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Shed Those Holiday Pounds in Your Pool or Swim Spa
We are approaching that time of year again—the holidays. Stores are already stocked with Halloween candy and some even with Christmas decorations! Soon it will be time to savor all those holiday meals followed by the incredible desserts. This will most likely increase our waistlines a little bit more than we would like.
So in order to combat this unfortunate and predictable phenomenon, I think we should get a jump start on our weight loss and fitness routine before the holiday season and the new year’s resolutions start.
What better place to get in shape than in the water.
Here is some motivational information about exercising in the water.
Everyone Can Do It: Exercising in the water has been shown to be a great calorie burner and no matter what age, weight, or fitness level, anyone can perform and benefit from water exercise.
Water Training is Low Impact: Waters buoyancy allows for reduced impact on your joints. This reduced weight bearing is one of the many advantages of exercising in water, it allows people to perform activities that are not always possible on land such as higher intensity exercises like jogging.
Water is Resistive and Safe: I like to refer to the water as “The Great Equalizer” meaning the harder you push against the water, the harder the water pushes you back. So no matter what age or fitness level you are, you control the amount of resistance, which is a very safe and effective way to train.
Water also forces your muscles to work harder, helping you burn fat and tone muscles more quickly than land-based exercise programs.
Burn Calories: Because of the added resistance in the water, you’re actually working harder than you would on land to complete the same exact movements, even if it doesn’t feel like that.
Research studies have shown that exercises performed in water created a higher energy output than on land. Exercising in warm water also increases your body temperature and burns even more calories during your workout.
Vertical aquatic exercise depending on your intensity has been shown to burn up to 400-600 calories in an hour!
Less Soreness: Warm water will help to improve the flexibility of those tight muscles that you have developed over the years. With less gravity there is less risk of muscle soreness which will increase your exercise tolerance. In the water you are able to exercise everyday without increased muscle soreness.
It’s Fun: Exercising in the water does not really feel like you are exercising.If an activity is fun people usually tend to stick with it.
It’s Convenient: There are a significant number of people who are very intimidated to join a gym never mind the feeling of putting on a bathing suit in public! It has been shown that over half of people who join a gym do not attend consistently. Exercising in your pool or swim spa in the privacy of your own home will make things so much easier and your weight loss goals more attainable.
So, what are you waiting for? Get in the water and get a jump on losing those holiday pounds that you know are coming.
If you would like me to set up on a specialized program to help you on your fitness and weight loss journey please visit: swimspaexercise.com or contact me at rick@rickmcavoyaquatics.com
Happy Holidays!
Dr. Rick
Using Your Swim Spa to Improve Muscle Strength
Did you know that people can lose up to 30% of their muscle strength between the ages of 50 and 70? Research suggests that from the ages of 30 to 80 years, your back, leg, and arm strength can decrease up to 30 to 40%.
Generally, people lose about 1 percent of their lean muscle mass per year after the age of 40.
Using your swim spa to perform resistance exercises can help improve your overall muscle strength in a very safe and effective way. Here is why:
Water training is low impact. The decreased weight bearing that buoyancy provides decreases the impact on your joints. Whether you are just beginning a strength training program or cross training the water is very beneficial.
The waters surrounding properties provide three-dimensional resistance inherently, so the muscular and neurological systems receive a more comprehensive training effect than land based training.
Water provides an accommodating resistance meaning the harder you push the water, the harder the water pushes you back. So no matter how strong or weak you are, you control the amount of resistance which is a very safe and effective way to train.
The water can help to enhance both dynamic flexibility and strength simultaneously. Having resistance in multiple directions builds balanced muscle strength and also helps reduce the risk of injury when working out.
The water is a very safe place to begin a strength training program. Training on land requires that you have to constantly fight gravity, which can be very challenging for some people.
By incorporating the current or jets of your swim spa you can create a graded amount of resistance for more of a strength challenge.
Using your swim spa to help improve muscle strength can be very effective.Just as with any strength training program it should be well-structured, with correct the exercise intensity and overload controlled.
Because we are not fish or mermaids and reside on the land, eventually a progressive land based strengthening program should be integrated when appropriate.
