Aqua jogging, or pool running, is a form of aquatic therapy initially developed to assist patients with pre and post-surgical operations. With its low impact on muscles and joints, it gradually became a popular activity in everyday conditioning to prevent injury and improve health outcomes.
Since its conception, aqua jogging has grown from a rehabilitation method to a favored exercise. Furthermore, since the 21st century, aqua jogging has been recognized as a competitive sport.
While certain demographics favor it, many do not know how to aqua jog, what aqua jogging is, or the benefits it can bring to their sports recovery and overall health. This article will answer these questions in detail, exploring fundamental aqua jogging exercises and drills that can be incorporated into everyday pool workouts.
What is Aqua Jogging?
Aqua jogging is, at the simplest level, underwater jogging. The exercise requires the continuous movement of the arms and hips underwater in a running-like motion, similar to but not identical to regular jogging.
To begin aqua jogging, start by bringing your knee up high to the water’s surface, creating a 90-degree angle with your leg. Next, extend and elongate your leg outwards in front of your body. Finally, sweep your leg back from 45 degrees in front of your body to at least 45 degrees behind you.
This range of motion ensures core stability, glute isolation, and proper form. This action must be repeated per leg, maintaining an upright posture as you move through the water.
While aqua jogging can be performed in shallow water without extra equipment, it is commonly practiced in the pool’s deep end, requiring a floatation belt and water shoes to provide adequate running resistance.
At the competitive level, aqua jogging resembles swimming’s style of pool races. Competitors compete in 50m and above at events for the fastest pool times – demanding considerable core strength and technique.
What are the Best Aqua Jogging Workouts?
Pool goers can employ a range of aqua jogging workouts in their training routine. It is advised to include high-intensity intervals and short recovery times when practicing to maximize the benefits of aqua jogging, for example, performing eight intense 2-minute sets with 30 seconds of rest.
Numerous drills can be utilized to complement aqua jogging training; each drill is performed while moving underwater in both the deep and shallow end of the pool:
High knees: This drill aims to practice getting your knees up high to the water’s surface when moving underwater. Keep your arms by your side as you constantly elevate your knees to the water’s surface – in a jogging motion. Perform this movement for each leg as you move through the water across 2-3 sets for 15 seconds.
Hamstring Curl: Keep your thighs pointed down while driving your heel to your bottom to execute an underwater hamstring curl, repeating for both legs. This drill provides an effective hamstring workout due to the extra resistance and force of water. Make sure to take your time when performing this drill to prevent injury.
High Skips: In a similar movement to high knees, use momentum underwater to drive your hip and thigh to the water’s surface, with speed in a skipping motion, holding your thigh up until you start to sink. Repeat per leg as you move through the water.
Clocks: This drill involves a coach or spectator articulating different positions on a clock, for example, 1 or 12 o’clock, and the trainee (floating upright in the pool) positioning their legs to the spoken time. For instance, if a coach says noon, legs are positioned straight in front or 6 o’clock – behind.
It is important to keep your legs fully extended and stretched out, kicking your legs to each position in a fluid range of motion. This drill helps work the core, increasing in difficulty as different positions on the hypothetical clock are instructed.
To learn more about these aqua jogging drills, explore our video courses on the ISNation app, by track and field coach Bobby Van Allen.
Is Aqua Jogging Beneficial for Runners?
Aqua jogging has many benefits, particularly for runners and those frequently performing intense workouts during regular training. Submersion underwater helps increase hydrostatic pressure, helping to compress and reduce swelling derived from an injury. It also aids in redirecting lactate to the liver to help restore muscle acidity levels, assisting in muscle recuperation.
Aqua jogging enables the isolation of certain muscle groups, such as the glutes, helping to improve the balance between various muscle groups and preventing imbalance injuries such as Iliotibial Band Syndrome. When running, isolating muscles such as the glutes is difficult, potentially causing injury – this can be mitigated in the pool through proper muscle isolation.
Finally, the extra resistance of the water helps build muscle strength, providing an additional resistance layer, promoting an elevated heart rate with lower impact and supporting health sustenance. It is estimated that in 1-hour, aqua joggers can burn 700 calories, equating to 11.5 calories a minute in the pool.
The Benefits of Aqua Jogging for Health
This article has laid out the basics of aqua jogging, exploring its various health benefits in injury prevention and general fitness. It has also outlined common exercises and drills to get the most out of aqua jogging as a beginner’s guide to jogging in the pool.
If you want to learn more about aqua jogging and pool training in general, check out our courses on the ISNation App.
You can learn about:
- Essential pool training drills with Bobby Van Allen, Track & Field Head Coach at Johns Hopkins University
- How to Be a Great Teammate with Johns Hopkins Hall of Fame Swimming Coach George Kennedy.
- Finding Your Why With Award-Winning Swimming Coach Mickey Wender
That’s not all; the app also provides free mental wellness content for athletes, coaches, and parents to help you be the best you can be, in and out of your sport.
