Drag equipment comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. Drag is the resistance you feel to movement in the water. There is friction between the water molecules (viscosity) causing them to adhere to each other. This friction causes resistance to motion. Sweep your hand through the water, and that resistance you feel is drag. You can increase the amount of drag by increasing your speed of movement or by increasing the surface area of your hand. Do this by spreading the fingers slightly and make your palms face the direction of motion. Drag equipment increases the surface area even more. If the surface of your drag equipment has bumps, edges, fins or other irregularities, these create eddies, or currents that move in directions different from the current you are creating by the direction of your movement. Turbulence is created when the eddies become chaotic. Drag, eddies and turbulence all increase resistance and can effectively provide overload to improve muscular strength and endurance.
The muscles of the human body are primarily organized in pairs. When one muscle of the pair (the prime mover) contracts or shortens, the opposite muscle lengthens or stretches. When you return to your starting position, the opposing muscle contracts and becomes the prime mover, while the opposite muscle stretches. When you use drag equipment you are providing resistance to the muscle that is contracting. You do not have to get into any special positions to work both muscles because, unlike buoyant equipment, drag equipment provides resistance in every direction. There is resistance moving the equipment down toward the pool floor, lifting it up toward the surface of the water, sweeping it from side to side, moving it in diagonal patterns, and rotating it in circles. You can target every muscle group with drag equipment. That is why I am a big fan of drag equipment.
Here are a few examples of drag equipment, where to buy them, and a short video demonstration of an exercise using the equipment:
Webbed gloves. Webbed gloves are the easiest piece of drag equipment to use. Just slip them on and start your workout. The resistance is light enough that you can use webbed gloves for an entire class without risking an injury. Webbed gloves can be used in both shallow and deep water. Many of my participants bring their own gloves to class. Hydro-Fit gloves cost $19.95 a pair. Click on rotator cuff sweep for a video demonstration of one exercise using webbed gloves.
Boqs. Boqs are a brand new piece of drag equipment. They are advertised as omnidirectional, resistive aquatic exercise equipment that is big enough to create more and more resistance the faster you use them – challenging every major muscle group in your body. You can use them in shallow or deep water, which I presume means that they float. I have not seen them nor had an opportunity to test them out, but they look interesting. A pair costs $44.99. They are so new that no video demonstrations are yet available.
Hydro-Tone hydro bells. Hydro-tone bells have been around for a long time. They are large with multiple surfaces, fins and openings which create a lot of turbulence. They offer a lot of resistance. By doubling your speed of movement you can quadruple the resistance. All that resistance makes them popular with athletes. They can be used in shallow water, but you cannot create enough stability to handle that much resistance in deep water. A pair costs $79.95 on the Hydro-Tone website. Click on push-pull for a video demonstration of one exercise using Hydro-Tone hydro bells.
Aqualogix Training Bells. Aqualogix bells have three surfaces, fins and openings to create turbulence. There is a handle on the inside, and if you hold it one way, the fin is on the bottom and a flat surface is on the top, creating a larger surface area and more resistance for forward and upward moves. Hold the handle the other way and the fin is on top with the flat surface on the bottom, creating more resistance for backward and downward moves. They come in three sizes, low, medium and high resistance. I love my low resistance Aqualogix bells, and have used them with my participants in circuit classes. They float and the equipment is suitable for deep water as well as shallow. They are sold for $74.95 a pair by Hydro Revolution. Click on cross-country ski for a video demonstration of one exercise using Aqualogix training bells.
Liquid Stars. Liquid stars are buoyant equipment that can be used like drag equipment. They are a fun piece of equipment with a smiley face in the middle. You can put your fingers through the smile or put a finger through each eye hole. The yellow small stars and blue medium stars are sold as pairs. The red large star is the size of a small kickboard and is sold as a single. You can use them in shallow or deep water. They are sold by Indigo Aquatics for $26 for a pair of small stars, $30 for a medium pair, and $25 for a large one. Click on suspended push for a video demonstration of one exercise using liquid stars.
Aqua Ohm. The Aqua Ohm was created by a licensed physical therapist who wanted a piece of drag equipment that could be used for both upper body and lower body. It is made of a flexible flat surface with three handles. Two handles are fixed on the ends. The third handle is movable and can be used to adjust the length of the equipment. The website has a lot of information about how to use it. My shallow water class enjoys using the Aqua Ohm. Since it does not float, it is not appropriate for deep water. It costs $36.95 on the Aqua Ohm website. Click on biceps curl for a video demonstration of one exercise using an Aqua Ohm.
AquaFlex Paddle Water Fans. Paddles have a handle with a round fan on each end. The fans have adjustable blades that you can fully open for the least resistance or fully close for the most resistance. You can also adjust them to be partially open. I have been using them successfully with my shallow water class for years. Since they do not float, they cannot be used in deep water. You can get them from Theraquatics for $32.99 for a pair. Click on chest fly for a video demonstration of one exercise using AquaFlex paddle water fans.
This list of drag equipment is not exhaustive, but it gives you an idea of the variety that is available. Like any piece of equipment used in the pool, consider the safety of your participants. Choose a size that offers overload for strength training but is not so large that good form is compromised. Use the equipment for a section of your class, or alternate drag equipment sets with sets using no equipment to avoid overtaxing your shoulder stabilizers. Water Fitness Progressions has strength training lesson plans for webbed gloves, paddles, and drag bells, as well as circuit classes using them.
Let me know what your favorite kind of drag equipment is in the comment section below. See you in the pool!
Chris Alexander
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