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During the hot summer months, water is not only the perfect place to play, it’s a wonderful way to work-out. As one of the most therapeutic activities you can participate in, water-aerobics provide a variety of holistic benefits.

As part of our recent expansion, Brandermill Woods’ new Wellness Center offers an indoor swimming pool for water lovers. Whether it’s laps every morning, a water aerobics class or just some time relaxing in the pool, here are 10 reasons to enjoy some fun water activities this summer:

• Exercise easily. Thanks to buoyancy, doing aerobics underwater is a low-impact exercise, helping to keep you healthy and strong without the strain you might find from regular exercises.
• Build muscle. The changing nature of water provides a stronger resistance than the air, so walking through a pool will has more impact on increasing your muscle strength than taking a walk.
• Improve endurance. That same resistance adds a second benefit as the movement of the water plus gravity require you to constantly work while in the water, which builds your stamina.
• Increase flexibility. A third effect of water resistance is that it forces your body to continuously adjust to the push and pull of the water moving around you, which gently increases your range of motion and flexibility.
• Burn calories. Adding a cardio or strength component make aquatic exercises a great way to burn calories and, in the water, your exercises become full-body workouts.
• Alleviate joint pain. Hydrotherapy is a proven form of therapy for people with joint problems and water-based work can relieve the pressure placed on joints from daily use or arthritis.
• Relax. The sound and feeling of water is calming and soothing, decreasing anxiety and negative moods as well as relieving stress.
• Reduce blood pressure.  Water pressure can help your blood flow to circulate more effectively, which can help drop your blood pressure and your heart rate.
• Be cool. Nothing beats the sensation of enjoying a cool dip on a hot day, but even if you use an indoor pool in the dead of winter, the refreshing feeling of cool water can increase your endorphins, which are the body’s natural pain kills.
• Improve coordination. Many water aerobics programs are performed slower than a normal aerobics class, making it easy to keep up and learn the routines. Plus, you’re underwater, so if you ‘miss a step,’ no one will tell.