How to Choreograph a Water Aerobics Routine

A good water aerobics workout is anything but boring. The stretching exercises and the movements are stimulating and challenging in themselves. However, fitness instructors recognize that the most effective water aerobics routine features a synergistic series of movements. Instructors choreograph these steps in a certain order. Whether you're an instructor or a student, follow these steps to find out how to choreograph a water aerobics routine to get the most from your workouts.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Learn How to Choreograph a Water Aerobics Routine

1. Plan to choreograph every water aerobics routine to include 8 to 10 minutes of warm up exercises.
2. Vary the warm-up session by slowly jogging in place for a few moments. Then do a series of scissor kicks and wide sweeping motions with the arms.
3. Continue to get the flow going with a few simple resistance movements, such as the A-Step. In this exercise, you trace the letter 'A' by walking two steps left, followed by one step with each foot to form the point of the 'A' and then two steps down and right. Repeat 8 to 10 times.
4. Add some kick to your water aerobics session with aqua jumping jacks and cross country skiing exercises for 20 to 30 minutes.
5. Give your water aerobics workout some weight with 5 to 15 minutes of abdominal and upper body movements while adding a weighted water belt.
6. Spend another 15 to 20 minutes in a cool down period with a series of fluid movements that focus on stretching the muscle groups worked on during the entire routine.
7. Consider stepping up your water aerobics routine with specific choreographed movements that target certain muscle groups, such as a class in Aqua Kick-Boxing or advanced cardio and strength training routines.
8. Get your hands on a water aerobics video on CD or DVD from the Water Work Out website (see Resources below). These instructional videos feature routines choreographed for certain groups and specific disciplines, such as Water Pilates and water aerobics for seniors.

Tips & Warnings

• Water aerobics is an excellent tool to precipitate weight loss and muscle building. While the water offers a sense of lightness of the body, it also provides resistance 12 times more than that of air due to its high density.
• The best water level for water aerobics is 3 to 4 feet (or about chest height) and the water temperature should be around 80 degrees F for the most comfort.
• Compliment how you choreograph your water aerobics routine by adding some instrumental music to the mix.

Who Can Help: