Fitness in the water – how it came about and why it’s not a sport for the elderly

AquaFitness is the same: a group of mostly retired sports enthusiasts moving rhythmically to music in a swimming pool with chest-deep water. At least that’s the widespread cliché. However, aqua fitness, which started out as water gymnastics in the 1950s, is not only suitable for old people, but also for young people to achieve sporting goals. It’s not just HIIT workouts or other types of full-body training that shape the body and muscles – aqua fitness can do that too.

AquaFitness is a complete full-body workout in which participants perform specific exercises in groups in the water, incorporating the properties of the water. Unlike conventional strength training, the movements are not only performed against gravity, but also against the resistance of the water. This protects the joints and movements that are difficult or impossible to perform on land can be carried out without pain. However, water sports are a modern development, with origins in religious practices, bathhouses and naturopathy.

Historical development

The cleansing of the body through water is contrasted with spiritual cleansing in various religions. Thus, according to the Catholic Church, the child is washed clean of original sin with Catholic baptism (Catholic Church, 2000, ii.ii.i.i) and in Islam, washing the hands, feet and face before prayer is an ablution for ritual and spiritual purity. This religious need for ablutions led to the establishment of hammams in the Islamic world, in which religion, hygiene and wellness came together (Sourdel-Thomine, 1986, pp.139-144). Especially in ancient Rome, bathhouses spread and became places of exchange between social classes. In addition to cold and warm rooms, aroma baths were an integral part of every bathhouse and formed the basis for hydrotherapy, a German form of therapy in which water temperature and herbal additives were used to stimulate blood circulation in specific areas of the body (Schalle, 1948, pp. 21-55). Hydrotherapy also had a formative effect on the foundations of physiotherapy. The treatment of chronic pain and injuries was carried out under water, allowing the corresponding body regions to be relieved and movement mechanics to be performed. This principle is also used in modern physiotherapy, for example when top athletes dedicate themselves to rehabilitating muscles that have been damaged by an injury.

A mixture of religion, wellness and physiotherapy led us to see the water as a sports environment. With the Godfather of Fitness, Jack LaLanne, the fitness world conquered the water in the 1950s. His Hydronastics Water Exercises translated well-known aerobic exercises that spectators had already been doing at home into the pool and inspired a wide audience.

This enthusiasm for aqua aerobics extended into the infamous fitness craze of the 80s. Leg warmers, jazzercise and one-piece suits as well as aqua aerobics found their place in the iconic era that also gave us Arnold Schwarzenegger.

AquaFitness, just a sport for older people?

However, as Caroline Urscheler, Assistant Manager Fitnesspark Milandia, explains, aqua gymnastics is not the same as aqua fitness just because it takes place in water. The direct translation of aerobics on land into water does not take into account the unique conditions of water. The water resistance, the buoyancy of the body and the water pressure on the body are all factors that have been given little or no consideration by modern aqua fitness. For example, equipment such as dumbbells and weights are generally not used, as they are too light in the water, whereas special water dumbbells are used in aqua fitness. These are specially designed dumbbells that are optimized for water displacement in order to take advantage of the water resistance.

Although the average age in the aqua fitness courses at Fitnesspark Milandia is rather high, aqua fitness is a complementary workout that is also ideal for competitive athletes and young exercisers. The increased energy consumption, stimulated metabolism and improved oxygen uptake through aqua fitness are not age-related and appeal to a wide range of exercisers. Not only people with chronic pain benefit from the much-vaunted aspect of joint-friendly training, but also healthy exercisers, as the slower movements in the water help with execution, lead to more mindfulness and promote a better mind-body connection. Muscles can be trained more consciously and efficiently when we perform exercises mindfully and feel which movements work specific muscles.

Water resistance as a muscle trainer

In general, the benefits of aqua fitness are due to the physical properties of the water. The average energy consumption is boosted by the water temperature and the metabolism is stimulated. The body has to use energy to maintain body temperature while the water removes heat. Water pressure is an often underestimated physical element of water sports. Two of the most important effects are on breathing and the cardiovascular system. Water exerts a constant pressure on the body, which affects the chest, among other things. This makes it more difficult to inhale, as the chest and abdominal wall have to displace water as they expand. The diaphragm and the rib muscles adapt to the greater load and the additional effort and lead to an improved oxygen supply. However, it should be noted that water pressure also supports exhalation and thus has a reverse effect on the exhalation muscles.

At the same time, this pressure leads to a temporary constriction of the veins. This increases blood pressure and lowers the heart rate, as the heart muscle stretches more and the heart has to beat less to transport the same amount of blood. This means that water-based exercise is also suitable for endurance athletes, as long as aqua fitness is used as a supplement to existing strength and endurance training on land.

It is important to remember that aqua fitness cannot replace training on land. Our whole life takes place under gravity and air pressure and our physiology is designed for this. Although ailments and chronic conditions are alleviated in the water, aqua fitness is no substitute for a full workout, as bones, muscles and joints have to get used to stimuli outside the water.

Nevertheless, aqua fitness offers the opportunity for people to exercise who cannot do so without pain. AquaFitness is offered in some fitness parks. A sport with a therapeutic and recreational background conquered the world from the United States and is an integral part of the fitness craze phenomenon of the 80s. The targeted full-body workout in the water uses buoyancy, water resistance and pressure to guarantee participants an intensive and comprehensive workout for all ages.