AQUACYCLING – the new water sport

Aquafitness seems to be a fashionable word nowadays. You try out what you practise “on land” in the water too. After jogging and using fitness machines, now another discipline has ended up in the water: cycling, or as insiders call it “aquacycling”.

Aquacycling combines the principles of classic cycling with the healthy and pleasant effect of water.

Better performance for heart and circulation

Aquacycling improves the performance of your heart and circulation and has an invigorating effect on the spine, stomach, legs and seat. This is effective endurance training for increasing physical and mental well-being. This is why aquacycling is the best possible sport for every swimming pool owner.

Riding a water bike

Most people know classic cycling from their fitness studio: several cycle ergometers are arranged in a circle. In the front sits the trainer who gives instructions against the background of groovy music. The participants simulate cycling up and down mountains and valleys, and cycle seated or standing. This sport is however not suitable for everyone because it puts quite a lot of strain on the joints. If you “shift” the bicycle into the water everything looks quite different. The motion sequences are especially gentle because of the effect of the water and are even more fun. Special water bikes have been developed for this that weight about 20 kg are made of electrolytically polished stainless steel so that they don’t rust in the water. “A waterbike is suitable for everyone,” says DEHAG Academy director, Michael DeToia. As someone who teaches aquacycling trainers he knows what is important. “What is special about waterbike riding is that it is equally exciting for both high performance athletes and beginners. The resistance can be set individually and the positioning of the pedals means it can be used to train very different parts of the body. If you also involve your arms you can strengthen the muscles of your belly, back and upper body at the same time” the natural movements in water protect the joints and relieve the spine. Falls, impacts and sudden movements are prevented. This makes aquacycling highly suitable for rehabilitation and gentle muscle building after injury and for those with spinal disk problems.

Another positive effect is that besides training your endurance, it also gets rid of your love handles. Water is the elixir of life, and the underwater massage has a positive effect on the skin, tissue and muscles. The skin is supplied with blood and tightened, and it encourages the purging of the tissue.

The best water depth for aquacycling is 120 – 145 cm, and the water temperature should ideally be about 26 to 32 degrees C. The wheel is properly adjusted at the side of the pool and then lowered into the pool by the saddle and handlebars. The bike then slowly sinks to the bottom and then you can start. Jump on, and off you go. What sounds very simple, really is very simple. The training session can start straight away. Each individual can decide the intensity for themselves. The purchase price of such a bike is between around 990 and 1,800 euros. You can find out more about different and additional equipment at the DEHAG website (www.dehag.de), which is one of the suppliers of sport and fitness equipment. If you would like to try out aquacycling first, then try out what is offered at your local swimming pool. A large number of public pools in cities, such as Frankfurt, Hamburg, Karlsruhe, Cologne, Mannheim, Munich, or Osnabrück provide cycling lessons.