Water therapies and workouts
Aqua workouts and water therapies offer health benefits with a lower impact on joints and muscles than running, writes Rachel Jacqueline
Six months ago, the unthinkable happened to Cecelia Tam. A passionate runner, she became bored of pounding the pavement and could no longer face the wear and tear on her joints. Desperate to stay motivated and keep fit, she relocated her workout to the pool.
"I needed something to loosen me up," says Tam, 38. She was apprehensive at first, thinking she would arrive in a class full of geriatrics. She was also worried her swimming skills were not up to scratch.
But her fears were unfounded, and aqua workouts are now a regular part of her exercise regimen and a good way of indulging her love of the water.
Using a variety of modified equipment, such as water dumbbells, webbed resistance gloves and pool noodles, Tam works up more sweat during aqua workouts than she ever did running.
"After a pool workout I am more energetic and refreshed," she says. It makes sense: in water, the body is buoyant and there's much less impact on the joints during exercises. In addition, water is 12 times more resistant than air. The result is the perfect combination of low-impact cardio and strength training.
"Running on pavements places an incredible amount of compressive forces and pressure on your body," explains Ben Lai, osteopath at City Osteopathy in Central. "Being in the water reduces those forces, making it especially beneficial for injury rehabilitation and arthritic conditions."