Water aerobics is one of the best types of exercise you can do and the water aerobics equipment can be very simple and inexpensive. But this equipment makes the workout fun and diversified. This type of exercise has really caught on in recent years. Why, because this type of exercise can be done by anyone. You find water aerobics classes filled with senior citizens and it is great place for the morbidly obese to begin their exercise program.
These workouts are great. In many cases, they encompass all 3 types of exercise…aerobic, strength training and stretching. If you are trying to lose weight or build muscle, you are going to have to vary your workout and add some workouts that have a higher intensity than water aerobics. Not only does water aerobics give a good all-around workout, but it is great for the person that might have arthritis or need a more rehabilitative workout.
The first piece of water aerobics equipment I would recommend is aqua shoes. I guess these would be considered apparel more than equipment. But depending on where you workout, these may be a necessity. The pool I use has rows of polished tiles and these are very slippery to stand on. Aqua shoes eliminate this problem.
The other piece of equipment I would begin with is a noodle or even two. There are many things you can do with these and I have been in classes where noodles were the only pieces of equipment that was used and we got a great workout using just this piece of equipment. There are books written that outline water aerobics workouts that use the noodle as the only piece of water aerobics equipment.
If you are considering getting started with a workout program and are looking for a place to begin, a water aerobics class is ideal. The class I take costs $5 per session (1 hour). All equipment is provided and it is as much a social gathering as it is a workout program.