Obesity places immense strain on the joints, making traditional weight-bearing exercises difficult and often painful for those who want to lose weight. Beyond physical-related ailments to obesity, many obese individuals avoid exercising in public because they feel embarrassed or uncomfortable.
Here’s where water aerobics comes in. Research has found that it’s an effective way to help lose weight in a healthy, safe environment. That’s because the buoyancy of water alleviates the impact, allowing obese individuals to move freely and exercise without the same risk of injury they would face compared to land-based exercises.
Water-Based Exercise Helps Obese Adults Lose Fat and Gain Fitness
A pilot study published in the Journal of Obesity investigated the effects of aquajogging on body composition, aerobic fitness, and overall well-being in obese individuals. Conducted over six weeks, researchers followed 15 obese participants who engaged in water-based jogging twice per week. Their goal was to determine whether exercising in the water will help reduce body fat, improve cardiovascular endurance, and enhance quality of life — all without requiring dietary changes.1
• Exercising in the water helped reduce weight and overall fat — The study selected participants who were classified as metabolically healthy, with an average body mass index (BMI) of 37.9. Most had low baseline physical activity levels, making them particularly vulnerable to the challenges of traditional land-based exercise.
After completing the aquajogging program, researchers observed significant reductions in both waist circumference and fat mass. The findings highlighted that water-based workouts not only help burn fat but also offer an accessible, low-impact way to improve health outcomes for individuals struggling with obesity-related movement limitations.
• Weight loss already occurred without changing diets — One notable result was the measurable reduction in body fat. The participants lost an average of 1.4 kilograms (kg) of fat mass over just six weeks. Even more striking, waist circumference shrank by 3.1 centimeters, indicating a reduction in visceral fat, the type that surrounds internal organs and increases the risk of metabolic disease.
Compared to other exercise studies that focused on strict dietary changes, this study demonstrated that physical activity alone — when structured appropriately — already creates meaningful improvements in body composition.
• Aerobic fitness improved significantly — One way the researchers measured cardiovascular endurance is by conducting the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT), which evaluates how far an individual can walk in six minutes.
After the aquajogging program, participants increased their walking distance by an average of 41 meters. This improvement shows their hearts, lungs, and muscles were functioning more efficiently, allowing them to move with greater ease in daily life.
• The effectiveness of aquajogging stems from the unique properties of water — The natural resistance while wading in the water creates a strength-training effect, forcing muscles to work harder without placing excess stress on joints. This resistance helps improve muscle tone while simultaneously enhancing cardiovascular endurance.
At the same time, the buoyancy of water supports body weight, significantly reducing the risk of injury. For obese individuals who struggle with joint pain, this makes water exercise a far safer and more sustainable option compared to the usual land-based workouts.
• Exercising in water maintains optimal thermoregulation — Land-based workouts often lead to excessive overheating, which is uncomfortable and discourages participation. In contrast, water dissipates heat more efficiently, helping individuals stay cooler so they can exercise for longer periods without discomfort.
This makes aquajogging an excellent choice for those who struggle with exercise tolerance due to excess weight or metabolic conditions that affect body temperature regulation.
Water Exercise Provides a Confidence Boost
As mentioned earlier, many obese individuals struggle to adhere to a regular exercise schedule because of the psychological stigma surrounding obesity. This causes them to relapse and return to a vicious cycle of eating to cope. However, changing the regimen to a water-based setting helps create positive changes to mental well-being.2
• Improves self-esteem — Many participants initially reported feeling embarrassed or hesitant about exercising due to their weight. However, by the end of the program, those feelings had significantly decreased.
The buoyancy of water reduced self-consciousness, allowing participants to focus on movement rather than discomfort. Confidence in their ability to exercise grew, leading to increased adherence and a more positive outlook on physical activity.
• Improves quality of life — After answering a questionnaire, participants reported improvements in three key areas — physical function, self-esteem, and public distress. Physical function scores increased, indicating that daily movements and activities became easier.
Self-esteem saw a huge jump, showing that participants felt better about their bodies and capabilities. Public distress — anxiety or discomfort in social settings due to weight — also lessened significantly, reinforcing the psychological benefits of exercising in a supportive, low-impact environment.
Meta-Analysis Confirms the Benefits of Water Aerobics
Building on the study above is a 2025 systematic review published in BMJ Open. Here, researchers analyzed multiple randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to determine how water aerobics impacts body composition in individuals with obesity and excess weight.
After examining 10 studies with a total of 286 participants, their findings revealed that water aerobics not only reduces body fat and waist circumference but also improves overall fitness, especially in middle-aged and older adults.3
• Multiple studies show the effectiveness of exercising in the water — Similar to the Journal of Obesity paper, the meta-analysis found a striking finding — the impact of water aerobics on body weight. Participants who engaged in this type of exercise for more than 10 weeks lost an average of 2.69 kg.
The weight loss occurred without restrictive dieting, meaning that simply moving in water without changing food intake was enough to promote fat reduction. The review also highlighted that longer durations led to better results, with 12-week programs producing more significant weight loss than shorter interventions.
