Water Workouts Exert Less Joint Wear & Tear

Canadian researchers report that exercising in the water can be as beneficial for health as exercising on land.  Martin Juneau, from the Montreal Heart Institute (Canada), and colleagues enrolled healthy subjects to perform exercise tests on both the land and water cycling machines (with water up to chest level). They increased their intensity minute by minute until exhaustion. The team found that the maximal oxygen consumption  was almost the same using both types of cycles; with pool-based exercising producing a less elevated heart rate (as compared to land-based exercise).  The lower stress of moving in the water may be of particular benefit to those who have joint problems such as arthritis, or are overweight.