Dr. Rick McAvoy, PT, DPT, CSCS has specialized in Aquatic Physical Therapy, Fitness and Sports Performance for over 25 years. Rick is the Owner of Swim Spa Exercise, a virtual training company to help people maximize the use of their swim spas. He wants everyone to Move Better and Live Better.
For more information of how to maximize the use of your Swim Spa and how to Move Better and Live Better visit.
Using Your Swim Spa as a Cross Trainer Machine
Cross training in your swim spa not only allows you to train harder but smarter. The unique aquatic environment effects almost every system of your body positively.
Here are a few examples
The buoyancy of the water reduces impact and limits the wear and tear on your joints. This helps to decrease the risk of overuse injuries as well as muscle soreness.
The waters hydrostatic pressure is very powerful, it helps to eliminate your bodies waste products produced from stressful land based training. At the same time, it causes your heart to function more efficiently and provides increased resistance on your chest to help strengthen breathing muscles for an improved workout. These benefits cannot be easily duplicated with a typical land-based training program.
The waters assistive and resistive properties will help to improve your muscle balance and flexibility. This will help to improve performance and reduce the likelihood of injuries.
Water provides 3-dimensional resistance so your muscles are trained much differently than on land. I like to call the water “the great equalizer” meaning the harder you push the water, the harder the water pushes you back. This is a very holistic, safe and effective way to train.
Using your swim spas current or jets creates increased turbulence, this additional challenge helps to improve your core stability, balance and coordination.
The waters resistance also allows for a great cardiovascular workout ,whether swimming or water running the benefits can be greater than land based training.
The temperature and pressure of the water as well as the introduction of the swim spa jets allows for improved circulation to help with muscle relaxation, faster recovery rates and diminished delayed onset muscle soreness
Cross training in your swim spa also provides:
Variation in your normal training program so you don’t get bored
Training your body differently can help you break through a plateau
By reducing gravity and momentum in the water it can help assist with your overall movement patterning meaning simply you move better.
Attention must be paid to correct exercise form, technique, intensity, program frequency and duration, but when used correctly your swim spa is an excellent cross training machine!
Dr. Rick McAvoy, PT, DPT, CSCS has specialized in Aquatic Physical Therapy, Fitness and Sports Performance for over 25 years. Rick is the Owner of Swim Spa Exercise, a virtual training company to help people maximize the use of their swim spas. He wants everyone to Move Better and Live Better.
For more information of how to maximize the use of your Swim Spa and how to Move Better and Live Better visit.
Arthritis Pain Relief in Your Swim Spa
Not Just Your Grandma’s Arthritis
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. There's a 50-50 chance that at some point in your life, you are going to develop osteoarthritis. I would not buy a lottery ticket with those odds!
In OA the strong, flexible substance that cushions your joints called cartilage begins to break down, leading to symptoms such as pain, stiffness, swelling particularly in the joints of the knee, hip, spine, hands and feet. Even though the cause of OA is unknown, age, gender, excess body weight, previous joint injury, occupation and genetics are all contributing factors.
Over the past decade knee replacement surgeries have tripled in the 45-to-64 age group because of OA.
One of the most effective ways to treat OA is to exercise. Your swim spa is one of the most comfortable and effective places a person with arthritis can exercise. Here’s why:
Water significantly reduces the impact on your joints making it much easier to move.
Water allows improved joint flexibility, which will improve range of motion and general mobility.
Water provides up to 12-15 times the resistance of air, allowing you to really strengthen your muscles and bones.
Your swim spas warm water and jets will aide in reducing any pain associated with OA.
Your spas current or jetted system can assist to improve cardiovascular fitness, calorie burning and weight loss.
The water 3 dimensional surrounding properties can help improve your balance, coordination and walking mechanics which then can transfer to land.
Your swim spa obviously provides significant benefits from a low impact standpoint. However, it is also a great place to get a high intensity workout.
A recent study with patients who suffered from OA and participated in a 6 week high intensity aquatic workout reduced joint pain and improved balance, function, and their overall mobility
Your swim spa can help to significantly alleviate and improve the symptoms associated with Osteoarthritis.
It is not necessarily the Fountain of Youth, but it’s pretty close.
.
Dr. Rick McAvoy, PT, DPT, CSCS has specialized in Aquatic Physical Therapy, Fitness and Sports Performance for over 25 years. Rick is the Owner of Swim Spa Exercise, a virtual training company to help people maximize the use of their swim spas. He wants everyone to Move Better and Live Better.
