Balance Improvement through Ludic Recreational Water Activities like Aqua-Pullpush-Gym

Abstract

Ludic recreational water activities hold the first position among sportive recreational activities that can be practiced in confined spaces. Aqua-pull-push-gym represents an innovative ludic recreational activity of water gymnastics, consisting of a set of body segment movements, using the pull-push paddle, with the view to improve health and physical condition as well to increase muscular tonification. The purpose: Balance improvement by practicing an aqua-pullpush-gym program was aimed in this research. Methods: The test sample was made of 48 female students at UMF Targu Mures who executed two 50-minute long aqua-pullpush-gym programs, twice a week. The study was developed over a period of 14 weeks, from February 15 until June 2012, and enclosed two tests, the balance test, and the unimodal test. The methods used for this research are bibliographic study, observation, tests, statistical mathematical methods, and graphic representation. Results: The mean value of the progress registered by the 48 subjects, during the unipodal balance test, after the aqua-pullpush-gym program was: +43 seconds on the left leg and +45 seconds on the right leg. Conclusions: The research results show that practicing aqua-pull-push-gym contributes to the subjects’ balance improvement, both on the right as well as on the left leg.