Engaging in water aerobics for more than 10 weeks can trim waist size and aid weight loss, new research suggests. This type of exercise is particularly effective in overweight/obese women and people over age 45, the analysis indicates.

The buoyancy of water helps reduce joint injuries commonly associated with land-based exercise in those who are overweight or obese, explain the researchers. And while water/aqua aerobics are recommended for weight loss in this group, defined as having a BMI of at least 30, it’s not clear exactly what impact this type of exercise has on body composition, especially central obesity.

To find out, the researchers scoured research databases, looking for relevant studies published up to the end of 2021 that compared water/aqua aerobics with other types of exercise or nothing in adults who were overweight or obese. The results of 10 clinical trials in which the 286 participants ages 20 to 70 were randomly assigned to an intervention were included in the pooled data analysis.

The types of water exercises included aerobics, zumba, yoga, and jogging, for periods of between 6 and 12 weeks across all included trials. Exercise frequency was mostly twice or three times a week, with most sessions lasting 60 minutes.

The analysis revealed that water/aqua aerobics was effective at reducing overall weight by an average of nearly 3 kilograms (6.61 pounds) and trimming waist circumference by 3 centimeters  (a bit more than an inch) in participants who were obese or overweight.

To read the full article, published in BMJ Open, click here