For more information of how to maximize the use of your Swim Spa and how to Move Better and Live Better visit.
Weight Loss Using Your Swim Spa
As you are probably aware, obesity is a major issue in the world today. A significant number of people struggle with weight management. Trying to improve physical activity and diet is a constant battle for many.
An increase in body weight coupled with a sedentary lifestyle will often lead to greater health risks as well.
Regular exercise with a balanced diet can help you control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, and strengthen your bones and muscles. Not to mention improve your overall mood and sense of well being.
Taking your workout into your swim spa can easily help start you on your weight loss journey. Exercising in the water has been shown to be a great calorie burner and no matter what age, weight, or fitness level, anyone can perform and benefit from water exercise.
Here’s a few more reasons why your swim spa should be the place to begin your weight loss journey.
Water Training is Low Impact: The waters buoyancy allows for reduced impact on your joints. In fact, when standing in waist-deep water, you only weigh approximately 50% of your body weight.
This reduced weight bearing is one of the many advantages of exercising in water, it allows people to perform activities that are not always possible on land such as jogging.
A study in the Journal of Obesity looked at the effects of aqua jogging in obese adults and concluded that subjects who performed jogging in the water had reduced their body fat and waist size, and improved their overall aerobic fitness and quality of life.
More Flexibility/Less Soreness: Warm water will help to improve the flexibility of those tight muscles that you have developed over the years. With less gravity there is less risk of muscle soreness which will increase your exercise tolerance. In the water you are able to exercise everyday without increased muscle soreness.
Water Provides Accommodating Resistance: I like to refer to the water as “The Great Equalizer” meaning the harder you push against the water, the harder the water pushes you back. So no matter what fitness level you are, you control the amount of resistance which is a very safe and effective way to train. This forces your muscles to work harder, helping you burn fat and tone muscles more quickly than land-based exercise programs.
Burn Calories: Because of the added resistance in the water, you’re actually working harder than you would on land to complete the same exact movements, even if it doesn’t feel like that.
Research studies that compared upper and lower body workouts performed on land versus in the water, showed that exercises performed in water created a higher energy output than on land. These studies also explained the benefits of water exercise where both the upper and lower body movements were combined in the water, utilizing full body movements thereby expending more energy and burning more calories.
Exercising in warm water also increases your body temperature and burns even more calories during your workout.
Vertical aquatic exercise depending on your intensity has been shown to burn up to 400-600 calories in an hour!
It’s Fun: Exercising in the water does not really feel like you are exercising. You can’t feel yourself sweating and mentally you leave the water in a much better mood than when you got in. If an activity is fun people usually tend to stick with it
It’s Convenient: There are a significant number of people who are very intimidated to join a gym never mind the feeling of putting on a bathing suit in public! It has been shown that over half of people who join a gym do not attend consistently. Exercising in your swim spa in the privacy of your own home will make things so much easier and your weight loss goals more attainable.
Exercise is Medicine
In 2007, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Medical Association (AMA) co-launched Exercise is Medicine
The goal of this organization is to create a broad awareness that exercise can be as powerful as any pharmaceuticals in preventing and treating a range of chronic diseases and medical conditions.
As a health care professional for over 30 years specializing in aquatics I couldn’t agree more that Swim Spa Exercise is Medicine!
Dr. Rick McAvoy, PT, DPT, CSCS has specialized in Aquatic Physical Therapy, Fitness and Sports Performance for over 25 years. Rick is the Owner of Swim Spa Exercise, a virtual training company to help people maximize the use of their swim spas. He wants everyone to Move Better and Live Better.
For more information of how to maximize the use of your Swim Spa and how to Move Better and Live Better visit.
10 REASONS TO EXERCISE IN YOUR SWIM SPA
A Swim Spa is a significant financial investment but should also be an investment in your health. Here are some of the benefits that the water can provide that will give you a significant return on that investment.
Water Training is Low Impact: The decreased weight bearing that buoyancy provides decreases the impact on your joints. Whether you are suffering from arthritis, recovering from and injury or just beginning an exercise program the water is a great place to train.
