Let’s talk about why exercising in the water is so appealing to people. To do this, we will analyze the properties of water, due to which the exercise in the pool is so effective and enjoyable.

Almost every person interested in fitness has heard that exercising in water is very useful and effective. Indeed, a number of undeniable advantages of such exercises in the water are immediately visible. For example, in water it is impossible to earn a dislocation of a limb, it is difficult to get a bruise and even rub a callus. That is, the possibility of injury is rather scanty. This is facilitated by the buoyancy force that acts on our body as soon as we plunge into the water. In our usual environment, we are affected by the force of gravity, which does not allow us to move like astronauts in free flight, but makes it possible to walk on our mortal planet. In water, the force of gravity is weakened and this makes fitness in water the safest form.

Of course, although the force of gravity is significantly reduced in water, according to some sources, by 80% when immersed in water up to the chest, it is still present and affects the body. Actually, the impact on the body of these opposing forces (forces of buoyancy and gravity) can reduce the load on the joints. Performing jumps, jumps, which are abundant in almost most land fitness programs, we increase the load on the spine and joints, since they bear the entire weight of the body, and when landing, this weight increases under the influence of impact.

This does not happen in the pool, and this property of water makes classes exceptionally favorable for overweight people, pregnant women, athletes recovering from injuries. Water also creates additional resistance during exercise, overcoming which perfectly develops muscle strength and endurance, but this is another water force, resistance force. Speaking about water resistance, it should be noted that not all of it is the same, but there are three types of water resistance – frontal, vortex, viscous.

Everyone is well aware from childhood that movement in water cannot be as fast as on land, this is the result of the effect of water resistance, which is called frontal and significantly exceeds air resistance. Exactly this the impact of the aquatic environment contributes to a large expenditure of energy, and develops the cardiovascular system.

When a body immersed in an aqueous medium begins to move actively, the so-called turbulence appears, and vortex resistance of water occurs. To be understood, the more active the movement, the stronger the vortex resistance, it further complicates the process of movement and maintaining balance. Maintaining balance in the event of turbulence is to tighten the muscles of the press. Performing exercises in the pool, you can increase the load on the muscles by quickly changing the direction of movement when performing exercises.

Speaking about water resistance, we touched on the two most tangible types – this is frontal and vortex resistance, but here it is impossible not to note one more property of water – this is viscosity. In this case, just remember that the higher the viscosity, the more resistance will be felt in the water, and the higher the temperature of the water, the lower the viscosity.

When immersed in water, pressure begins to act on the body. This is a manifestation of another property of water, the so-called hydrostatic pressure. As a result of this action, the muscles relax, blood circulation improves, heart rate decreases, kidney function improves, and a more complete supply of lactic acid to the liver is stimulated, and the amount of fluid in the body decreases. The hydrostatic pressure has a massage effect that reduces muscle pain after significant strength training. Knowledge and a good understanding of these properties of water will help to change the degree of exercise during exercise without the need for special equipment, and will also help to increase the degree of efficiency when performing certain exercises in water.

Summarizing the above, we can say the following: by performing exercises in the pool, you can increase the level of load using the natural properties of water. This will help increase the range of motion, as well as the use of exercises with frequent changes in direction of movement, this will help increase the vortex resistance of the water and will require additional muscle effort from you. In order to control the water resistance, it is necessary to master the rowing technique, because it can significantly reduce or increase the load on the muscles when overcoming the force. water resistance. When exercising in pools, rowing movements are most often used, which are rotations in an arc in the form of the number 8. By changing the positions of the fingers, you can achieve a change in the surface area of ​​​​the hands, that is, increase or decrease the water resistance. You can work with a straight brush with closed fingers, with closed but slightly bent fingers, with fingers clenched into a fist, perform exercises with water gloves or with dumbbells. It is also worth remembering that exercising in cool water increases the viscosity of the water and therefore the load on the muscles.