Aquatic exercise opens up the exercise world to populations that otherwise might not be allowed to participate in exercise. I, personally, love my landlubber workouts. I, however, do not have any physical limitations dictating what type of exercise I can or can't perform. Thousands of others are not so fortunate.
Water exercise makes for a great workout, and at the same time, spares unnecessary stress on bones, joints and connective tissues. Overweight individuals that have carried around excessive weight gain for years, may suffer from degenerative joint issues. Others may be one more step beyond having undergone hip or knee replacement surgery.
The beauty of aquatic exercise is that water provides some resistance, but also some buoyancy. Load/resistance can be added gradually to mitigate risk of injury to the lower extremities. Buoyancy allows the exerciser to perform movements that defy gravity, and water, itself, provides a chance to increase the range-of-motion with many movements. There is aerobic benefit to aquatic workouts and a wide variety of exercises can be geared towards shallow or deep water. More exercise variety can be added via use of specialized equipment. Such equipment might include aquabells (dumbbells for water), webbed gloves, kick boards, etc.
As a professional participating in an aquatic workout, I notice the generalized resistance that water provides. There is less muscle specificity with this type of workout than traditional resistance training. I also notice a generalized, yet thorough fatigue once bearing my full body weight out of the water. There is a certain delay in perceiving muscle fatigue in the water thanks to the gravity defying environment. In other words, you do not realize your butt has been kicked until you journey out of the pool.
A well designed aquatic workout is thorough and will accomplish everything achievable in a typical gym environment. Aquatic fitness classes can benefit seniors, arthritis sufferers, rehabilitation patients, overweight populations or those just seriously deconditioned. I firmly believe that there is some type of exercise enjoyable for everyone, and this is a great avenue for any exercise-hater to pursue. Sadly, one can only fall in love with things through exposure to them and trying new things is often scary to creatures of habit. Continue to "spread your fitness wings" by trying new things. At minimum, help a newbie grow their fitness wings through consistent encouragement and by being a program of attraction for a healthy lifestyle.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Orthorexia Nervosa: The New Eating Disorder
The October 2010 edition of The Idea Fitness Journal for A.C.E. Certified Professionals had a very interesting article on this newly recognized eating disorder. In summary, this eating disorder involves an extreme amount of self-discipline with a feeling of superiority over others less disciplined. Suffering individuals are attracted to a restricted or complicated diet that leads to an imbalanced diet. The imbalance is due to extreme restriction or elimination of major food components.
An interesting tidbit about my job is that not only do I have to understand who I can work with as a client, but I must also have solid grasp on who I cannot work with. The scope of my practice is clear, but the history of the person I consult with may not be. Eating disorders fall outside the scope of my practice, so proper screening is required. This new eating disorder is intriguing to me as two things clearly differentiate this from other disorders like anorexia or bulimia. Orthoexia Nervosa sufferers have no fear of weight gain. Second, it is as equally pervasive among males as it is females. There are, however, common similarities between this and the other more historically recognized disorders. Please click on the link to read the complete article: http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/orthorexia-nervosa-a-primer?sourcecode=ACEIFJ
One thing clear is that where moderation isn't involved in a lifestyle, the potential for trouble lurks. This could mean excessive exercise, extreme dieting or relationships being adversely affected as a result of such extreme behavior(s). Extreme behaviors do not lead to balance or optimal health. If any of these behaviors sound like yours, please be open to discussing with your physician. Efforts to embrace a healthier lifestyle can turn extreme and the desired objective of positive effects can be lost.
An interesting tidbit about my job is that not only do I have to understand who I can work with as a client, but I must also have solid grasp on who I cannot work with. The scope of my practice is clear, but the history of the person I consult with may not be. Eating disorders fall outside the scope of my practice, so proper screening is required. This new eating disorder is intriguing to me as two things clearly differentiate this from other disorders like anorexia or bulimia. Orthoexia Nervosa sufferers have no fear of weight gain. Second, it is as equally pervasive among males as it is females. There are, however, common similarities between this and the other more historically recognized disorders. Please click on the link to read the complete article: http://www.ideafit.com/fitness-library/orthorexia-nervosa-a-primer?sourcecode=ACEIFJ
One thing clear is that where moderation isn't involved in a lifestyle, the potential for trouble lurks. This could mean excessive exercise, extreme dieting or relationships being adversely affected as a result of such extreme behavior(s). Extreme behaviors do not lead to balance or optimal health. If any of these behaviors sound like yours, please be open to discussing with your physician. Efforts to embrace a healthier lifestyle can turn extreme and the desired objective of positive effects can be lost.
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