The latest training trend already has a summer version
Functional Training enters the water so that you can work as hard as, or even harder than boxing, but in a more fun and entertaining way. You would never imagine that you can perspire in the water, but with this new version of high intensity training, the heat isn’t an excuse to escape from the gym.
“When I saw the board in the pool I thought about adapting functional training for the water. I asked myself – why not do cross-training or functional training in the pool? I proposed the idea to my group of coaches and the idea took shape. Now we train in a swimsuit, hat and goggles,” explains Toni Saborit, specialist Aqua Instructor.
The results have been so good that Toni receives invitations and has visited places all over the world to be able to continue teaching his Aquafit Board classes not only in summer, but all year round.
FUNCTIONAL TRAININGS
The training lasts 45 minutes and consists of combining exercises that are normally done out of the water, such as burpees, squats, push-ups and sit-ups, on a board where stability is a problem that the student has to face.
“In the water, it is much more difficult to maintain balance, and staying stable becomes a test of strength,”. The repetitions can be combined with different elements that turn the session into a complete workout.
Toni calculates that each session can burn between 500 and 650 calories with the advantage that this type of training works a much greater number of muscles than a normal spinning class, for example.
It is worth noting that in the USA and Portugal, where functional training has been booming for several years, there are types of classes in the pool, but not on a board in the water.
“Every day I get WhatsApp messages saying all sorts, ‘Toni, you bastard, I can’t feel my legs’ but they’re delighted, and they come back the following week,” he says.
Basic skills for the practice of Functional Training
The instructor assures us that it is not necessary to be a fantastic swimmer to jump into the water. “Knowing how to swim is enough, because we work in uniform groups, and you do not need to know anything,” although he admits that women are more reluctant to do it, not because of the difficulty of the workouts, but because of getting their hair wet, or getting into a bikini. “They find it difficult to see themselves in a swimsuit because their image means a lot to them, but it is nonsense because once you start, you forget the swimsuit and everything else. Little by little I am making my classes have the same number of men as women.
And the thing is, there are many benefits of doing sport in the water
- Less impact. You can practice intense exercise without over-stressing joints, as the buoyancy means there is less impact.
- Natural resistance and higher calorie consumption. The added resistance of the water improves muscle tone and calorie expenditure.
- Greater flexibility and agility. You are lighter and freer in the water, so the body can be more flexible and agile.
- Improvement of aerobic capacity. Aerobic capacity is enhanced, increasing lung capacity and strengthening the cardiovascular system at the same time.
- Zen effect. The weightlessness experienced in water has a relaxing effect, which makes it easier to sleep at night.
- It adapts to all physical conditions. The aquatic environment allows adaptation to all types of physical condition, from the fittest people, to those with mobility problems.
“The fun thing about swimming pools is that nobody ever has a bad time in the water, and with O’Live’s AquaFit Board, it is possible to rejuvenate pool activities,” emphasises Toni Saborit.
