The 30-second article
Every
time you move a limb through the water , it takes effort to overcome inertia .
Acceleration
This is where more force or muscular effort is added to a movement . It does not necessarily mean that the speed of the movement is increased , as the additional force can be applied to enlarge the movement , spring higher or lift the knees more forcefully between movements , while maintaining the original cadence .
Motivate participants to accelerate by using cues such as ‘ push harder ’, ‘ take bigger steps ’, ‘ jump higher ’, ‘ lift your knees ’ or just ‘ use the water ’.
Action / reaction
The viscosity of water enables aqua fitness participants to feel the reaction more readily than on land .
The upper and lower body can work with each other ( assisting ) or against each other ( impeding ). When the arms and legs work against each other , more resistance is created and more force is required , e . g . jogging forward with ‘ reverse breaststroke ’ arms . When the arms assist the legs , however , the work load reduces , e . g . jogging forward with ‘ breast stroke ’ arms .
Frontal resistance
Frontal resistance refers to the part of the body presented to the water in the intended direction of travel , and the bigger the area the more force required to move it . Movements sideways tend to be less intense than those which move forwards and backwards . Hand positions also affect surface area , so it ’ s important to teach people how to position their hands to work the water to increase the effectiveness of the workout .
Levers
Our arms and legs are our levers , and the longer the lever , the harder the muscle works to move through the water ’ s resistance . Remember that the hand and foot position affect lever length . Always start a session with short levers and always maintain soft joints when lengthening out through the limbs .
Speed
There is a perennial debate among aquatic fitness professionals about speed of movement in the water , and many people have their own ideas about this , all of which are valid .
Yes , increasing speed does increase water resistance which does increase intensity , but as aquatic fitness professionals , we need to watch that the range of motion and quality of the movement is not compromised , and to provide feedback to participants if it is . It should also be noted that some individuals are unable to maintain movement at speeds high enough to alter or influence intensity .
For many of my sessions , rather than talk about ‘ fast ’ and ‘ slow ’, I talk about ‘ hard ’ and ‘ easy ’ sets to describe the force being used against the water .
• A number of physical laws affect the way we achieve intensity in aquatic workouts
• Intensity tends to decrease when lots of repetitions of the same move are used , and to increase when fewer repetitions , combinations and travel are incorporated .
• Intensity decreases when less force ( acceleration ) is applied and increases when more force is applied
• Using assisting arms and legs decreases intensity , while using impeding arms and legs increases intensity
• The larger the area of the body facing the direction of travel , the greater the resistance
• A long lever will increase the resistance and a shorter lever will decrease the resistance
• Increasing speed increases water resistance and therefore intensity , but can negatively impact range of motion and quality of movement .
Only by fully understanding the physical properties of water can we elicit the true benefits of aquatic exercise , through offering alternatives and variations to our programming .
Claire Barker-Hemings is an Aquatic Exercise Association ( AEA ) international trainer who delivers training and workshops to fitness professionals . In her 20-year dance and fitness career Claire has taught everything in fitness , from dance to circuits .
28-30 APRIL 2017 / ICC SYDNEY
Claire is presenting at FILEX 2017 – read about her sessions , and register for the best weekend of your year , at filex . com . au / presenters
48 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2017