Cool Water Aerobics

From June through August, my chief form of exercise is water aerobics at our city pools. I love moving around in a cool pool in the summer and calling it exercise, which it is.

Myfitnesspal.com says that an hour of water aerobics burns 290 calories. The water offers resistance that makes it more of a workout than it looks. To someone sitting by a pool, it may look like those doing water aerobics aren't doing much, but under the water, we are doing cross country skiiing, jumping jacks, running in place, or jumping rope, bunny hops, karate kicks, pendulum swings, or in the deep water we do vertical kicks and abdominal crunches.

This photo below isn't taken at one of my pools, but it could be. Our classes look just like this one.

We also use water dumbells for weights. It is a real workout to hold onto these weights and do the American crawl back and forth the length of the pool!

I will be sad when cooler weather comes because then it feels too cold to be in a pool. Some of my class members do water aerobics year round. One of the pools puts a cover over the pool, called a bubble, from November to February to keep out the cold outside air. Others wear wet suits or body gloves. I may try water aerobics into the Fall to see if it is bearable, since I love it so much.