Pilates In The Pool Pushes The Fitness Envelope

PR Log (Press Release) – Oct 22, 2007 – AquaVee authors another chapter in the compact aquatic fitness catalogue with its new AquaVee Pilates Plus®, a comprehensive workout system designed for the cooling confines of any backyard pool.  The system exploits the natural link between the popular Pilates regimen and swimming - both of which are highly touted by fitness and medical experts as very beneficial forms of exercise.  This simple, self-contained fitness product can be installed in less than a minute, making it accessible to anyone- at any fitness level- seeking a quick and cool water workout. It is an elegant device, sleek and striking at once; its lean ribbons of banana-colored latex adding more style to the fashionable Pilates routine.

The AquaVee Pilates Plus® achieves the fitness trifecta of cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training through a unique melding of swimming, isotonic resistance, and the Pilates method.  An upgrade of the existing AquaVee®, the groundbreaking device that facilitates swimming in place via a system of an inflatable belt and resistance bands, the Pilates Plus includes additional bands for the arms and legs.  These latex cords take the place of a “Reformer”, allowing the practitioner to perform common Pilates resistance maneuvers without the bulky board-and-pulley machine ubiquitous at trendy health clubs.

This portable system sidesteps the traditional barriers to practicing Pilates by eliminating the need for a pricey gym membership or the purchase of specialized equipment, such as the “Reformer”, and by submerging the method.  It is widely known that swimming or otherwise exercising in water has low comparative impact on joints, and is easier for individuals undergoing rehabilitation or with weight limitations.  These benefits of aquatic exercise are extended to Pilates for the very first time with the AquaVee Pilate Plus®.

Traditional Pilates has been enjoying a renaissance for some time, and it’s AquaVee’s turn in the water. Long popular with professional dancers, the techniques invented by Josef Pilates in the early part of the twentieth century have recently been adopted by the mainstream fitness community as a customizable-impact method of body sculpting and health maintenance.  The practice involves the development of lean muscle through intense stretching and resistance exercises, focusing on the “core” muscles of the abdomen and lower back, with ancillary toning results often seen in the arms and legs.  A study  in 2005 conducted by Michele Olson for the American College of Sports Medicine found that Pilates “can improve flexibility” and “increase lean [muscle] tissue” in even once-a-week sessions.  The study also indicated that the largest increase in calories consumed by the exercise occurred as participants moved from the basic level to more intermediate or advanced levels of activity.  The AquaVee Pilates Plus®, by making Pilates more accessible and by using a pool’s buoyancy to ease the impact level of movement, could plausibly facilitate the average participant’s transition from basic to more advanced Pilates exercises, and maximize their caloric consumption.  

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services , 65% of Americans are overweight or obese, and, not unrelated, only 27.1% of women  get the appropriate amount of exercise per day.  Exercise with the AquaVee Pilates Plus® can contribute to the 30 minutes of exercise per day recommended by the Department to combat these trends, and help develop the flexibility and muscle tone to look great doing it.

The swimming aspect to the AquaVee works on the same resistance principles that underlie Pilates.  As the device holds a user in place in the water, momentum is arrested, so that the resistance of the water is as great during every stroke as it was on the first.  It gives the act of swimming an isotonic angle- strength development in addition to the familiar cardiovascular exertion- and so expands the reach and benefit of the exercise.  Add to this the dimension of flexibility enhancement that is the keystone of the Pilates philosophy, and you have a complete fitness solution (in its own mesh bag!) available to anyone with access to a pool.

The Pilates Plus consists of an inflatable belt worn around the waist, with resistance bands connected to two 12-inch bungee cords that attach to the walls of an underground pool with high pressure suction cups.  Four additional latex resistance bands extend from the wall-connected bands to two Velcro ankle wraps and two handgrips.  From these, a full range of Pilates exercises are achievable, including (aptly) the breaststroke, backstroke, and chest expander.  The additional bands are easily removable, and the device can be used for swimming.  The AquaVee system delivers a complete workout, supremely versatile by virtue of its simplicity.  A session can be extended or shortened based on time constraints, the intensity increased or decreased as desired by adding or subtracting resistance bands, the benefits tailored to maximize endurance or tone muscle or lose weight.  A workout with the AquaVee can be as focused or as varied as the user likes- Pilates on Tuesday and an hour’s uninterrupted swimming on Wednesday, or arms one day and legs the next.

The AquaVee Pilates Plus® is an unparalleled fitness system: simple and portable, comprehensive and versatile, innovative and easy.  By opening the door to Pilates and aquatic exercise, it is a stimulating new way to health and fitness, and the smart way to cool off and work out this summer.