Madeline Adams
Aqua jogging is a joint-gentle training method for all ages – and extremely effective.
Aqua jogging has long been a popular and low-impact form of exercise, and it can be very strenuous. All information about water sports.
What is aqua jogging?
Aqua jogging is a cross-training method and can also be used for regeneration and rehabilitation purposes. Once derided as a pure sport for seniors, it has long been regarded as important alternative training for professional runners and as a sport that is easy on the joints for people of all ages – and without any risk of injury.
Aqua jogging is increasingly becoming the focus of athletes and sports physicians because – in contrast to cycling or training on a cross trainer – it is similar to running in the forest or on the street. The workout offers a perfect alternative, especially for running pros who can’t manage their usual workload in winter or bad weather.
On the other hand, aqua jogging is used for rehabilitation after competitions or as a calmer training phase between high-performance stages, but it is also useful for relearning movement sequences after a serious illness or after surgery. In addition, it is the perfect opportunity for all people with joint problems to exercise.
The benefits of aqua jogging
You strain the joints and tendons of your legs far less than with conventional running training. Because you don’t have to carry your body weight over the forest floor and concrete, but “only” work against the resistance of the water – which is exhausting and demanding, but easy on the joints.
The advantages of water sports at a glance:
- Improving running form
- more flexibility
- more power
- easy on the joints
- no risk of injury
With the right instructions, aqua jogging is not just a wet variant of jogging and supports runners in their training off the race track. It’s a challenging full-body workout. Because it demands legs, arms, shoulders, and the supporting muscles of the trunk in equal measure. In addition, due to the resistance of the water, the muscles are exposed to a constant gentle full-body massage – the tense muscles are relaxed throughout.
Equipment: Buoyancy aids and weights make aqua jogging easier
In addition to normal swimwear, a so-called aqua jogging belt is used. This allows you to concentrate on the movement sequences and does not have to constantly row your arms to stay on the water’s surface. The foam belt serves as a buoyancy aid. Alternatively, you can also use a vest that warms a little more and ensures better stability. However, the higher level of comfort is reflected in the higher price. In principle, however, the foam belt is completely sufficient. If you want to make it a little harder for yourself, you can wear gloves on your hands.
Procedure: This is how aqua jogging works
Although the technique of aqua jogging is not high science, it is best learned in a class. The trainer demonstrates the individual exercises to catchy music and explains the effect.
As the name suggests, it is about imitating the running movement of jogging underwater. You take long steps, your legs are slightly bent. The arms are guided, also slightly bent, close to the body forwards and backward.
Unusual for beginners: Of course, all this happens in slow motion, since the water resistance prevents rapid movements. So you don’t get going at first. Variants can be introduced to add variety to the training: Larger steps, sweeping arm movements, or moves that are reminiscent of climbing stairs mean that the workout in the water never gets boring. On the contrary, the more intensively the movements are carried out during aqua jogging, the more the cardiovascular system is stimulated.
