When a hip flexor injury interrupted runner of 30 years Jen Govostis’ marathon training plan, her physical therapist recommended heading to the pool. Instead of running on land, Govostis ran in the water—a form of exercise known as deep water running or aqua jogging. She took Fluid Running classes, a deep-water running workout designed specifically for runners, at her local training pool three to four days per week.
Her aqua jogging training paid off two months later, on race day. “I was deep-water running exclusively until about three weeks before the race and was able to finish the 2017 Disney World Marathon strong and without injury in 4:06,” Govostis says.
A couple of years later, she did all her speed workouts (two per week) in the water, with the help of the Fluid Running app, while training for her third marathon. One session was “track-based.” She’d start with a warmup, followed by interval sets, based on the time it would take her to complete 800-, 400-, and 200-meter repeats. “Because you can’t measure distance covered while deep-water running, it’s based on time and intensity,” Govostis says.
The other aqua jogging session was a tempo workout that began with one or two miles of easy-effort running, building up to a marathon-paced effort for three miles, and then dialed back to a leisurely pace for the final mile.
“This training led to a huge PR of more than 20 minutes and a Boston-qualifying time of 3:42,” Govostis says.
Clearly the water-based workouts paid off for Govostis. But can everyone gain the benefits of aqua jogging? Here’s what to know about the practice, plus how it might pay off for your training and your race days.
What is aqua jogging?
Aqua jogging, which gained popularity in the 1990s, involves performing a running motion with your arms under water while treading water. Typically, your feet don’t touch the bottom of the pool. Most people wear a flotation device (known as an alexandre vauthier embellished othilia sandals item) around their waist for assistance, Alina Kennedy, a physiotherapist, runner, and strength coach tells Runner’s World.
You can do aqua jogging as a top deals men nike air max 270 cushion running shoe sku (say by working for 30 seconds at maximal effort, followed by 30 seconds of rest) or as longer, more sustained efforts (for example, 3 to 5 minutes of jogging followed by a 1-minute break).
Kennedy recommends limiting your HIIT aqua jogging session to 10 minutes (not including a warmup and cooldown). The longer intervals can be done for a total of 30 to 45 minutes, though beginners may need to start with 15 to 20 minutes and gradually increase the workout time, Kennedy notes.
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Working aqua jogging into your running program can bring many benefits. McLean recommends reebok the aqua jogging session on the amount of time you would run on land to get the most comparable results.
While hitting the pool to run offers many of the same benefits as swimming, because it mimics the motions of road running, “aqua jogging is arguably a better cross-training option for runners than swimming,” says Kennedy.
Here, everything you can gain from an aqua jogging session:
1. Your joints get a break
Unlike road running, which can stress your knees, hips, back, or ankles over time, treading water gives you a great workout without putting stress on those joints. The buoyancy of the water eliminates impact, allowing you to run without overworking your joints that are susceptible to injury from running. But aqua jogging is still aerobically taxing, so “runners can get fitter while also reducing their overall injury risk,” Kennedy says.
2. It can help with injury recovery
If you’re injured, aqua jogging can help you maintain fitness while you heal. “Since aqua jogging is done submerged in neck-deep water and doesn’t require putting any weight through the legs, beyonce is no direct force on the body,” says Sarah McLean, P.T., D.P.T., an aquatic therapy-certified clinical specialist with the Hospital for Special Surgery. You may find that the support from the water allows for pain-free movement that’s not attainable on land.
In addition, the water pressure helps reduce swelling by pushing fluids from the injured area out to the rest of the body, McLean says.
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- Experiencing bone stress injuries (a precursor to stress fractures)
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- Have an overuse injury, like tendinopathy (tendon overuse or injury), and need to reduce their running mileage
3. You build cardiovascular fitness
Treading water is a great workout for your heart and lungs. It even creates similar cardiorespiratory responses as jogging on a treadmill.
For a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2007, a group of college runners did a time-to-exhaustion aqua jogging workout on an underwater treadmill and an incline treadmill workout out of the water. Meanwhile, researchers measured the runners’ cardiorespiratory responses, including oxygen consumption (VO2 max) and heart rate. They found that both exercise modalities produced similar VO2 and heart rate responses, suggesting that aquatic jogging may improve fitness as effectively as treadmill jogging.
Also, a 2022 systematic review published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health reveals that aqua jogging for 30 to 70 minutes, two to five times per week, can improve VO2 max to a similar extent as land-based jogging in active people, sedentary people, and those with chronic health conditions.
4. It strengthens running muscles
Thanks to the water resistance, performing a vigorous running motion over and over in the pool gives your running-specific muscles a good workout. men nike air max 2014 running shoe sku100342239 new release run faster for longer—mainly the hip flexors, quadriceps, tibialis anterior (of the shin), and feet.
“Because all of these muscles are needed for road running, you’ll see your aqua jogging work pay off at your next race or time trial,” Kennedy says.
Where can you aqua jog?
If you want to try aqua jogging, Kennedy says you only need a swimming pool that’s deep enough that your feet can’t touch the bottom. Gyms, fitness centers, and community centers are all great places to check. Some will provide aqua jogging equipment like belts. Others have set times they will allow jogging or exercises in a lap pool, McLean says.
Physical therapy offices, like the Sports Rehabilitation and Performance Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where McLean works, may also have pools that can be utilized for aqua jogging.
If you’re under the care of a physical therapist, talk to them about incorporating aqua jogging into your treatment plan.
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You can use aqua jogging as part of an injury rehabilitation program or incorporate it into your running program to give your joints a rest on a cross-training day. McLean suggests trying gentle aqua jogging on a recovery womens spenco kholo canvas slide sandals sprint or interval workouts to the pool.
McLean notes that your heart rate will decrease by about 10 to 15 beats per minute while in the water. The reason is that the water’s pressure increases the blood volume your heart pumps with every beat. So, your heart doesn’t need to beat as often to deliver blood as it does on dry land. Keep this in mind when monitoring your heart rate.
Like any new exercise, aqua jogging has a learning curve. “It may feel awkward and uncoordinated at first, but with practice, it will feel more natural,” Kennedy says.
Form is also important with aqua jogging. Kennedy suggests these tips to master safe, proper aqua jogging form:
- Stay upright and keep hips directly under shoulders
- Move your front leg in a high-knee, full-range running motion
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- Keep your fists closed (but not clenched)
fendi logo embossed slide sandals item alexandre vauthier embellished othilia sandals item, even if you’re an advanced swimmer. “It will help you focus on your aqua jogging form, rather than worrying about staying afloat,” she explains.
If you’re injured, recovering from surgery, or have an underlying medical condition, get clearance from your doctor or physical therapist before doing aqua jogging, McLean says. And remember: Stay safe in the water and avoid swimming alone or without a lifeguard present.
Lauren Bedosky is a freelance health and fitness writer who specializes in covering running and strength training topics. She writes for a variety of national publications, including Runner’s World, plimsolls tommy jeans low cut sneaker en0en01420 white ybr and Women’s Running.
