If you’re hoping to slim down before slipping on your bikini or swimming trunks this summer, there’s one low-impact exercise you’ll want to add to your fitness routine—and thankfully it doesn’t involve any planks or abdominal crunches.

Publishing their findings in the peer-reviewed medical journal BMJ Open, researchers associated with South Korean and Chinese universities reviewed 10 weight loss studies that were conducted in Malaysia, Brazil, India, the U.S., and the Netherlands and were published between 2009 and 2021. A total of 286 participants between the ages of 20 and 70 years old were involved in the reviewed studies, and most exercised for an hour two or three times a week.

The researchers found that water aerobics—which includes aqua Zumba, water yoga, and aqua jogging—“significantly reduced” body weight and waist circumference in women, participants aged 45 years or older, and those who committed to exercising for at least 10 weeks.

Specifically, women who did water aerobics for 10 to 12 weeks lost about 6.6 pounds and a little more than an inch from their waist.

Though researchers did not find that overweight middle-aged men experienced significant weight loss, they speculate this could be because of a low number of male participants.

Notably, there was not enough information to make a clear statement on the effects of water aerobics on body mass index (BMI), lean mass, fat mass, waist-to-hip ratio, and hip circumference.

Participating in water aerobics classes is a great way to exercise without putting strain on your body or exacerbating existing injuries—something that can’t be said for many land-based exercises. And research has shown that water exercises have the potential to reduce stress, improve balance, and boost heart health, per the AARP.

For people wanting to trim their waistlines or see a lower number on the scale, there are plenty of good reasons to pursue water-based workouts, especially if you’re not someone who’s regularly exercised before.

“Anyone that’s getting into exercise, this is a great place to start,” Collin Kitchell, MD, a family medicine physician, told the Cleveland Clinic. “It’s easy, it’s fun, you get to get in the water, and it really limits the injury impact you could have due to the reduction of your weight being in the water with the buoyancy.”

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Emily Surpless
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Emily Surpless