Aqua-Jogger

    Just two workouts in and I am kind of enamored of the flotation belt. Aptly named "The Aqua-Jogger" it holds me in a vertical position and lets me "run" and "cycle" on the deep end of the pool. I have been doing 3/4 laps, cycling down and running back, for a solid 20 minutes at a stretch, working muscles and cardio hard. Moving my legs in the circular bicycling motion is working my glutes and hamstrings, as well as hip flexors. When "running" I am working my quads and core hard. An advantage of doing these exercises under water is the added resistance on the "upstroke" of every stride. When running, having the extra strength to lift and move the leg forward is paramount in having an easy stride. When cycling, being able to lift and pull as well as push through the whole circular motion of pedaling will add speed, strength and stamina to my cycling. As I do both strides I am working my arms and core, being cognizant of all the muscles of my body working together to make motion happen. Moving arms and shoulders, activating my core and abs helps to power my legs. I have known this theoretically, and have tried to implement it when running and cycling, but being essentially weightless, and not distracted by incidentals like footing or knee pain, lets me really notice how my entire body is engaged in moving forward. It is revealing, educating, an epiphany. And if nothing else, it is adding another asskicking element to the Winter Regiment.