Fantastic Water Workouts [Paperback]

Marybeth Papas Gaines (Author), Gaines (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1993

This text contains 90 water exercises designed to be fun, effective and easy on the body. All the exercises in this aquatic workout guide make creative use of water's natural buoyancy and resistance to give readers maximum results with minimum risk of injury. The exercises in this book are designed to involve the entire body and not just work one part of the body. Readers can achieve total-body fitness as they perform these exercises that strengthen and tone muscles, improve aerobic endurance, increase muscle flexibility and improve body composition. Part one provides the basic information needed to get started on a safe and enjoyable water exercise programme. Part two gives 90 general water exercises for flexibility, aerobics and muscle strengthening and toning. Part three shows readers how to design a water exercise sequence for their particular body type, health condition and exercise goals.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Gaines presents a water aerobics program based on a series of 90 pool exercises, which offer a new fitness alternative combining excellent conditioning with relatively stress-free impact on muscles and joints. The author, an applied exercise physiologist and teacher, covers all aspects of the water workout, from warmups and cool downs, muscle toning and conditioning, to peak intensity aerobics using flotation devices. The exercises can be mixed and matched to design custom programs based on body type, fitness goals, or special needs (such as pregnancy and rehabilitation). Clear, detailed illustrations (not seen) are necessary for readers successfully to implement the written instructions, but this manual should prove useful for public library sports collections and popular with patrons.
- Sandra Math, St. John's Univ. Lib., New York
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

""By far the best resource in the field! It's guaranteed to get you in the pool to enjoy all the benefits of water exercise." Fantastic Water Workouts "is a comprehensive guide to water equipment, movements, music, and more.""
Meg Jordan, PhD, RN
Editor of "American Fitness"

"Fantastic Water Workouts "is a hands-on, A-to-Z guide to getting the most from exercising in the water. MaryBeth Pappas Baun shows you how to get a better workout and burn more calories in the water than on land. You'll learn how to get started with the right exercises and advance your workouts, including how to use resistance tools, monitor heart rate, and even select music. You'll get measurable results while having fun!""
Barbara Harris
Former Editor in Chief, Current Editorial Adviser, "Shape" magazine --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: Human Kinetics Publishers (January 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873224582
• ISBN-13: 978-0873224581
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,454,011 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Water Workouts, December 16, 2007

By 

Debbie Blankenship (Pasadena, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fantastic Water Workouts - 2nd Edition (Paperback)

I think this is one of the best books out there on water exercises. I was not disappointed in it as I have been with other water workout books. Fantastic Water Workouts has clear instructions and easy to follow and do exercises plus all the great illustrations makes it fun to get a good wokout. If you want motivation, this book offers it. In addition to these great exercises, Fantastic Water Workouts has a section on Persoanl Fitness Profile, Your Fitness Personality, Setting your Fitness Goals and a Fitness Action Plan to see what level of fitness you are currently at and what kind of fitness level you would like to be at. It offers tips and challenges for all levels of fitness including Managing Diabetes, Arthritis, Older Adults, Pregnancy, types of injuries and warmups and lots more! If you are looking for a water workout book that is going to sit on your shelf, then this is not the book for you. But, if you are looking for a book that not only helps you identify your fitness goals but helps you reach them, then this is the book for you. Check it out. You will not be disappointed.

35 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must for Fitness Professionals, January 6, 2008

By 

William B. Baun "EPD, CWP, FAWHP" (MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fantastic Water Workouts - 2nd Edition (Paperback)

The first addition of the book was translated into 4-5 different languages and was used by professionals and lay individuals to better their water fitness efforts. The new edition moves the world of water workouts to a new level.

What is exciting about this book are not only the new routines that MaryBeth has added, but also the pictures that will help readers understand how correctly do the moves and routines. Much of the experimentation for this book was worked out at our lake house 60 minutes outside of Houston, Texas on a spring fed lake called Lake Mount Pleasant. I have great memories of walking out and finding MaryBeth in the water working on new routines. I have never been a true water person, but as she developed new moves and routines, I became the student and after a summer of water fun - I'm a believer!

At 60, running is out of the question and I still inline skate, but I'm just not as daring on wet days as I was years ago. MaryBeth and I walk almost everyday, but my weekend water workouts have become a time of pure fun and have strengthened muscles I'd forgotten about.

If you are a fitness trainer / coach - this is a must for your professional collection. If you are looking for a way to get and stay in shape - this book will walk you through the necessary steps to be successful. I broke my back when I was 27 and now after working with MaryBeth in the water I wished someone had introduced me to water workouts earlier in life. Those of us that are physically challenged this book also provides information and ideas to make our workouts really work and take away much of our pain.

Thanks MaryBeth for taking the time from your consulting practice to "re-energize" the world of water workouts!

William B. Baun, EPD, FAWHP

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very detailed..., June 24, 2009

By 

Gypsybaker (Wellington, FL) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fantastic Water Workouts - 2nd Edition (Paperback)

this book is well organized and very detailed. If I were going to teach aquatic exercise, I would definitely use this as my guide. In fact, I wish someone in my area would do this so I wouldn't have to read and digest it myself...you'd think there would be a huge market for "personal trainers" for this type of workout. If the author had a video, I would buy it in a heartbeat.