• Visceral fat is significantly reduced — On average, participants lost 2.75 cm off their waistlines. This reduction is crucial because excess belly fat is closely linked to metabolic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
The study found that women and those over 45 years old experienced the most dramatic reductions in waist size, reinforcing the hypothesis that water-based exercise is an effective tool for improving body composition in populations at higher risk of chronic disease.
• Results will vary, but positive changes occur nevertheless — Interestingly, while body weight and waist circumference improved, changes in other body composition markers, such as lean mass and body fat percentage, varied across the selected studies. Some participants saw reductions in overall fat mass, while others maintained muscle while losing inches from their waistlines.
This shows that results from performing water aerobics depend on several factors like exercise intensity, session frequency, and baseline fitness levels. However, the study emphasized that regardless of specific body composition shifts, participants experienced meaningful health benefits, particularly in terms of mobility and overall function.
• Staying consistent is important to maximize the benefits — Participants who engaged in water aerobics at least three times per week saw the best results. Those who exercised only twice a week experienced some benefits but did not achieve the same level of weight loss or waist reduction.
This reinforces the importance of making exercise a regular habit rather than an occasional activity. The review also pointed out that structured programs (where participants followed a guided routine rather than casual swimming) produced the most significant health improvements.
• The body-benefits of exercising in the water — Water resistance naturally increases energy expenditure, forcing muscles to work harder than they would compared to land-based activities. This means that even simple movements in water, such as walking or lifting legs, engage more muscle fibers and burn more calories.
Lastly, the review also noted that water aerobics promotes better flexibility and range of motion, which contributes to improved movement patterns and reduced stiffness over time.
Incorporate Water Aerobics Into Your Routine to Boost Your Health
If you struggle with obesity, joint pain, or simply find land-based exercise too difficult, water aerobics is one effective way to improve your fitness while minimizing the risk of injury. And the best way you can take advantage of this intervention is to enroll in a water aerobics class in your area. Alternatively, if you have a pool at home, consider hiring a private trainer who specializes in it.
Note that exercise alone isn’t enough. You need to tackle the root causes of weight gain and poor metabolism to get long-term results. That means addressing inflammation, insulin resistance, and dietary habits that are working against you. Here are other lifestyle changes I recommend to help you make the most out of water aerobics:
1. Eliminate vegetable oils to stop inflammation and fat gain — One of the biggest culprits behind weight gain is excess linoleic acid (LA) from vegetable oils. These oils, found in processed foods, restaurant meals, and even so-called “healthy” snacks, wreak havoc on your metabolism and make it harder to lose fat.
Minimizing your intake of products containing soybean, corn, and canola oil is one of the best ways to avoid excess LA. Instead, I recommend you cook your own meals at home using healthier fats like tallow, ghee, and grass fed butter to support better cellular function.
2. Add walking to your routine for daily metabolism boosts — Even if you’re focusing on water exercise, walking remains one of the best ways to keep your body moving throughout the day. Start small, then gradually build your fitness until you can reach 10,000 steps a day, which is the ideal number for optimal wellness. To make it easier, break your walks into smaller segments.
3. Eat healthy carbohydrates to fuel your workouts and improve fat loss — Low-carb diets are not the solution for sustainable fat loss. Your body needs the right kind of carbohydrates to support energy production and muscle function. Instead of avoiding carbs altogether, focus on whole food sources like ripe fruits, root vegetables, and white rice.
These provide energy without the inflammatory effects of refined grains. Eating enough carbohydrates also prevents stress hormones from rising too high, keeping your metabolism running efficiently.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Water Aerobics for Weight Loss and Fitness
Q: Why is water aerobics a good exercise option for obese individuals?
A: Water aerobics provides a low-impact way for obese individuals to exercise without excessive strain on their joints. The buoyancy of water supports body weight, reducing discomfort, and injury risk while allowing for greater movement freedom.
Q: How effective is water-based exercise for weight loss and fitness?
A: Research has shown that water-based exercise, such as aquajogging, helps reduce body fat, improve cardiovascular endurance, and enhance overall well-being. As noted in a study published in the Journal of Obesity, participants lost an average of 1.4 kg of fat mass and saw a 3.1 cm reduction in waist circumference after exercising for six weeks.
Q: Does water aerobics offer psychological benefits?
A: Yes. Many obese individuals feel self-conscious about exercising in public, but water aerobics reduces this discomfort. Studies indicate that it boosts self-esteem, decreases public distress, and increases exercise adherence due to its supportive and non-judgmental environment.
Q: How does water resistance enhance exercise benefits?
A: Water resistance naturally increases muscle engagement and energy expenditure, making workouts more effective. It also improves cardiovascular endurance and flexibility while minimizing joint stress, making it a safer option compared to traditional land-based exercises.
Q: What additional lifestyle changes can maximize the benefits of water aerobics?
A: To enhance results, individuals should adopt healthier dietary habits, such as reducing vegetable oils that cause inflammation, and consuming healthy carbohydrates for sustained energy and fat loss.