New research published by academics at Sheffield Hallam University has found regular water-based exercise offers just as many benefits for healthy older people as other, more traditional exercises

Press contact: Sarah Duce | s.duce@shu.ac.uk

Published in Frontiers in Physiology, the study is the first of its kind to undertake a direct comparison that shows regular water-based exercise offers equal cardio-protective benefits to that offered by other modes of exercise, in healthy older people.

It is part of a wider research programme that will explore the role of water-based exercise in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Dr Markos Klonizakis, a reader in clinical physiology and leader of the University’s Lifestyle, Exercise and Nutrition Improvement (LENI) Research Group, said: “Water-based exercise is increasingly popular, particularly among the elderly, but surprisingly the evidence for any potential cardio-protective benefits for the general, older population are limited.

“Until recently it was thought that water-based exercise can only offer muscle strengthening and balance benefits to older people, and only be beneficial to clinical groups.

“This was a first step in a long-term research programme that will look at how water-based exercise can be part of a treatment or preventative regime, so it was not designed to improve the day-to-day lives of older adults.

“Nevertheless, it can certainly be beneficial, as our findings provide assurance to those older adults looking for alternatives to land-based exercise regimes (for example due to frailty or fear of using exercise equipment) that exercising in the water is just as beneficial when it comes to achieving the multiple health benefits that regular exercise offers.”