Water exercise takes advantage of the unique properties of water that serve to decrease pain while working out. For this reason, it is particularly good for people with arthritis, and others who cannot well tolerate weight-bearing.
A water exercise routine should start with a warm-up for about 5-10 minutes. One of the easiest things to do to warm-up is a water walk. Then a series of gradually intensifying strengthening and aerobic exercises should build for about 20-30 minutes, or more if you can handle it.
After that, you can cool down (yes, you still need to cool down even though you are in the pool), with more water walking. Here is a very basic routine to get you started.
But there are some situations when water exercise is not an appropriate activity. Certain forms of heart disease, history of seizures, or an active infection are a few of the yellow caution flags that may indicate sitting it out is your best course of action. If you have a medical condition, including fear of water, please consult this list for more information.
