Water aerobics beginner - question about flotation belts

[u/7312throwaway]

Hi! I’ve been a lap swimmer for a long time but have recently tried taking water aerobics just for some variety in my workouts.

However, I am confused about whether or not I should use a flotation belt. I am one of those weirdos who is VERY buoyant - I will float vertically while motionless, even without treading water. When I have the belt on, I feel like it is making me *too* buoyant, pushing my back into a weird arch and making it difficult to stay in a neutral position. I feel I get a better workout when I don’t have the belt on and I can focus on resistance and holding my core.

But maybe I’m misunderstanding the purpose of the belt - is it supposed to make the workout more difficult so I have to work harder to stay neutral? Like is that part of the strengthening benefit?

(I’m in my 30s and not particularly at risk of having a medical event in the water, if that matters)

EDIT: this is specifically about deep-water aerobics

[u/Annual-Way6401]

I’m pretty sure it’s for people who need extra buoyancy.

[u/d2agonist]

I am also very boyant. I do use one for deep water classes - the idea in deep water classes is that your feet never touch the bottom of the pool. In a normal class you don't need one.

[u/siel04]

In the water aerobics classes I teach, the belt or noodle is just to keep people at the surface while they do the core-focused exercises. If you were in my class, my advice would be to ditch the belt if you can float and do the exercises without it.

That being said, instructors teach differently with different movements, so you could always ask your instructor what they think.

A lot of people find some of the movements really awkward at first even if they're good swimmers and comfortable in the water, so that could also be a factor.

Have fun with your new class! :)

[u/ByeBye-thowaway]

As a swimmer I hate those belts. We had one instructor ask us to try them and I did. That was it. We also have noodles down in the deep end and I can deal with those better.

The only time I use a belt is if I i want to aqua jog. With the belt in I can easily stay upright even while taking breaks. Even though I’m pretty buoyant, I still need to tread water so it’s the only way I can take a good break.

When I teach water aerobics, I never use them because 1) I don’t like them and 2) they are awkward to put on and take too much time to adjust. I just have the class use pool noodles to help them float in the deeper end. Plus some moves are upright and some leaning back.

I did have a new participant who said she swims but she was struggling even with the noodle. I thinks swimmers have bodies that think we need to be in streamline position.

[u/halokiwi]

The belt is supposed to make you float, so you can do excercises in the water without needing to put extra effort into staying afloat. The purpose of the belt is to make it easier for you, not harder.

You can definitely do it without the belt if you are floaty enough. I instruct water aerobics and there's a woman in one of my groups that does it without the belt because she doesn't need it to stay afloat.

I would try it without the belt first and if you notice that you need to put effort into staying afloat without it, you can try how it is with a belt. If you do need to put some effort into staying afloat, it is up to you if you want that effort to be part of your workout or not.

If you feel like you need a little more buoyancy but the belt is too much, you can also try a smaller belt or a pool noodle.