Swimming pools were once a haven for two types of person: the goggle-clad who thrashed out monotonous lengths and the flowery-capped seniors who performed gentle, aerobic-type jumps and twists in a cordoned-off area of the water. Now, though, the fitness-savvy have decided the pool can be cool, provided the activities on offer are as appealing and varied as those available at the gym. "There has definitely been a change in the pool's image," says Rob Beale, swimming manager at the UK-based Virgin Active gyms. "Now a lot of the younger crowd are keen to try land-based workouts that have been transferred to the water."
There are unquestionable benefits to working out in the pool. Water is 1,000 times denser than air and provides up to 12 times the resistance you would get from working out on land. "A workout in the pool therefore requires you to work harder and expend more energy than you would normally," says Beale.
For people with joint and back problems, aqua-workouts are ideal — a body submerged at rib cage depth weighs about 75 percent less than it would on land, and approximately 90 percent less when submerged to the neck, meaning that water acts as a giant cushion for the joints, protecting them from the kind of stress and impact they experience when exercising out of the water.
Many workout fads emanate from America and there aqua-fitness is all the rage with aqua-abs, splash kickboxing and aqua-cross training all appearing on gym timetables. So what's on offer?
Aqua-jogging
What it is: Wearing a specially-designed "aqua-jogger" buoyancy vest over your swimwear, the idea is to simulate a running action in deep water so there is none of the stress to your joints.
Benefits: This activity was originally devised by physiotherapists in the 1980s to help rehabilitate injured athletes. "In general, water is cooler than body temperature which means that people have to work harder to stay warm," says personal trainer Cornel Chin. "The best thing is it doesn't require any particular skill. Even people who can't swim can do it." Run on land and you can expect to burn around eight calories a minute; in water, that figure rises to 11.5 calories for the same time.
Find out more: The Web site aquajogger.com provides plenty of information on how to get started
Aqua-chi
What it is: A combination of the principles of water fitness and the graceful flowing movements of taichi, performed upright in chest-depth water. Do not expect lots of thrashing around and treading water — as with the traditional, land-based version of this ancient art form, the movements are performed s-l-o-w-l-y and with precision. Emphasis is on good balance and coordination with a definite bias towards strengthening mind as well as body.
Benefits: taichi has been shown in studies to have beneficial effects on everything from stress and increased blood pressure to high cholesterol levels. An Australian study published this month in the medical journal Arthritis & Rheumatism revealed that a combination of hydrotherapy (or water treatment) and taichi can help older people with severe arthritis to move and feel better and experience significantly less pain in their hips and knees.
Find out more: Many gym chains hold their own versions of this class (also called Water Chi and Pool Chi).
Aqua-gym
What it is: A unique, British-designed system that is lowered into a pool and attached to walls by giant suction pads. For the gym-coy, the beauty of the equipment — including a semi-sub-aqua rowing machine, step-climber, chest press and exercise bike — is undoubtedly the fact that only your head remains visible as you exercise.
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