Who Benefits?
Everyone Who Tries It! 

• All Ages - youth through older adults 
• Males and females
• Athletes such as: runners and marathoners, football, basketball, soccer, rugby players, swimmers, weight lifters, walkers, gymnasts and skiers
• Dancers
• Health and wellness conscious people 
• Rehabilitation patients ex: breast cancer, accident recovery, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, cardio, sport injuries and joint rehabilitation
• Weight, strength, stature and mobility challenged people
• Pre and post natal
• Fitness enthusiasts
• Persons looking for cross training
• Persons who are unable to exercise due to weather conditions 

What Are The Benefits Of Exercising In Water?

• Multiple muscles can be worked at the same time or you can isolate specific muscles. 
• Each participant is able to work at their own intensity unlike land sessions where you feel it is necessary to keep up with the instructor.
• Participants feel safe in the water. They are not going to fall and hurt themselves- They work in water that is at a level comfortable to them.

Positive Effects of Resistance

• Accommodation: by changing hand/foot c
• Multi-directional resistance:  resistance to movement in multiple directions fosters balanced core stability.
• Intensity:  The force and energy required to move through water develops muscle and bone strength as well as cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
• Dampening effect:  Movements are slower and less likely to be jerky or ballistic in water.

CALA believes the theoretical part of the course is equally as important as the practical. Understanding how the body is worked during each movement is important to leading a safe session.

Positive Effects Of Buoyancy

• Buoyancy - water decreases the amount of shock which is transmitted through the bones, joint and ligaments on landing.
• Buoyancy decreases the effect of gravity:  body weight is reduced by 75% to 90% (chest to neck level immersion).  An individual who weighs 70 kg on land will weigh about 7 kg in neck deep water. Special populations including the obese, the elderly who may have fragile bones, the arthritic, the disabled, the injured athlete, as well as pre- or post natal women will exercise in relative comfort and ease in the water. 
• Decreased gravity results in decreased joint loading.  This allows increased range of joint mobility and resistance to joint injury can result. 
• The force of buoyancy assists venous return. On land, the downward forces of gravity pushes the blood toward the feet.  The cardiovascular system works against gravity to return blood to the heart.  In the water, the upthrust of buoyancy counteracts the downward pull of gravity, thus assisting venous return.  

• This will contribute to lower exercise heart rates during aquafitness

Positive Effects Of Hydrostatic Pressure

• Venous return and cardiac functions are greatly enhanced by hydrostatic pressure.
• Hydrostatic pressure assists participants to exercise more vigorously with less strain on the cardiovascular system and a reduced training heart rate for a given workload.
• Hydrostatic pressure reduces swelling in injured or edematous (swollen) joints or limbs below the water. 
• The pressure of water on the chest wall creates a training effect for the respirator muscles. 

Positive Effects Of Turbulence

• Currents and eddies in the water massage the skin, promoting circulation and relaxation.
• Turbulence contributes to the resistance felt in aquatic exercise.
• The core muscles become stronger as participants learn to stabilize their bodies against turbulence
• Exercises can be designed to work with or against turbulence, thereby increasing or decreasing intensity. 

Positive Effects Of Thermal Conductivity

• The water 'wicks' away excess body heat during exercise creating a cool comfortable workout.
• Blood that would be shunted to the skin for cooling is available to the working muscles. 
• The heart does not have to work as hard if the body stays cool.
• Pool temperatures can be altered to meet specials needs groups such as arthritis or rehabilitation (30 to 38 degrees Celsius) or intense athletic training around 27 degrees Celsius. 
• Studies have proven that with regular water exercise there is significant increase in muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, cardio respiratory conditioning, and decreased body fat.  Beyond the physical advantages there are mental and spiritual improvements. People feel better about themselves and familiarize themselves with their body. 
• Through the use of the magical properties of water, the participants are able to challenge their nervous and respiratory systems. Through gaining control of their balance, agility, coordination and endurance, they are better able to be in control of their lives. Water resistance is the ideal work environment for strength-training. Using the water's resistance rather than equipment, the body receives an all over workout while working on isolated and/or corresponding muscles groups. The water's buoyancy reduces the joint impact. 
• During the summer months we are less motivated to participate in fitness activities because of the heat, but conducting your workout in the pool is comfortable, refreshing, and healthy. 
• Aquafitness is something we can all do anytime and anywhere there is water. Why not give aquafitness a try. You will be sure to like it as either your only exercise program or an alternative to your current program.