Mary E. Sanders, PhD, University of Nevada’s School of Medicine and Public Health, is known in fitness circles as “the water fitness guru.” The research her team has done with groups of aquatic exercisers over the years underscores the fact that water can be used as a liquid weight machine with many unique benefits. Said Sanders:
“Water’s buoyancy reduces impact and supports the body for increased range of motion. The natural resistance of water (the harder you press the harder, the water presses back) provides an individualized personal training environment. Water’s viscosity or “thickness” – being about 800 times greater than air – makes it an effective exercise environment in which to build muscular endurance. And using resistance tethers, like those featured in the AFS pool, provides additional core stabilization work.”
Dr Joel M. Stager
When it comes to getting the most out of your exercise space and time, the AFS just makes sense. Dr. Joel M. Stager, Medical Director, St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane, Washington, has studied the effects of aquatic activities among athletes and people in need of recovery from injuries or ailments for the past 30 years. Dr. Stager said it best:
“Simply being submersed in water up to the neck increases cardiac output by more than 30 percent in a sedentary individual. So, just by sitting in water, the hydrostatic pressure on your body and being in a buoyant state benefits the body.”
“Not only does swimming slow down the aging process – by upwards of 20% in some cases – in terms of respiration, muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular activity and neurological function, but there’s also evidence to suggest that it increases mental health and even spiritual and social health.”
