Theory of Aquatic Gymnastics

Abstract

Recently, programs of “aquatic exercise” which comprehensively aim at enhancing the effect of exercise have been socially accepted as exercise programs. However, although general theories of aquatic exercise have partial consistency in their objectives and claims, we have to judge that it is at this moment difficult to find a basic theory which comprehensively covers the whole aspect. Therefore, we have tried to construct a “theory of aquatic gymnastics” in a broader sense which comprehensively includes the characteristics of each of them, in order to accomplish the development of “aquatic gymnastics as lifelong sports” in Japan, laying a hand on the relation with the type of sports or competitive sports accepted as the established exercise culture. As a prevailing concept, “aquatic exercise program” generally means a group of exercises which aim at fitness maintenance/enhancement or enhancement of training effects. We, however, collectively named a group of aquatic exercises “aquatic gymnastics”, by adding the character of the exercise culture which aims at “enjoyment in exercise itself” such as found in “gymnastic exercise” or “dance”, and by envisioning a broader concept based on the culture of “German gymnastics”.