Too Hot to Run Outside? Aqua Jogging Is a Good Alternative for Endurance Training

Key TakeawaysAqua jogging is a low-impact workout popular with injured runners as a way to maintain cardio fitness while recovering.The aqua jogging technique is similar to running on land but it’s a slower movement with more resistance.With the right equipment and technique anyone, even non-runners, can try aqua jogging as a way to stay fit while beating the heat.

Key Takeaways

Aqua jogging is a low-impact workout popular with injured runners as a way to maintain cardio fitness while recovering.The aqua jogging technique is similar to running on land but it’s a slower movement with more resistance.With the right equipment and technique anyone, even non-runners, can try aqua jogging as a way to stay fit while beating the heat.

If you want to stay fit in this summer heat, you can try aqua jogging, a low-impact workout you can do in a swimming pool.

Aqua jogging, or deep water running, is popular among injured runners since it’s a non-weight-bearing exercise that’s very similar to running. If athletes can’t go on their normal runs because of injuries, they can maintain their aerobic performance for several weeks with aqua jogging.

Tammy Locke, 33, a marathon runner based in New Jersey, used aqua jogging to recover from a shin stress fracture while training for her first marathon.

“You can still use the same muscles as you do running on land, which comforted me to think I wasn’t going to lose too much running strength while I was recovering from injury,” Locke told Verywell in an email. “Nothing will beat land running for me, but aqua jogging was a great alternative given the circumstances.”

You don’t need to be in recovery to pick up aqua jogging, though. A review published last year suggested that aqua jogging could improve cardiorespiratory fitness in a way that’s similar to land-based training.So if you’re tired of the treadmill, or don’t want to run outside in the heat, aqua jogging might be a good alternative.

With the right technique and equipment, almost anyone can try this low-impact cardio workout. We spoke to a few fitness experts about what you need to know before heading out for a deep water run.

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What You Need for Aqua Jogging

To get started, you’ll need a pool that’s deep enough so you don’t touch the bottom.

If you’re a beginner, you can use a flotation device like the AquaJogger or a swim belt around your waist, but this isn’t required, according toJohn A. Mercer, PhD, a professor of kinesiology and nutrition sciences at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Before getting in the water, you might want to watch a few videos online to get the technique down. The trick is to stay vertical and move slowly. The correct form is very similar to running on land, but it can take some time to get comfortable with this type of movement in a pool, especially since you’ll get more resistance from the water than you would during a run on land.

“If you’re moving fast through the water, you’re doing it wrong,” Mercer said.

You should also avoid leaning too far forward or using your hands to move yourself along, he added.

You can stay in place or move back in forth through the water during an aqua jog. But for people who are used to the change of scenery that comes with a run on land, this workout might seem boring or monotonous. Many people use waterproof headphones to stay entertained while running in the water.

When It’s Too Hot Outside

You Don’t Have to be a Runner to Try Aqua Jogging

Research shows that aqua jogging is an effective cross-training exercise for trained runners,but you don’t have to be an elite athlete to add this into your summer fitness routine.

“One of the most important things about beginners exercising is finding something you like. You’ll be more consistent, and you’ll get greater benefits to mood, mental health, and wellbeing,” said Darlene Marshall, a certified wellness coach and personal trainer as well as a contributing author at the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

If you don’t know where to start, Marshall recommends trying walking, stretching, or doing jumping jacks while in the water with the flotation belt.

“Aqua jogging is typically done in high-intensity intervals, which may not be appropriate for everyone,” she said.

While aqua jogging is a low-impact workout, it’s still possible to overwork or injure yourself in the water, Marshall added. The motion of pulling yourself through the water can make hip flexor, sacrum, or rotator cuff injuries worse.

“Listen to your body and rest if you feel out of breath,” Marshall said.

With dangerous levels of heat across the country, going in the pool might sound like the best option for a heat wave workout. “Be sure to hydrate and wear waterproof sunscreen,” Marshall said.

What This Means For YouAqua jogging isn’t limited to injured athletes. If you want to try a low-impact cardio exercise, aqua jogging is a good option that allows you to enjoy the pool at the same time.

What This Means For You

Aqua jogging isn’t limited to injured athletes. If you want to try a low-impact cardio exercise, aqua jogging is a good option that allows you to enjoy the pool at the same time.

3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kwok MMY, So BCL, Heywood S, Lai MCY, Ng SSM.Effectiveness of deep water running on improving cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function and quality of life: a systematic review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(15):9434. doi:10.3390/ijerph19159434World Health Organization.Guidelines for safe recreational water environments.Torres-Ronda L, Del Alcázar XS.The properties of water and their applications for training.J Hum Kinet. 2014;44:237-248. doi:10.2478/hukin-2014-0129

3 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kwok MMY, So BCL, Heywood S, Lai MCY, Ng SSM.Effectiveness of deep water running on improving cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function and quality of life: a systematic review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(15):9434. doi:10.3390/ijerph19159434World Health Organization.Guidelines for safe recreational water environments.Torres-Ronda L, Del Alcázar XS.The properties of water and their applications for training.J Hum Kinet. 2014;44:237-248. doi:10.2478/hukin-2014-0129

Kwok MMY, So BCL, Heywood S, Lai MCY, Ng SSM.Effectiveness of deep water running on improving cardiorespiratory fitness, physical function and quality of life: a systematic review.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(15):9434. doi:10.3390/ijerph19159434World Health Organization.Guidelines for safe recreational water environments.Torres-Ronda L, Del Alcázar XS.The properties of water and their applications for training.J Hum Kinet. 2014;44:237-248. doi:10.2478/hukin-2014-0129

World Health Organization.Guidelines for safe recreational water environments.

Torres-Ronda L, Del Alcázar XS.The properties of water and their applications for training.J Hum Kinet. 2014;44:237-248. doi:10.2478/hukin-2014-0129

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Key Takeaways#

What You Need for Aqua Jogging#

When It’s Too Hot Outside#

You Don’t Have to be a Runner to Try Aqua Jogging#

What This Means For You#

Key Takeaways

What You Need for Aqua Jogging

When It’s Too Hot Outside

You Don’t Have to be a Runner to Try Aqua Jogging

What This Means For You