Aquafit is a popular fitness class that has gained acclaim in recent years. And for good reason – it’s active, fun, easy on the joints, and it’s social. But if we’re looking at maximal effectiveness, how does it compare to the gold standards? For instance, the “gold standard” in improving strength is (obviously) strength training. The “gold standard” in improving endurance is cardio. How does aquafit compare to the “gold standard” in each of those categories (and others)? That’s what we’ll examine in this article. After all, we don’t want to just answer the question of “does it work?” we also want to know “is it superior?”
Original source: here.
A Note About Aquafit
I understand that I can’t lump all aquafit classes into one category. There are definite differences, based on:
- Water level (deep, mid-depth or shallow)
- Equipment used (gloves, step, water weights, kick boards, bands, etc.)
- Instructor
Unfortunately, the research doesn’t differentiate between them, so I’ll state what the research says, and additionally, plug in my own opinions.
Does Aquafit Improve Muscle Strength?
There’s no doubt that going from sedentary to active – any activity – will improve muscle strength. And indeed, that’s the case. In one study, women over 60 did aquafit twice a week for 12 weeks.
After 12 weeks:
- Their lower body strength (as measured by how many times they could get off a chair in 30 seconds) increased by about 5% (before aquafit, they got off the chair 13.73 times in 30 seconds. After 12 weeks of aquafit, they got off the chair 14.41 times in 30 seconds).
- Their upper body strength (as measured by how many times they could curl a 5-pound dumbbell) improved by 14.4% (that’s only about 2 reps).
In other words, as a way to improve strength, it’s kind of a dud – at least the way it was done in this study. Of course, based on the instructor, they can choose to emphasize strength in their class, by teaching at a certain water depth and using certain equipment. That can really amplify the strength benefits of aquafit.
But even at its best its still inferior to strength training.
In a 12-week period, with my personal training clients (assuming they were sedentary beforehand), my team and I typically see an improvement of 60% in the sit-to-stand test, and over 100% in the arm curl test.
Of course, aquafit classes could be modified to improve strength more, by applying to principle of progressive overload. It’s just that it’s difficult to do that in a group setting.
Does Aquafit Improve Endurance?
Aquafit is predominantly a cardiovascular exercise, so there’s no surprise that it improves endurance. The question is “by how much?” To have the numbers make sense, we have to give some context. Endurance is measured with something called “VO2max.” That is – the volume of oxygen per minute.
For those interested, here’s a table showing average VO2max levels based on sex, age and activity level:
And for further context, VO2max can be improved by as much as 30% (from sedentary levels, not from active levels).
But that’s the maximal improvement level. That’s what happens when you spend 3+ hours per week on endurance training, and meticulously paying attention to your pulse throughout the exercise session.
Generally speaking, in group fitness classes, the goal is just to breathe hard (which is great). There’s no meticulous tracking of the pulse.
So aquafit is just as good for endurance as any other group fitness class. Without deliberately paying attention to your heart rate, and modifying the exercise accordingly, you’ll still likely get 70-80% of the endurance benefits of more personalized training. But you won’t get the maximal benefits.
A few instructors out there do use waterproof heart rate monitors to adjust workout intensity, and that adds an extra layer of effectiveness to the classes.
Aquafit is Easy on the Joints
One common claim is that aquafit is easy on the joints. That is indeed the case. The water is great for the joints. But if we extrapolate from that question to something like “does aquafit reduce the pain of osteoarthritis?”
The answer is “yes.” As I talk about in my arthritis book, cardio in general reduces joint pain significantly, even if you’re not doing anything specifically for the joint that hurts.
So indeed, aquafit (and more broadly, cardio) is way up there in terms of forms of exercise that create the greatest pain reduction from osteoarthritis. However, the results are short-lived. Hopefully, you never stop doing cardio, but if you do, the pain returns in a matter of a few days.
There are 2 other forms of exercise that have pain reductions on par with cardio, but a much greater durability (the pain reduction is maintained for a few weeks, up to a couple of months without doing them. I discuss those in complete detail in my arthritis book.
Cardio can certainly be a part of an osteoarthritis pain reduction program, but for a truly comprehensive approach, it’s best to combine different forms of exercise. If you need help putting together an exercise program that helps you or a loved one reduce the joint pain of osteoarthritis, just respond to this email, with the subject line “Arthritis Pain Reduction.”
Conclusion
Overall, aquafit is a great way to stay fit. It’s not the best for any fitness quality (strength or endurance), but certainly better than sitting on the couch, doing nothing. If your goal is maximum fitness in minimum time, there are better ways to accomplish that than aquafit. However, if you just like aquafit for its own sake, then by all means, keep it up.
