Quick Summary: Water aerobics for seniors provides a full-body, low-impact workout that keeps you cool when Memphis summers turn hot and humid. This guide covers the benefits of water aerobics, how pool therapy for arthritis can ease pain and stiffness, and five beginner-friendly water aerobics routines to try. Kirby Pines residents enjoy weekly water aerobics classes in the heated indoor pool at our Oasis Fitness Center and Spa.
Remember your high school years and the excitement of school letting out for summer?
As the year came to a close, you probably signed yearbooks with that classic line: Stay Cool!
When summer weather turns hot and humid in Memphis, staying cool is important, especially for older adults. As we age, our bodies cool down more slowly and our thirst signals become duller, making us more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses.
While it’s good to have a plan for staying out of the sun, warmer temperatures can also make staying active a challenge. The walking routine you’ve worked so hard to maintain isn’t as practical when high temperatures climb above 90 degrees.
During these dog days of summer, there’s one way to stay cool while also staying active: water aerobics.
Water aerobics routines provide a full-body, low-impact workout for older adults that keeps you cool while supporting your joints, building muscle strength, and improving your balance.
At Kirby Pines, we offer many ways for residents to stay active and be well, including weekly water aerobics classes at our Oasis Fitness Center and Spa. We’ve compiled this guide to review the benefits of water aerobics, highlight how these exercises can be used for arthritis and knee pain, and share five beginner-friendly water exercises for seniors to get you started.
Let’s dive right in!
What Are the Benefits of Water Aerobics?
No matter how active you are or how dedicated you are to your well-being, everyone’s body naturally changes as we age.
After about age 30, we begin to lose muscle mass, strength, and function through a process known as sarcopenia. Over time, wear and tear on our joints can lead to arthritis, which affects more than 50% of adults over 75. By the time we turn 80, changes in our inner ear can affect our balance and lead to falls, which are the leading cause of injury for adults over 65.
The good news? Exercising in water helps address these common age-related conditions at once.
Benefits of Water Exercises for Seniors
- Reduces pressure on joints: Exercising in water leverages buoyancy, the force that pushes you upward. According to the Academy of Aquatic Physical Therapy, standing in waist-deep water cuts the amount of pressure on your joints in half. This continues to increase, so by the time you are shoulder-deep in water, the pressure is reduced by nearly 90%.
- Increases resistance: Water is about 800 times denser than air. Its viscosity slows movement and provides additional resistance, adding gentle opposition to each movement. When fully immersed in water, your body faces 360 degrees of resistance, compared to weightlifting, which offers resistance only in one direction. Plus, water exercises allow for dual-action training, working opposing muscle groups like your biceps and triceps simultaneously.
- Low-impact activity: For older adults with joint pain or arthritis, exercising in water helps reduce stress on your joints and prevents additional wear and tear. Additionally, low-impact water exercises for seniors help reduce the risk of further injury and speed up recovery time.
- Warm water therapy: Exercising in a heated pool can have therapeutic benefits. Research has shown that pool therapy for arthritis can effectively relieve pain, improve function, and lower disease activity in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis. Kirby Pines’ indoor pool is kept at a warmer temperature so residents can make the most of these benefits.
5 Water Aerobics Workouts for Seniors
Whether you can’t wait to get back in the water or you’re just dipping your toes in aquatic exercise, these simple movements offer an effective workout for anyone. These water aerobics routines can be done in chest-deep water near the wall of the pool. Start with 8-10 repetitions for one to two minutes, and increase the repetitions at your own pace.
Before starting any new fitness program, consult with your doctor, especially if you have a heart condition or if you are recovering from surgery. Be sure to drink water even if you don’t feel sweaty or thirsty. You may also want to consider water shoes to provide additional traction.
- Water Walking (Forward and Backward)
- Walk across the shallow end, heel to toe, with your shoulders squared over your hips. Use your arms to push and pull the water at your sides. Once you reach the wall, reverse and walk backwards.
- Impact Level: Low
- Resistance Level: Light-to-moderate
- Muscle Groups: Works quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, and core. Walking backward can also engage muscles around your spine, quads, and shins.
- Walk across the shallow end, heel to toe, with your shoulders squared over your hips. Use your arms to push and pull the water at your sides. Once you reach the wall, reverse and walk backwards.
- Standing March
- Hold the wall or stand on your own. Lift one knee to hip height. Slowly lower your knee, then switch. For additional resistance, add opposite-arm swings.
- Impact Level: Very low
- Resistance Level: Light
- Muscle Groups: Engages your hip flexors, quadriceps, and core. Good for improving balance and coordination.
- Hold the wall or stand on your own. Lift one knee to hip height. Slowly lower your knee, then switch. For additional resistance, add opposite-arm swings.
