Why You Should Consider Water Aerobics

If you live with diabetes, and even if you don’t, exercise is key for our health and wellbeing. While exercise is good for our blood sugars, bodies, hearts, and emotional wellbeing, getting exercising isn’t always easy. It can be incredibly intimidating. And if you’re recovering or dealing with certain injuries, it can be incredibly difficult.

The benefits of water aerobics for type 2 diabetes management

Which is why I find water aerobics to be an excellent source of low impact exercise and for a variety of other reasons, including:

1. Water aerobic workouts are fun - even if you’re new to the class and don’t know what the heck you’re doing! Splashing, dashing, or simply walking, moving, and stretching in waist-deep pool water is fun!
2. Water aerobics put less stress on our joints and muscles - especially when dealing with joint or tendon issues. Water workouts make for body-friendly stretching and helps to build up our muscles.
3. Lack of gravity in the water means water aerobics makes for a more gentle workout than on land while helping us to increase our range of motion. It's especially helpful if you’re dealing with chronic stiff joints or frozen shoulder issues. Personally, I found water aerobics incredibly helpful when it came to helping to increase range-of-motion in my frozen shoulder.
4. Water workouts are high resistance workouts. Resistance in a pool is up to 42 times greater than out of the pool while helping to build muscle strength, flexibility.
5. Water aerobics burns calories and helps lower our blood sugar.
6. Water has a calming effect - whether you're standing near it, or working out in it. Water aerobics can help us to reduce our stress and anxiety levels, which helps us to relax and has a positive impact on our blood pressure.¹

Reach out to your doctor and ask if a beginner’s water aerobic class is something that might be beneficial to you.