WATER WORKOUTS

Pool training--running and otherwise--prevents injury and keeps you in great shape

by Marc Bloom

If as a runner you've not yet gotten your feet wet, you're missing out on an increasingly popular and foolproof method of training: water workouts. Running in a pool with the aid of a flotation belt (some runners choose to do it al dente) has entered the fitness mainstream with classes at virtually every health club in the country, from Asphalt Green in New York City to the Incline Village Recreation Complex in Lake Tahoe, California. It's no wonder: runners find that the buoyancy of the water helps them recover from hard running and prevent injury, and that the resistance of the water offers a no-impact, relaxing workout that taxes the body, increasing heart rate and resulting in ideal cardiovascular exercise.

"The magic of the water," says Jane Katz, Ph.D, a former Olympic swimmer, coach and author of many aquatics books including "The W.E.T. Workout", "extends the life of your running by providing comfort, safety and a greater range of motion." Water pressure in a pool is 12 times greater than air pressure. A pool therefore provides two extremes at once--the resistance to stress the body and the liquid density to protect it.

Runners of the stature of world champion Mary Slaney and Olympic champion Joan Samuelson did pool work during the height of their careers. Both women used pool running mainly for fitness when injured.

And now runners and coaches, always on the lookout for new strategies, are taking pool workouts to the next level. Using the prescription of the American College of Sports Medicine and other groups, they seek muscle-building strength work along with aerobic benefits for optimum training effect and overall health. These goals have led to weight training in the water, as well water dance, water yoga, water bicycling, and an expanding array of water gear to facilitate these activities.

In fact, almost any form of exercise done on land can be done in a swimming pool. While classes help and provide group support, you can always learn-by-doing and train on your own.

While you can't walk on water, you can walk in it. I'm a frequent water-trainer and when I've found myself in a small, shallow hotel pool, I've gotten a good workout from simply walking laps with the water up to my waist. One study done at New York's Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine found that walking at 3 miles per hour in mid-thigh water depth burned twice the calories of walking at the same speed on land.

So whatever your running and fitness goals, you can get in great shape by getting your feet wet with the following advice.

WATER RUNNING

1. Staying Afloat : To run or do other exercise in deep water, most people need a light flotation belt to remain upright. Many pools provide belts but it's best to have your own. Chains like Sports Authority and Brookstone carry popular models. You can order a belt through AquaJogger, an originator of the concept (800 922-9544, www.aquajogger.com), or from swim-product companies like Speedo (800/847-8770). Cost runs about $50. New York City pool running coach Doug Stern uses a more streamlined flotation belt with four cubes as opposed to one thick piece. It folds up and travels well. Obtain for $20 from Water Gear (800/794-6432) or from Stern (212/222-0720), www.dwrswim@aol.com).

2. Recovery Running : Dick Brown, a noted coach and exercise physiologist in Eugene, Oregon, who helped develop the AquaJogger, recommends two types of workouts--easy, L.S.D.-type running for recovery (or if you're injured), or accelerated running to enhance conditioning. For recovery, once a week, do 30 minutes in the pool. "The hydrostatic effect of the water helps blood pump," says Brown. "There's a massaging effect on the muscles. Even if you're totally healthy, you should be in the water to stimulate recovery."

3. If You're Injured : Brown says that most injuries that prevent you from running can be accomodated by the water, where there is no impact. For example, a stress fracture in the tibia, or lower leg. However, an illiotibial band injury in the knee area could be aggravated by movement in water. "The rule," says Brown, "is only do the speed and range of motion that does not elicit pain."

4. Training Effects: Any type of "quality training," from tempo runs to speedwork, can be replicated in the water. For example, you can alternate faster leg action for 2 minutes with 2 minutes of easy striding. Or you can go hard for 10 minutes, easy for 5, then repeat. Studies show you get virtually the same benefit as running "on-land" but with less wear-and-tear on the body.

5. Going The Distance : Some runners may find that pool running doesn't get pulse rate high enough. But that's because at the outset you may fatigue early and fail to sustain an entire workout. Give it time. Progress gradually. In water, when you double your speed, your legs encounter a four-fold increase in resistance.

6. Stride Length : Dick Brown suggests that the water is also an ideal environment to do running drills that tend to batter your body on land. The water's buoyancy permits a greater range of motion. Try knee lifts, but keep your leg straight, not bent. World-class athletes he's worked with, says Brown, find their strides lengthen because of water-strengthened psoas muscles in the groin that act as levers during running.

