Aqua Jogging: Not Just For Runners!
Fun Fact: The Andersons were both competitive sprinters. Travis was a 3-time All American at the University of Oregon and coached D1 track & field for over 10 years. Breanna traded her spikes for marathons & half marathons after college.
Over the years, we’ve watched many dejected clients walk into the aquatic center for the first time and announce: “My coach told me to start aqua jogging.” [Or maybe it wasn’t a coach but a chiropractor/personal trainer/physical therapist]. They strap on an ill-fitting buoyancy belt, swim out to the deep end, and doggy-paddle around for an hour, leaving the pool no happier than when they arrived.
Aqua jogging gets a bad rap. After all, could there be anything more boring? (Well, don’t ask us… treadmill running & lap swimming top our list.) In this week’s blog, we will explore the benefits of water running, and we’ll share a few tips to ensure your water workouts are fun AND effective.
What is aqua jogging & what are the benefits?
Quite literally, aqua jogging is running in water. Aqua jogging can be performed in shallow water, on an underwater treadmill, or in deep water. Like all water fitness workouts, deep water running (DWR) has some terrific benefits that are directly attributed to the properties of water. Here are just a few:
Improved cardiac efficiency
Reduced post-exercise muscle soreness
Reduced joint pain due to decreased ground reaction forces
Improved lung capacity (the pressure of water against your chest forces your inspiratory muscles to work harder than on land)
Improved balance/proprioception and core muscle strength due to the turbulence & viscosity of water in all directions… especially when suspended in deep water!
While the results of a DWR program are highly dependent on a variety of factors (frequency & duration of workouts, water depth, and the specific training protocol utilized, to name a few), recent research has shown DWR to be an equally effective form of exercise to maintain or even improve cardio-respiratory fitness when compared to land-based running. That’s right, competitive runners have been able to replace up to 30% of their land training volume with DWR with no significant differences in kinematics or VO2 max after 8 weeks. DWR may be even more beneficial for recreational runners and non-athletes, with gains in VO2 max noted following a 6-8 week DWR training program.
Who should give it a try?
Everyone! Water is the great equalizer, and all ages & ability levels can benefit from aqua jogging.
Health care professionals typically recommend water workouts for injured athletes as a last resort for maintaining fitness. And it’s true - if you have back pain or a lower body injury (like an ankle sprain or shin splints), the buoyancy of water will reduce joint impact and allow you to work out even while you’re hurt. (This study actually showed improvement in quality of life, pain, and disability for individuals with chronic back pain who participated in a moderate and high intensity DWR program!). However, as mentioned, aqua jogging can be an effective way of boosting cardiovascular fitness and strength for competitive athletes and the general public alike. Not everyone can lace up their shoes & head out for a run, but they CAN run in water… and that’s the true power of the pool!
Let’s Get Started!
Locate a pool with deep water. Ideally, you want your feet to be suspended off the floor (with your head above water!), so a good depth would be 6-8 inches less than your height. For example, if you’re 5’7”, you would need a pool that’s at least 5 feet deep.
Find your favorite buoyancy belt. Yes, you need a belt. A well-trained athlete may be able to aqua jog without the assistance of buoyant equipment, but you can expect your form to break down after just a few minutes. As industry leader, Jenni Lynn Lacour, has said: Your goal is to thrive, not just survive, in deep water. But we get it – flotation belts have a reputation for being uncomfortable: they slip, twist, ride up, squish your ribs, and can make you feel like you’re going to tip forward or backward. Fortunately, buoyancy belts come in a wide variety of sizes and styles, so try a few to see which one works best for you. Belt-alternatives, such as the water horse and the Fitness Buoy (shorts) can be other good options, but avoid sitting on a noodle, as it will likely cause chafing of the inner thighs following a long workout.
Perfect your technique. At first, deep water running will feel awkward. After all, your feet are off the ground, you have the added resistance of water, and you may be getting used to wearing a buoyancy belt for the first time. Many folks jump in the pool and start with a cycling motion & a doggy-paddle-like arm movement. The key, however, is to imitate your land-based running form as best you can.
There are basically two styles of aqua jogging:
a. Shuffle run - Keep your hands relaxed (slightly cupped) and elbows bent to 90 degrees. Swing your arms from the shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body. Imagine pushing your foot off the ground (as if running on land!) while flexing your opposite knee to about 45 degrees. Lean slightly forward and keep your gaze forward with your neck relaxed. The shuffle run is the technique you’ll use for a longer, more aerobic workout: it’s similar to jogging on land.
b. High knee sprint - Your form should be similar to the shuffle run. Slice your hands through the water and lift your knees a bit higher, as if sprinting down a track. The faster you try to go, the more resistance you’ll get from water, so don’t expect to get very far!
4. Run with purpose. Your water workout should mimic a land workout. For example: if you have a five mile run on the training schedule, determine how long your run would take on land (5 miles @ 8 min/mile = 40 min) and take it to the pool. 40 minutes of aqua jogging at your “land” intensity will suffice. Tempo run? Hill sprints? Use sprint intervals to change your pace in the pool.
TIP: your heart rate will likely be lower in water, so don’t rely strictly on your heart rate monitor to gauge your effort. You can read more about the cardiovascular benefits of working out in the water in our recent blog post, “What’s Up With My Heart Rate?”
5. Up the ante. Looking for more of a challenge? Add drag resistance, not ankle weights or foam cuffs, to increase strengthening benefits. Wearing Hydrorevolution fins on your ankles will force your legs to work harder to move through the water. You could also use drag resistance in your hands (strap the same fins on your wrists, wear gloves, or hold drag bells!), but be sure to keep your shoulders relaxed to avoid neck pain.
6. Make it fun! Working out with others makes the time pass faster, so recruit a friend to join you. Waterproof headphones (with a downloaded playlist, podcast, or audio book) can also make a big difference when trying to finish a long run in the pool. (You can also use standard ear pods since your head will be above water, but there’s always a chance they could get wet). Here’s a list of the Top 10 Waterproof Headphones for Swimming.
If you’re interested in water running and live in the Santa Barbara area, we have good news for you -- our popular “Pook to 5k” program will return this summer! Our team of Mighty Mermaids will train in the water to participate in the She Is Beautiful 5k on September 7, 2024. More information will follow in the coming months.
Content provided on this website is for informational and educational purposes only; it does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. Always seek the advice of your physician regarding your health conditions and prior to initiating an exercise program.
