Instructions for water walking, an easy yet effective water exercise that can be done at any time in any relatively large body of water from MaryBeth Pappas Gaines, M.Ed., the Kaiser Permanente Health Education Coordinator, a certified personal fitness trainer, and author of Fantastic Water Workouts/Low-Impact Water Exercises for Health and Fitness.. Water walking requires no special equipment. You don’t even have to get your hair wet. Brisk water walking is more strenuous than it looks and can provide an excellent aerobic workout, burning 300 to 500 calories per hour.
Difficulty Level: Easy Time Required: 20 mins
Here's How:
- Find a pool, lake, ocean, or other relatively large body of water. The water temperature should be cool to warm - 78 to 88 degrees F.
- If you are just starting an exercise program, begin gradually with five minutes of slow walking, preferably waist deep in an uncrowded body of water. Over several weeks, build up to at least 20 minutes per session, raising your speed, and lengthening by just a few minutes at a time.
- Starting Position: Stand with your abdominal muscles firm, tailbone pointed toward the floor, buttocks tucked somewhat to brace your spine in position, shoulders back, and chest lifted (neutral position).
- Action: Stride or jog forward eight steps, then back four steps. Maintain the neutral position throughout the exercise. Push relatively straight arms forward and back at your sides as you walk. Turn your hands each time so that the palms press against the water. Use your arms in opposition to your legs: When you step forward with your right leg, bring your left arm forward, and vice versa.Walk as you would on land, placing your heel down first. Keep your back straight and stomach muscles taut. Lifting your knees higher will increase the intensity of the exercise.
- Variations 1: Walk forward and backward with short steps, long steps, average steps, or step kicks.
- Variations 2: Move in a pattern of a circle or square.
- When you are ready to increase intensity, stride by taking very large, controlled steps or bound by pushing off with your back foot to bounce up off the pool floor between strides.
Tips:
- When circling, be sure to turn around midway and circle in the other direction to balance the physical demands on your body.
- As with any aerobic exercise, start with a mild warm-up and finish with a similar cool-down. Stretching after you are warmed up is easy and soothing in water.
- Drink plenty of fluid: without it, you are likely to become dehydrated even though you’re surrounded by water. And remember your sunscreen!
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