7. Water Form : While running, your body should be perpendicular to the pool. Your legs, however, should not flow as in typical running, according to methods used by the New York water guru Stern. To attain the greatest amount of resistance and smoothness, says Stern, "sweep" your legs forward, from toes to hips, with minimal knee lift. This form, similar to the movement done on a cross-country ski machine, uses the entire leg to drive against the water.

8. Faster Times : This sweep style, says Stern, will cause you to work the legs from the upper thigh, increasingly flexibility in the hips and lengthening your stride (and improving speed) on land. "Without exaggeration," says Stern, "100 percent of runners in my classes get faster on the roads."

9. Cooling Off : After hard running on land, even with a cool-down jog, your muscles may be stiff and achy. A 1999 study of runners' cool-downs at Cal-State Northridge University showed that being in the water hastened elimination of muscle-fatiguing lactic acid, as compared with running on a treadmill. In addition, after running in water, the athletes reported feeling more fully recovered.

10. Pregnant Pause : Pool running is ideal for pregnant women, whose shifting center of gravity is stabilized in the water. "Running in the water is better than swimming," says Stern, who has seen an increase in the number of pregnant women in his New York classes, "because it keeps the women in a vertical position. He says the women do the same workout as anyone else, using perceived exertion as their guide.

WATER BICYCLING

11. Spinning Your Heels : Biking in a pool? This novel idea was created by an Italian bike manufacturer, who developed a lightweight, rust-proof titanium bike that could be submerged in water. Clubs like Crunch Gym (in New York City, Chicago and Atlanta) ran with it. They adapted their bike spinning classes to the water. Hydro-spinning was born. "It's a really intense class," says T.J. Cris of Crunch in New York.

12. Total Body Workout: Hydro-spinning is intense because it not only works the legs hard but the upper-body too, picking up on a water exercise trend that stresses upper- and lower-body at the same time. While pedaling, you also move your arms, pressing your hands against the water for upper-body muscle toning. The bikes have no gears. Leg resistance comes solely from pedaling against the water, which is up to your waist. The club provides aqua-shoes, featherweight booties, and suggests you wear bike shorts as opposed to a bathing suit.

WATER STRETCHING & STRENGTHENING

13. Going Both Ways : Using the full-body idea, clubs like Manhattan Plaza of New York have new stretch-and-strengthen classes combining cardiovascular and muscle work. Participants use kickboards, water barbells, ankle weights (actually weightless but add to resistance) and "noodles" (long styrofoam stringbeans) in a circuit-training workout. At Atlanta's Peachtree Athletic Club, the water running classes include use of dumbbells and such at the same time.

14. Stepping Up : Many clubs have aqua-step classes in which various forms of aerobic dance have been transferred from the studio to the pool. Wearing a flotation belt and holding weights for upper-body work, you move on and off a 2-to-4 inch step in chest-high water. Speed of movement determines intensity. You can buy your own step and train solo.

15. Stronger Abs : In New York, Stern, responding to runners' requests, has expanded his upper-body repertoire. When you exercise your arms near the water's surface, says Stern, by doubling the speed of movement you multiply the resistance eight-fold. Stern achieves chest and back strength by having runners move their arms across their bodies with palms open. He achieves abdominal strength with water crunches in which the runners, wearing flotation belts, lean forward to form a "V" and bring knees to chest.

16. Board Benefits : Jane Katz suggests getting the feel of water exercise with a kickboard, available at most pools. Boards provides resistance and buoyancy. "Create a waterfall," says Katz, "by raising and lowering the board above shoulder level." If you have weakness on one side of your body, you can emphasize those muscles in the positioning of the board.

17. Developing a Kick : Also use a board for its main purpose--kicking. Extend your trunk and legs, hold the board shoulder-width apart, with head just above the surface. For the flutter kick effect, enabling you to move through the water, point your toes so your soles face upward and kick up and down from the hips. This is excellent exercise in and of itself, if you can manage several laps, as well as groundwork for proper free-style lap swimming. Runners usually need some time to get the hang of kicking and prevent heavily-muscled legs from sinking. You can practice while grasping the end of the pool.

18. Ribbing It Up : Most workouts neglect the intercostal muscles in the rib area. To stretch these, do a trunk twist while standing in chest-deep water with arms extended parallel to the water surface. Inhale as you twist your body to one side (moving your arms with you for added resistance), and exhale as you return to the starting position. Repeat on opposite side.

19. Yes, You Can-Can: Water dance includes the can-can, offered in the book "Water Exercise," by Martha White, director of aquatic therapy at Texas Medical Center in Houston. Stand in chest-high water and hold a barbell in each hand out to the sides, just above the surface. Keeping arms extended, alternate raising the knees to a 90-degree angle while turning the lower leg inward. Keep abs and buttocks tight to stabilize the trunk.

