The Benefits of Aqua Fitness for Pickleball

Consider aqua fitness for your pickleball cross-training benefits, increased range of motion, flexibility, muscle symmetry, multi-joint mobility, proprioception, balance, overall strength, buoyancy, zero gravity on joints, prevention of injuries, pre/post injury rehabilitation, faster recovery, weight loss, year-round training, enhanced activities of daily living, improved heart health and blood pressure, weight management and a good night’s sleep.

Aqua fitness is the perfect way to cross-train and manage pain. All body types and health conditions can benefit from aqua fitness, water walking and suspended exercises in the pool. A flotation belt and noodles are great additions to your water fitness workout for pickleball enthusiasts. Many people think water aerobics is not strenuous and that’s because of the anti-gravity properties of water. The good news is: although you don’t feel the stress of water aerobics on joints like you do on land; working out in the pool creates resistance training and absolutely improves function. 

Did you know that less than 10% of Americans can swim over 600 yards? For people who don’t swim or no longer want to swim, aqua fitness is the perfect solution for a non-stress buoyant workout. In fact, just getting into water to float has health benefits because of the hydrostatic properties of water. In other words, rather than the 1G of gravity that pushes down on your body compressing joints, discs and nerves; water offers a zero-gravity experience. Gravity alone can cause degenerative joint disease, disc bulges, sciatica and a multitude of pain syndromes.

Pickleball is an asymmetrical sport so if you are right-handed or left-handed then you are predominantly playing unilaterally with one side of the body. This may set you up for an injury. In addition, adults have become linear in their activities of daily living. We generally sit, stand, sleep and now many people play the very popular one-sided sport called pickleball.

Aqua fitness is the ultimate bilateral multi-joint workout. In water it’s possible to have both arms and both legs moving simultaneously. Take cross-country skiing for example. It’s easy to mimic this in the pool. I highly recommend pickleball players get into the pool to promote right and left symmetry with equal time doing right-left movements. Here are some pool movement ideas for you: Seated Jump Tucks: stomach crunches * Scissor Kicks: inner/outer legs * Side-bends: spine, neck, low back * Presses: chest, arms, shoulders * Push-ups using noodles for resistance or the pool walls: chest, arms * Head turns: neck, shoulders * Lunges: legs, knees  * Hurdle stretch: legs, hips, butt * Extremity rotation: wrists, ankles * Twists: spine, abs, digestion * Punch: strength * Noodles: arms, shoulders * Yoga: stretch entire body * Pilates: increase flexibility *  Tai Chi: gentle movements * Meditation: hour of power.

As they say: you lose it if you don’t use it. As adults we no longer tumble, do somersaults or cartwheels. Aqua aerobics is a good exercise to practice gentle twists and twirls to stimulate the part of the brain that is responsible for coordination and proprioceptive-neuro-facilitation (PNF) which is a medical term for brain-spine-balance. PNF improves stabilization of the spine by stimulating the core muscles that support it. Many people who work out in the gym know the term core. There is nothing more core than the spinal cord, and the goal of strengthening your core is to support the most important organs of your body which are the brain and spine.

Cross-training benefits everyone with bilateral muscle balance to ensure right-left symmetry, core stabilization, increased range of motion and improved strength with water resistance. Pickleball players can also improve post-injury rehabilitation with faster recovery. The risk of injury is significantly lower during complex exercises in the pool because you are increasing maximal strength, muscle activation and improving the metabolic rate of the entire body. In addition, multi-joint movements more closely mimic daily tasks and sports-specific movement patterns to improve your pickleball game. It also enhances increased fat-burning and supports an effective weight management program. Balance is vital for pickleball and can be improved in the pool because water is supportive and safe. In fact, the advanced proprioceptive improvements that let us perceive the location, movement and action of the body can enhance muscle force and overall sports performance.

Many conditions can benefit from water aerobics including arthritis, autoimmune disorders, neck and back pain, diabetes, disc bulge or herniation, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure or high cholesterol, heart conditions, headaches, hip and shoulder replacements, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, multiple sclerosis, obesity, pulmonary fibrosis, repetitive stress syndromes, scoliosis and sciatica. In other words, anti-gravity aqua workouts in the pool can offer relief from most health conditions.

And finally, I must discuss stress because the world has changed drastically in the past few years. Stress raises cortisol, the hormone that is important throughout the body to maintain blood pressure, blood sugar, metabolism and its beneficial response to infections. Scientists have known for years that elevated cortisol levels interfere with learning and memory, lowered immune function, increased weight gain, blood pressure, cholesterol and heart disease. Chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels also increase the risk for depression, mental illness and lowered life expectancy. Stress is the root cause of most health problems and physical dysfunction.

We are living longer. Why not consider living younger longer with less pain, more energy and with an immune system boost. Everyone can benefit from aqua fitness. Now more than ever, your immune system is essential in today’s changing world. Health is freedom and your life depends on it!