How Water Aerobics Can Help You Relieve Lower Back Pain

Are you suffering from pain in the lower back? If so, you’re not alone. Over 540 million people worldwide regularly deal with some kind of discomfort in their lower back. That’s more than 1 person in 10, and things are only expected to get worse with time, especially in low and middle-income countries.

During the recent years, it has been shown that water-based exercise can help alleviate lower back pain. This is because water workouts place minimal pressure on the hips, knees, joints, and back, which makes them especially useful for people who are suffering from conditions such as arthritis. 

We previously gave you a quick rundown of what water aerobics is and listed some of the many benefits aquatic exercise brings. Now we’ll explain how aqua aerobics classes in San Diego can help you reduce lower back pain. Read on to learn more. 

Is water aerobics good for lower back pain?

Absolutely. Since water buoyancy supports up to 90% of your weight, you can perform a broader range of motions without having to worry that you’ll end up over-straining your back. So grab a swimsuit and whatever other water aerobics equipment you may prefer, and get started! 

Here are some basic aquatic workouts you may want to try:

  • Kickboard balancing. Sit on a swim bar or a kickboard and try to engage your abdominals while keeping your spine straight. Rest your legs naturally, raise your arms out to your sides, and place your hands on the kickboard. Hold this position for a minute.
  • Water walking is exactly what it sounds like. Just walk around the swimming pool by taking long strides both backward and forward. Start in the shallow part and then gradually make your way to chest-high water. Keep your torso stable and your spine straight, and swing your arms.
  • Superman stretches involve holding onto the side of the swimming pool with both hands. Keep your arms straight and wider than shoulder-width apart, and float on your belly in the water. This is a great way to give your back muscles and vertebrae a full-extension stretch. 

Is it OK to exercise with lower back pain?

It depends on the type of workout you’re doing and the cause of your lower back pain. As a general rule, lifting heavy weights, high impact cardio (road cycling, sprinting), hyperextensions and back extensions, toe-touches, and other difficult exercises should be avoided if you have a bad back.

However, in many cases, lower back pain is caused by underdeveloped core and back muscles that result in extra stress being placed on the back. This often leads to a sort of a Catch-22: your lower back hurts because your muscles aren’t strong enough, but you can’t strengthen these muscles because your lower back hurts. 

This is where water-based workouts come in. Aquatic aerobics enables you to build up these muscles without putting an unpleasant and potentially unhealthy strain on your lower back. The water also naturally massages your muscles, which further alleviates discomfort. 

Where can I find first-rate aqua aerobics classes in San Diego?

Is it OK to exercise with lower back pain

If you’re looking to take part in top-quality water aerobics classes held by experienced trainers, look no further than The Plunge. Located just a short walk from the Giant Dipper, we’re a historic San Diego swimming pool that provides its clients with the full range of water-based exercise, entertainment, and relaxation services. 

In addition to aquatic aerobics, our visitors can also take advantage of our superb public pool, daycare programs, swimming classes, party rentals, and more. Visit us today, or give us a call if you’d like to learn more about who we are and what we offer.

5 Must-Have Pieces of Aquatic Exercise Equipment for Water Aerobics

Water aerobics is a special type of aerobic exercise that is performed in shallow water, usually at a swimming pool. This kind of exercise is usually done with the person standing upright with at least one of their feet touching the bottom of the pool.

Water aerobics has been shown to be an extremely effective way to stay healthy, lose weight, and alleviate conditions such as lower back pain, aching joints, and other mobility problems. 

In previous articles, we explained what water aerobic exercises are and listed the main benefits of aquatic aerobics. Now we’ll expand further on this topic by giving you a list of 5 useful tools that will help you get the most out of your aquatic aerobics classes in San Diego. Keep reading to learn more. 

What equipment is needed for water aerobics?

If you’re a newcomer to the world of aquatic aerobics, the only equipment you really need to get started is a swimsuit and a towel. Goggles may also be helpful if your water aerobics class involves a lot of splashing or your eyes are sensitive to chlorine.

In addition to that, here are 5 great tools for aquatic aerobics:

1. Kickboards

Kickboards are a tried-and-true way of exercising your lower body during an aquatic aerobics class. They can be used to perform freestyle kicks, breaststroke kicking, and fly kicking (also known as dolphin kicking). 

2. Water jogging belt

Water jogging is a great way to get all the benefits of running without any of the strain it can apply on your hips and knees. Having a water jogging belt enables you to remain buoyant while doing water jogging, without having to worry that the belt will chafe your skin or slide upwards as you jog.

3. Aquatic dumbbells

Unlike standard weight lifting exercises, the challenge with water dumbbells comes from how hard they are to submerge rather than lift. For this reason, these dumbbells are made out of buoyant foam and available in a few different resistance levels. They can be used for tricep pushes, flies, bicep curls, and more.

4. Wrist and ankle weights

A simple way to make your aquatic aerobic exercises more intense is by adding weights to your arms and legs. Furthermore, you can get adjustable weights that enable you to increase the weight as you grow stronger without having to invest into additional weight sets. 

5. Swim bar

These bars can be used for a number of different purposes such as stabilization while kicking (similar to how you would use a kickboard), as well as strengthening exercises. 

Do I need shoes for water aerobics?

More advanced (and strenuous) water aerobics workouts require you to wear special water shoes. When choosing the right shoes for your water exercises, make sure to pick a model that uses foam padding, rubber souls, and has good ventilation.

Although many water shoes come in one-size-fits-all styles, it’s highly advised that you find water shoes that perfectly fit the size of your feet. Doing so will prevent unnecessary discomfort while training. 

Where can I enlist at top-quality aquatic aerobics classes in San Diego?

Do I need shoes for water aerobics

Having the right equipment is all well and good, but it’s the swimming pool itself and the group you’re exercising with that will ultimately determine the effectiveness of your water aerobics workouts. 

Located right next to the gorgeous Mission Beach, The Plunge is a landmark pool in San Diego that offers its clients first-rate water aerobics classes that include both shallow and deep water workouts. Visit us today and take full advantage of our state-of-the-art facility and our many water-based programs.

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