- Side Leg Lifts
- Stand tall with one hand on the wall. Lift your outside leg out to the side, keeping your toes pointed forward and your torso upright. Lower slowly with control to achieve the full benefit of this movement.
- Impact Level: Very low
- Resistance Level: Light-to-moderate
- Muscle Groups: Impacts your hip abductors, glutes, and core. Strong hip abductors are directly linked to a steadier gait.
- Stand tall with one hand on the wall. Lift your outside leg out to the side, keeping your toes pointed forward and your torso upright. Lower slowly with control to achieve the full benefit of this movement.
- Pool Noodle Chest Press
- Hold a pool noodle horizontally at chest level with both hands, gripping wide. Press the noodle forward until your arms are fully extended, and pull it back to your chest. Keep the noodle submerged throughout the movement.
- Impact Level: Very low
- Resistance Level: Moderate-to-high upper-body resistance due to buoyancy
- Muscle Groups: Works your chest, shoulders, upper back, arms, and core in one movement.
- Hold a pool noodle horizontally at chest level with both hands, gripping wide. Press the noodle forward until your arms are fully extended, and pull it back to your chest. Keep the noodle submerged throughout the movement.
- Heel-to-Toe Balance Walk
- Walk in a straight line along the wall of the pool, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other like you’re walking a tightrope. Keep one hand near the wall for balance if needed. When you feel confident with the movement, try it hands-free.
- Impact Level: Very low
- Resistance Level: Light
- Muscle Group: Engages your feet, ankles, calves, and core. It also helps train and improve your balance.
- Walk in a straight line along the wall of the pool, placing the heel of one foot directly in front of the toes of the other like you’re walking a tightrope. Keep one hand near the wall for balance if needed. When you feel confident with the movement, try it hands-free.
Holistic Wellness at Kirby Pines: Staying Active and Engaged Year-Round
No matter what the weather forecast has in store, Kirby Pines offers endless ways to stay active, socialize, and be at your best.
At our Oasis Fitness Center, we offer wellness programming tailored specifically to help seniors rebuild strength and improve stability. Every week, we offer low-impact strength training, water aerobics, chair yoga, and group exercise classes. We encourage residents to bring a friend along as a built-in accountability partner and enjoy the added mood-boosting benefit of socialization and connection.
When the weather is cooler, we have miles of walking trails on our gorgeous 60-acre campus. Rain or shine, our Walking Club meets weekly to walk outside or stroll the halls of Kirby Pines. If your idea of exercise is getting your hands dirty, our Garden Gro’ers group meets weekly in our 5,000 sq. ft greenhouse. Did you know that gardening burns 200-400 calories per hour?
At Kirby Pines, you’ll find ways to keep your body active, your mind engaged, and your spirit fulfilled, every day of the year.
If you’re ready to discover the benefits of an active, engaging lifestyle at Kirby Pines, now is the perfect time to visit. Contact our team today to schedule a tour. We’re happy to show you around the Oasis and any other area of campus you’d like to explore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the benefits of water aerobics for seniors?
A: Water aerobics for seniors targets four areas impacted by aging at once—joint pain and arthritis, sarcopenia, balance, and increased risk of falls.
- Water’s buoyancy reduces pressure on your joints by 50% in waist-deep water and nearly 90% at shoulder depth.
- Pool therapy for arthritis in warm water can help loosen stiff joints, effectively relieve pain, improve function, and lower disease activity in older adults with rheumatoid arthritis and spondyloarthritis.
- Water’s density provides 360 degrees of natural resistance for building strength.
- Water exercises for seniors are low-impact, protecting joints from additional wear and tear.
- There is little risk of falling while participating in water aerobics. Water offers additional support for added confidence.
Q: Do you need to know how to swim to do water aerobics?
A: No. Water aerobics is performed while standing—not swimming—in chest-deep water with your feet on the pool floor and your head above water. Classes designed for older adults assume no swimming ability, and many participants stay near the wall for extra confidence and support.
Q: Why is water exercise a good choice for seniors in hot weather?
A: As we age, our bodies cool down more slowly and our thirst signals become less reliable, which raises the risk of heat-related illness. Exercising outdoors when temperatures climb above 90 degrees isn’t practical or safe. An indoor pool solves both problems: the water regulates your body temperature, the building is climate-controlled, and you get a complete workout without any sun exposure.
Q: Are water exercises for seniors available at Kirby Pines?
A: At Kirby Pines, we offer many ways for residents to stay active and be well, including weekly water aerobics classes at our Oasis Fitness Center and Spa.
We encourage residents to bring a friend along as a built-in accountability partner and enjoy the added mood-boosting benefit of socialization and connection.
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