1. health and fitness
2. exercise

505 – Aqua Effort
You Didn’t Get Wet for Nothin’…
Connie Lagerhausen
How much effort are your water exercise participants using in their workouts? Do you ever feel
that they are just going through the motions during your class with little or no real exertion?
Using a percentage-based method, I have a developed a technique that will make them aware of
the different levels of intensity. By using this formula in your classes, it will assist you to help
your clients better understand the aerobic and anaerobic effects of a water discipline.
The methodology in this class can be used for all aqua-based classes, including swimming,
aquatic running, and water walking. It can also be transferred easily for use with land-based
activities.
What is Aqua Effort?
Aqua Effort is a workshop designed to help you understand the intensity - or effort- of a
movement. Often, the Borg Scale of Perceived Exertion, the talk test and heart rates as they
pertain to your aquatic workout are commonly used; yet these tools can be confusing to your
class participants. I have found that by using the following guidelines with my clients and class
participants, they seem to have a better understanding of using the water and its resistance
benefits to enhance their aquatic workout.
Percentage
%
Gentle Warm Up (build up speed gradually)
10-20%
Start of Aerobic or recovery between intervals
25%
Tempo is a steady effort level. A level that one can hold for a sustained period of
50%
time (Aerobic)
75%
Short and fast this effort uses muscles at high intensity and a high rate of work
for a short period of time (Anaerobic)
100%
J J J Or just for fun!
Remember: you didn’t get wet for nothing…
Aqua Effort
Created by: Connie Lagerhausen, AEA-Certified Fitness Professional, Adult Aquatic
Specialist and creator of Aqua Effort.
In general, for most workouts you want to be at around 50-60% (land and water). If you're doing
interval training, you want your recovery to be around 25-30% and your intensity blasts to be
around 75%. As you'll see, working at 100% isn't recommended for most workouts. For longer,
slower workouts, keep your Effort Rate at 50% or lower.
The term "anaerobic" means "without air" or "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise uses muscles
at high intensity and a high rate of work for a short period of time. Anaerobic exercise helps us
increase our muscle strength and stay ready for quick bursts of speed. Think of short and fast
when you think of anaerobic exercise.
Connie Lagerhausen – Aqua Effort [email protected] www.Facebook.com/TheSwimGuru Page 1 Examples of anaerobic exercise include interval training, heavy weight lifting, sprinting, or any
rapid burst of hard exercise. These anaerobic exercises cannot last long because oxygen is not
used for energy; rather, a byproduct called lactic acid is produced.
Lactic acid contributes to muscle fatigue and must be burned up by the body during a recovery
period before another anaerobic bout of exercise can be attempted. The recovery period also
allows the muscles to use oxygen to replenish the energy used during the high intensity exercise.
On the other hand, aerobic exercise includes lower intensity activities performed for longer
periods of time. Activities like walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling require a great deal of
oxygen to make the energy needed for prolonged exercise (Steady State).
Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises are needed for the development of physical fitness.
Aqua Effort Choreography
When introducing this method to your classes, start by having them do a simple stationary knee
high jog:
10-20% Effort: For a two-minute duration, then gradually add intensity.
30% Effort: For 30 seconds 40% Effort: For 30 seconds 50% Effort: For 30 seconds
60 % Effort: For 30 seconds -- all the way to the 75% Effort range **explaining that everyone’s
effort will be different based on the fitness level and body size, and also that the water adds a
resistance not replicated on land. Once they have the concept, remind them that whatever aerobic
workout they are doing (land or water) the effort should feel the same. **Not the heart rate,
speed or length -- but the effort.
For a brief period of time, have them try 100% J
After several practice sessions, I review the methodology with my classes. I typically do this
once every four to six weeks, as my club has a drop-in class format. I have found that my
participants now know when I tell them the percentage of effort I want them to perform at, and
they understand no matter what movement is applied.
Music and Cueing
I use music with 135 to 150 beats per minute. The great thing about cueing this class is that all
you have is says the movement and cues the effort!
Advantages of Water Exercise
Water aerobics provides a way for people with joint injuries, arthritis, and diabetes or back
problems to get a good cardiovascular and strength workout. Water aerobics can take on a
variety of forms -- translating classes like boot camp, Zumba, or Pilates into pool-based
workouts. Generally pregnant women, seniors and those with injuries participate in water-based
classes -- but water classes are really appropriate and challenging for anyone.
According to the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA), water aerobics burns as many calories as
land-based aerobics, although it might not feel as taxing. Two factors work to increase your
effort, while minimizing perceived exertion. First, the increased density of water makes you
work harder to do the same movements in water as on land. Second, the cooling effect of water
and the way it supports your joints and bodyweight lessens the perception of the effort made.
AEA compares water versus land-based exercise and finds that you use more oxygen exercising
in water, but that you increase your heart rate more in land-based exercise due to the cooling
Connie Lagerhausen – Aqua Effort [email protected] www.Facebook.com/TheSwimGuru Page 2 effect the water has on the body. The amount of calories you burn during aquatic exercise
depends on various factors (weight, effort, duration, etc.), but on average will be between 145
and 380 calories in 30 minutes.
While all aerobics classes help you burn calories and build cardiovascular health, water classes
can also specifically help you build bone density due to the way weight-bearing exercises are
performed in the pool. Without the impact of a floor-based class, some programs that are too
intense for certain populations on land become manageable in the water. Water reduces the stress
you put on your joints by about 90%, so you will probably not experience soreness following an
aquatics workout – although you do receive the bone-building benefits. Significantly overweight
people also benefit from water classes because they can burn calories without putting
tremendous stress on their bodies. Beginners and those who are shy at the gym may also
appreciate group water classes because you perform the exercises underwater and are less "on
display" than when in the group exercise room.
Misconceptions
Water-based classes get a bad rap for being easy and “just for old ladies”. If you apply the same
intensity that you apply to your land-based class, you may be surprised at how challenged you
feel. The water changes movement and makes everything harder, applying 12 to 14 times more
resistance against the muscles. Go as deep as you can in the pool and make class even more
difficult in terms of balance and coordination.
Applications
Consider incorporating a water aerobics class as cross training to help you beat boredom and
overuse injuries. Recognize that your heart rate registers lower in the water, so it is important to
use perceived exertion or effort to determine the intensity of your workout. Water shoes can help
enhance your workout by providing a better grip on the pool floor.
Sources:
Ainsworth BE, Haskell WL, Whitt MC, et al. Compendium of physical activities: an update of
activity codes and MET intensities. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 32, No. 9, Suppl., pp. S498–
S516, 2000.
Aquatic Exercise Association, (2010) Aquatic Fitness Professional Manual. Sixth Addition:
Human Kinetics, Champaign, IL
University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive Iowa City, Iowa 52242 Health
Topics, 2005
Connie Lagerhausen – Aqua Effort [email protected] www.Facebook.com/TheSwimGuru Page 3