people to begin to restore their lost functionality and improve their sleeping patterns. Furthermore, during exercise in the water endorphins - a natural painkiller and mood lifting substances - are released and can be very helpful in relieving from depression. People who started an aqua aerobic program lost weight and have raised their pain threshold, meaning that they were more able to tolerate pain.

Aqua aerobic and pulmonary diseases

Pulmonary diseases limit the body's ability to provide oxygen to the body's tissues. They generally fall into two categories: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which includes emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and asthma. The ACSM recommends that all participants with pulmonary disease receive physician's clearance prior to participating in an exercise program. The body's need for oxygen intake and carbon dioxide removal is increased during exercise, so participants with pulmonary diseases must learn how to cope with diminished lung capacity and increased oxygen demands. Gas exchange impairments also create problems for the cardiovascular and muscular systems. 

Aqua aerobic for obese individuals

Overeight is a condition in which an individual's weight exceeds the population norm or average, which is determined by height and weight tables based on gender, height, and frame size. Although a standard approach, the definition lack the ability to account for significant muscle mass. A better measure might be percentage body fat, but this approach takes additional time and effort and thus has not replaced the simpler method in all situations.

Obesity is a condition in hich there is an excess of body fat, frequently resulting in a significant impairment of health. Obese individuals are at a level of 20 percent or more above ideal body weight. Obesity is generally defined and accepted as above 20 percent body fat for males and above 30 percent body fat for females. There is some variance in obesity thresholds as determined by different organizations or criteria. 

Aqua aerobic and cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a general term for diseases of the heart and the blood vessels. Cardiovascular disease includes high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart fialure, rheumatic heart disease, and congenital defects. Some of these diseases affect the blood vessels whereas other affect the heart itself. 

Cardiovascular diseases are a result of both genetic and environmental factors. Lifestyle habits (low fat, high fiber diet and exercise) along with medications play a major role in terms of treatment and prevention. In addition, lifestyle changes can help maintain optimal cardiovascular function following cardiac rehabilitation. 

Aqua yoga

Aqua Yoga is a series of yoga exercises done in water that combines the therapeutic and afloat nature of water with the stimulating and balancing of yoga. In short it takes the principles and movements of yoga and adapts them to the environment of water. With the release of gravity the body is able to find the most advantageous stretching. Aqua Yoga combines slow stretching with the use of breathing and relaxation as the water provides resistance for the muscles to work against. Aqua yoga is a natural and all-encompassing way to promote and sustain fitness and health.

Abs exercises in the water

A few drills that will help you strengthen your abs in the water