HEALTH MATTERS
A Florida Hospital Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Publication
Volume XVI, Issue 3
May/June, 2011
Water Exercise versus Land Exercise
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Editor: Lisa Davis
Inside this issue:
How water can help you
exercise more
efficiently,
1, 2
Healthy Recipe
2
It is the beginning of summer, the water is refreshing and the air is hot.
Some may find themselves relaxing or playing more in the water than on land
this time of year and feeling like this activity is not exercise. Sometimes there is
a feeling of lightness while being in the pool that turns to heaviness when getting out. Many say that being in the pool and playing with children or grandchildren for hours has less impact on joints verses chasing them around the
park. These feelings are caused by the different characteristics between water
and air, especially when it comes to exercise and physical activity.
Water has characteristics of making one feel lighter. Joints may not feel
the same pressure or strain that is felt when on land. This feeling is called the
buoyancy factor. When on land, there is 100% of gravity on the body’s joints.
Imagine a person quartered in sections from head to toe and standing in water.
Almost completely submerged in water, but with the neck and shoulders above
the water, one would feel 25% of their body weight. Immersed up to the waist,
50% of their body weight would be felt. If the water level was up to the knees,
one would feel 75% of their body weight. When one is completely out of the
water, 100% of their body weight is felt. This is why there is a “heavy” feeling
as one exits a pool or a body of water. As one exits, the body has to carry
more of itself. Conversely, if someone is in deep water and their feet are not
touching at all, there is 0% weight on their joints. This is why as one ages and
the joints feel more strain, it feels better to do water exercises.
Many exercises that are performed on land can also be performed in
water. Water walking or running is a great way to help build and maintain
cardiovascular levels. When walking in the water, there is eight times the
resistance of air on land. According to the Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA),
walking in water for 10 minutes would be equivalent to walking a mile on land.
Typically, most aqua exercise classes are 50 minutes to an hour long. That
could equate to 5-6 miles in just that one hour! On average, according to the
AEA, a person burns 500-600 calories per hour working in the water, and is
done with less joint pain. Other benefits of exercising in the water include:
lower risk of overheating, better range of motion in the joints, and a much lower
fall risk so balance can be worked on.
Although there are many benefits to aquatic exercise, there is one
major draw back; the lack of weight bearing load on the bones. As a person
ages, water exercise may feel easier but, in some cases, it is not the best
stand alone form of exercise. Osteopenia and osteoporosis are diseases that
effect the density of bones. Unfortunately, this density can be greatly reduced
because these diseases. The bones need weight bearing activity to keep them
V O LU M E X IV ISSU E 1 0
strong and try to combat this reduction. Aquatic exercise does not provide this necessary load,
which is why
weight bearing land exercises need to be incorporated into the overall exercise program as well.
What is weight bearing activity? Weight bearing activity requires actual impact of weight (gravity) on
the muscles and bones. Some examples are walking, running, or lifting weights. Picture the major bone in the
leg, called the femur, while doing a leg press. That bone in the leg acts as a bow and the muscles act as the
string. When the string is pulled back, the bow has to bend; the more strain on the string the bigger the bow
has to be. This is the same with the leg or any other muscle. Bones need to be strong like the bow because if
they are not, they may fracture. This is why land exercise helps with osteopenia and osteoporosis, the more
done on land, the more the bone maintains or builds in density due to working against gravity. Land
exercising can carry more risks than exercising in water, such as falling or overheating. However, if done
safely, carefully and with proper assistance when necessary, it is a vital part of maintaining good bone health
and increasing strength.
In conclusion, a combination of water and land exercises would be best. A walk in the morning or at
night would help with continuing weight bearing activities and a swim class a couple days week will give more
cardiovascular activity with less joint impact. Ultimately, the best type of exercise is the one that makes a
person feel good and makes them want to continue with that activity for the long term.
Source: Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA)
Compiled by: Paige Heath, Exercise Physiologist
Grilled Turkey Burgers
Dietitian's tip: Substituting ground turkey breast for ground beef sheds about 200 calories, 7 grams of fat, and
4 grams of saturated fat.
Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/4 c. dried bread crumbs
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
4 whole grain buns
4 slices tomatoes
4 slices red onion
2 Bibbed lettuce leaves, halved
4 TBLs ketchup
Directions
Combine the ground turkey breast, bread crumbs, chopped onion, parsley, Worcestershire sauce and hot
sauce in a large bowl. Mix well. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties.
Prepare grill or broiler. Away from heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray.
Position the cooking rack 4-6 inches from the heat source.
Grill burgers until nicely browned on both sides and heated through, about 7 minutes each side. Serve each
burger on a bun topped with 1 tomato slice, 1 onion slice, 1/2 lettuce leaf and a dollop of ketchup.
Nutrition Analysis
Serving size: 1 prepared burger including bun and toppings.
Calories
244
Cholesterol
29mg
Protein
17g
Sodium
340 mg
Carbohydrates
29g
Fiber
4g
Total fat
8g
Potassium
324mg
Monounsaturated fat
2g
Calcium
98mg
Saturated fat
2g
Source: Mayo Clinic www.mayoclinic.com/health/healthy-recipies