20. Breathing Lessons : Inhale on the recovery or rest phase of your exercise, exhale on the power phase, says Jane Katz. Rhythmic breathing increases oxygen flow, giving water exercise a calming, meditative quality.

21. Water Yoga: Fitness Swimmer magazine called it "Woga," yoga-style movements in water. Using a noodle, you can do an exercise like the "swan," by laying facedown in a "chest float," bending the knees upward and placing a noodle in front of your ankles. Then grab the noodle with hands stretched backwards and your head above the water. You'll look like a relaxed pretzel while stretching the hips and quadriceps and strengthening the back and gluteals.

And Don't Forget Swimming

22. Lap Swimming : For a complete workout, combine lap swimming with other pool work. Do 30 minutes of free-style and breathstroke, with 30 minutes of aqua-jogging or other movement. If your swimming needs work, take lessons, observe and get advice from other swimmers, check out swim videos. In free-style, if your legs sink, try using a pull-buoy (available at most pools) between your legs for bouyancy.

Sidebar One: Finding a Pool

Pools are available almost everywhere at YMCAs, health clubs, colleges, hotels, resorts and community centers. Indoor pools are usually around 25 meters. Outdoor pools may be as large as 50 meters. Most facilities will allow daily use for a modest fee; but after a few visits you'll have to take out a membership.

Sidebar Two: Drink To Your Health

You sweat in a pool and need to replenish lost fluids. Keep a water bottle on the pool ledge and drink about 12 ounces per 30 minutes of exercise.

Sidebar Three: Water Toys

For pool running, you need a flotation belt. For other pool exercise, you can make use of water weights, noodles, kickboards and other gear. Many pools provide some gear. To purchase your own stuff, check with the following: AquaJogger (800, 922-9544, www.aquajogger.com), Speedo (800/847-8770), Water Gear (800/794-6432), Hydro-Fit (800/346-7295). For swimming, you need a bathing suit, goggles, swim cap, earplugs and pullbuoy.

Sidebar Four: Summarizing Water Training Benefits For Runners

*No-Impact Aerobic Exercise

*Helps Prevent Injury

*Exercise Options While Injured

*Hard Training in Protective Environment

*Recovery From Running

*Workout Variety

*Relaxation and Stress Relief

*Total Body Workout

Sidebar Five: Coach Doug Stern's 5 Rules of the Pool

For Water Running

1. Form : Keep posture erect and body perpendicular to the water by looking straight ahead, with chin slightly down, pulling shoulder blades back and keeping hips positioned under your shoulders.

2. Intensity: Use a system of 1 to 10 in which 1 is the easiest effort and 10 the hardest. Most running should be in the 4 to 8 range. 4-5 is a recovery workout, 6-8 is interval workout or a sustained hard pace.

3. Rest : Because of the cooling effect of the water and the fact that it's non-weight bearing, you recovery faster in the pool than on land. If you do intervals, you can take short rests. For example: 10 x 45 seconds with a 15-second rest.

4. Hydration : People think they don't sweat in the pool, but they do. Keep a water bottle on the pool deck. This is another benefit of pool training: you can sip fluids during training, which is harder to manage on land.

5. Training Mix : Pool running should be an occasional substitute for running on land--fitness without the pounding--not an extra workout. If you maintain your regular on-land mileage and add pool work, you'll be missing the benefit and risking fatigue.

Olympian Loves The Pool: Janis Klecker, 41, Minnetonka, MN

Klecker, a 1992 Olympic marathoner, dentist and mother of six young children (including twins), ages 19 months to 8 years, does pool exercise twice a week while running 20 to 40 miles a week. "I do lap swimming and aqua-jogging, mainly for recovery. I always tell people pool work can be the most benign form of exercise. I did aqua-jogging through all my pregnancies, when it was a huge part of my exercise. And with my busy schedule if I'm too tired to run, I can still jump in the pool and feel energized for the whole day."

So Does This Social Worker: Anna Sank, 35, New York, NY

Sank, a social worker, does a weekly pool workout in addition to running 12 to 18 miles a week along with bicycling. "I got a back injury leading up to my first marathon at New York a few years ago. Though skeptical, I started pool running. I stayed in the water for 6 weeks. After that, my back felt fine and when I resumed regular running I was amazed that I had not lost any fitness. I ran the marathon in 3:24. Now I use pool training mainly as recovery from hard workouts and for overall well-being."

BUY NOW! For more on pool work and other running-friendly exercise, read Marc Bloom's books on all aspects of health, fitness and training.