Water Provides Accommodating Resistance: The harder you push the water, the harder the water pushes you back. So no matter what fitness level you are ,you control the amount of resistance which is a very safe and effective way to train. By incorporating the current or jets of your swim spa you can create more of a strength challenge.
Improved Flexibility: The waters unique properties of buoyancy, viscosity and drag allows your muscles and joints to move much more freely than on land. This freedom of movement can help you gain improved flexibility.
Lose Weight: Because of the added resistance in the water, you’re actually working harder than you would on land to complete the same movement, even if it doesn’t feel like that. Water exercise can effectively burn more calories than land exercise when doing the same movements.Vertical aquatic exercise depending on your intensity you can burn up to 400-500 calories in an hour!
Builds Cardio Endurance: Waters unique properties provides increased resistance to movement and challenges you even further when exercising. When you pair this with your spas current or jets with activities such as running or jogging in the water, you get improved cardiovascular endurance.
Improves Balance: Exercising in the water can help to minimize the fear and risk of falling. Use the water to challenge your balance and coordination in a very safe and supportive environment. Integrate the swim current or jets in your swim spa for more of a challenge.
Cross Training: Water workouts are a great addition to your current training program. In the water it is much easier to balance your muscle groups. This will help to improved your land based training. It has been shown that individuals who do multiple forms of exercise may decrease their risk of overuse injuries.
Improve Recovery: If you are recovering from an injury or surgery, water training can allow you to get moving sooner and more comfortably. When combined with land based training results usually occur faster.
Functional: Functional exercise takes into consideration how our bodies move in day to day activities. Because water is a surrounding medium the resistance created while moving in the water works your whole body including your arms, back and core which is very functional.Unlike exercise machines, water provides resistance to movement in any direction which is very beneficial.
It’s Fun: Exercising in the water does not really feel like you are exercising. You can’t feel yourself sweating and mentally you leave the water in a much better mood than when you got in. If an activity is fun people usually tend to stick with it.
By maximizing the use of your swim spa it will provide significant health benefits for years to come.
Dr. Rick McAvoy, PT, DPT, CSCS has specialized in Aquatic Physical Therapy, Fitness and Sports Performance for over 25 years. Rick is the Owner of Swim Spa Exercise, a virtual training company to help people maximize the use of their swim spas. He wants everyone to Move Better and Live Better.
For more information of how to maximize the use of your Swim Spa and how to Move Better and Live Better visit.
Dynamic Training in a Swim Spa
Water is a buoyant, three-dimensional, holistic, non-momentum prone environment which is the opposite of what is found on land. For aquatic training to be effective a very different philosophy needs to be used. Training in the water is just not land based exercises put into the water.This is what many people and trainers do not completely understand.
Because of the waters unique properties we are able to target functional movement type exercises much easier than when training on land. This functional type training helps people of all levels move better in their day to day lives.
Using a swims spas current with functional exercise can create even more of a challenge. Whether it be a propulsion system or a jetted system if used properly significant gains can be achieved.
All core all the time: Your core is the foundation for all movements in your body. Because of the waters properties your core muscles will become engaged easier during exercise to maintain proper posture. With the added resistance from the current or jets it gives you even more feedback and challenge during exercise.
Let’s take a basic walking forward motion. If I walk towards the current or jets I am getting more resistance in the front of my body. I have to use my core was well as my arm and leg muscles especially my buttocks muscles to push off and fight against the current or jets.
Now lets take the same exercise but with the current/jets pushing behind me. I have to still use my arms/legs and core muscles but now my back and leg muscles function much differently because I have to resist the current from not pushing me over.
This type of training will also help with challenge your brain in a much different way. We tend to be very patterned individuals and perform very similar activities throughout our day. When in the water both gravity and momentum are significantly reduced and your body becomes very uncoordinated. This nervous system “reset” can really help to improve your ability on land no matter what fitness level you are.
I am often asked, if we live on the land then why train in the water? I feel that by using water training we can create a more holistic approach and have much faster results. Water training alone does not work well unless it is combined with some sort of land based activity or training. I always like to compare water and land to Peanut Butter and Jelly. Separate they are good but when they are combined they are great!
And who doesn't love Peanut Butter and Jelly.
For more information about swim spa exercise visit: swimspaexercise.com
