Why exercising in water is so effective

You can feel the difference between exercising in water and on land - with aquarobics the work seems almost lighter and easier without that contact with the ground.

Aquatic exercise is known as a low-impact activity that takes the pressure off the bones, joints and muscles.

But does working out in the pool have the same benefits as land-based exercise?

Gugs Mhlungu chats to swimming coach Ezanda Moulder, owner of the Dolphin Swimming School in Pretoria.

Moulder points out that water also offers natural resistance, which can help strengthen the muscles.

"The water's buoyancy and the hydrostatic pressure that it creates on your body takes away all that impact from your joints and your ligaments and from the skeleton - you feel so much lighter because of those properties of the water."

When it comes to cardiovascular benefits, that extra little bit of resistance that the water actually provides, puts more pressure on your body to increase your heart rate.

Moulder says that when you just get into the water, before starting any exercise, you are already working harder because the blood flow in your body needs to increase to withstand that pressure.

"When you start moving, that's when we get serious - and with the resistance your muscle strength gets stimulated."

There's a whole range of exercises you can do in the pool aside from swimming, of course.

She uses walking as an example, particularly suited for people recovering from injuries.

The props Moulder uses in her classes range from pool noodles to frisbees and hula hoops, and even kicking balls.

She also teaches what she calls a boot camp in water, where the use of weights and fins to create more resistance serves as weight training.

And for people recovering from injuries or operations, and also for the elderly, the water serves as a brace or protection around their body, as they do exercises suited to their condition, she says.

To listen to Ezanda Moulder in conversation with Gugs Mhlungu on 702's Weekend Breakfast, click on the audio link below: