title: Upright water-based exercise to improve cardiovascular and metabolic health: a qualitative review.
abstract: Research regarding the benefits of exercise for cardiovascular and metabolic health is extensive and well-documented. However, weight-bearing exercise may not be suitable for individuals with orthopaedic or musculoskeletal limitations, excess adiposity or other medical conditions. Water-based exercise may provide an attractive alternative to land-based exercise for achieving improved health and fitness in these populations. Although swimming is a popular form of water-based exercise it requires specific skills and is often undertaken at intensities that may not be safely prescribed in patient populations. Therefore upright, water-based exercise has been suggested as a viable water-based alternative. However, surprisingly little is known about the effects of upright water-based exercise on improvements in cardiovascular and metabolic health. Limited evidence from water-based studies indicate that regular deep or shallow water exercise can exert beneficial effects on cardiorespiratory fitness, strength, and body fat distribution. However, the impacts of water-based exercise on lipid profile, bodyweight, and carbohydrate metabolism are still unclear. Further studies are warranted to establish the effects of non-swimming, water-based exercise on cardiometabolic risks in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Otago, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Meredith-Jones
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Waters
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legge
authors.forename: Lynnette
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jones
mesh_terms: D050218:Body Fat Distribution; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D006801:Humans; D008659:Metabolic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018579:Patient Selection; D010809:Physical Fitness; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014867:Water; D016474:Weight-Bearing
chemical_list: D014867:Water