
Aqua cycling is a unique workout that is making waves in Taipei’s Dazhi neighborhood. It’s a low-impact but high-intensity workout performed in a pool. FTV reporter Stephany Yang sat down with the founder of an aqua cycling studio to learn more about the sport!
Stephany Yang
FTV reporter
Have you tried aqua cycling before? We are currently at an aqua cycling center in Dazhi. Let’s try it out!
This is a spin class, but underwater. Riders hop on specially designed stationary bikes in a pool, using the resistance of water for a low-impact but high-intensity workout.
We go through different cycling exercises such as seated ride, standing ride, sprints, backward paddle, and resistance with paddles underwater.
Towards the end of class, we performed jumping jacks, side lunges, and squats.
Amy Wang
Founder
Traditionally, indoor biking focuses on the lower body like just legs and hips. But to us, upper body and core are equally important as your lower body so we try to add some hand movements that you just did that train your arms and back. Also, when you try to stand and ride aqua cycling, it trains your core. The main difference between aqua cycling and indoor cycling is that it doesn’t really matter what body shape you are or what age you are. Even if you have some hidden problem. Like myself, I have slipped disc. All you can do is just jump into the water and you can start it right away. This is the thing I really like about aqua cycling.
Amy Wang, the founder of the aqua cycling center, spent 11 years working in Singapore and another five in New York, specializing in public relations. Her journey into aqua cycling began five years ago when she passed by a class in New York. Later, she had a slipped disc that left her unable to walk. She gave aqua cycling a try, and was amazed by its therapeutic benefits. Inspired by her own recovery and passion for the workout, Amy moved back to Taiwan during the COVID pandemic and launched her own aqua cycling studio this May.
Amy Wang
Founder
I left Taiwan when I was 16. I spent most of my time overseas. I came back to Taiwan due to COVID-19. When I was abroad, I realized there were a lot of cool things that I wanted to bring to Taiwan. Aqua cycling is one of the most exciting things that I want to bring back because it actually saved me twice personally. What happened to me was that seven years ago, I had a serious slipped disc. I couldn’t even walk properly. By the time I tried all exercises or workouts, the different methods on land, but there is still pressure on my spine until I found aqua cycling. The water itself it helps to support my weight and however, the water resistance can still help me to train my muscles and gain my strength. At the same time, my joints and spine are still supported by water. I think that is one of the unique benefits of aqua cycling.
Wang says aqua cycling is gentle on joints, burns hundreds of calories, and is a combination of cardio, strength, and water resistance. Aqua biking is suitable for everyone, especially people recovering from injury, older adults, and pregnant women.
Amy Wang
Founder
The aquatic exercise fits all people. From different ages, body shapes, and body conditions. However, we want to target pregnant women, elderly people, and people who have joint and spine problems because to a healthy person, it is easy to find the right exercise. However, some people they do need more care and just need an easy exercise to start right away. That is the main target that we really want to focus on. During my pregnancy, I had really bad hip joint problems because of the weight of the baby, so I did weight training, prenatal yoga, and it helped to gain muscle, but it didn’t help with my hip joint pain. Until when our studio was ready and I was nine months pregnant, I started doing aqua cycling. In the water, I couldn’t feel any weight of my belly, which was a good thing. It was a huge relief to me. I could raise my leg easily and do some cardio. The most important thing is that I can finally feel relaxed like a normal person in water. This is a very unique, irreplaceable benefit of water that couldn’t be brought by other land exercises.
Whether you’re aiming to protect our joints, bounce back from an injury, or simply explore a fresh fitness experience, Wang hopes that her studio can be the new hot spot for aqua cycling.
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#aquacycling #biking #workout #underwater #rehab
一項獨特的運動正在台北大直掀起熱潮:水中飛輪。它是一種在泳池中進行的低衝擊但高強度的運動。一起來看看!
[[民視英語新聞記者 楊怡安]]
"你玩過水中飛輪嗎?我們現在就在大直的水中飛輪中心。來體驗一下吧!"
這是一堂飛輪課,不過是在水裡進行,在泳池裡踩著專門設計的自行車,利用水的阻力進行低衝擊但高強度的運動。
我們嘗試各種練習,例如坐姿騎行、站姿騎行、衝刺、向後劃槳以及在水下用槳進行阻力訓練。
課程快結束時,還做了開合跳、側弓箭步和深蹲。
[[創辦人 王秋婷]]
"傳統上來說,室內騎乘主要專注於下半身,例如腿部和臀部。但對我們來說,上半身和核心肌群與下半身同等重要,所以我們會嘗試加入一些你剛才做過的手部動作,來訓練你的手臂和背部。此外,當你嘗試站立進行水中騎乘時,它也能訓練你的核心肌群。水中騎乘和室內騎乘的主要區別在於,它並不真正影響你的體型和年齡。即使你身體有一些隱性的問題,像我,我有椎間盤突出。只需要進入水中,就可以馬上開始。這就是我真正喜歡在水中騎行的原因。"
水中飛輪的創辦人王秋婷曾在新加坡工作11年,並在紐約工作了5年。五年前,她偶然在紐約參加了一個水中飛輪課程,開啟了她對水中飛輪的探索之旅。後來,她患上了椎間盤突出症,無法行走。她嘗試了水中飛輪,發現療效出乎意料的好。受自身康復情況和對健身的熱愛的啟發,王秋婷在新冠疫情期間搬回台灣,並於今年5月開了自己水中飛輪中心。
[[創辦人 王秋婷]]
"我16歲離開台灣,大部分時間都在國外。因為疫情,我回到了台灣。在國外的時候,我發現有很多很酷的東西,想帶到台灣,水中飛輪就是其中之一,實際上它救了我兩次。七年前,我有嚴重的椎間盤突出症,甚至無法正常行走。我嘗試了所有的運動或健身方法,嘗試了陸地上的各種方法,但我的脊椎仍然受到壓力,直到我發現了水中飛輪。水本身有助於支撐我的體重,而水的阻力仍然可以幫助我訓練肌肉,增強力量。同時,我的關節和脊椎仍然受到水的支撐。我認為這是水中單車的獨特優點之一"
水中飛輪較不傷關節,還能燃燒數百卡路里,並且結合了有氧運動、肌力訓練和水阻力訓練。水中騎乘適合所有人,尤其是正在康復中的傷者、老年人和孕婦。
[[創辦人 王秋婷]]
"水上運動適合所有人,無論年齡、體型和身體狀況如何。我們的目標是孕婦、老年人以及有關節和脊椎問題的人,因為對於健康的人來說,找到合適的運動很容易。然而,有些人確實需要更多照顧,只需要一個簡單的運動就能立即開始。這才是我們真正想要關注的主要目標。懷孕期間,由於寶寶的體重,我的髖關節問題非常嚴重,所以我做了力量訓練和產前瑜伽,這些有助於增加肌肉,但對我的髖關節疼痛沒有幫助。直到我們的健身房準備就緒,我懷孕九個月時,我開始進行水中騎行。在水中,我感覺不到腹部有任何重量,這是一件好事。這對我來說是一個巨大的解脫。我可以輕鬆地抬起腿,做一些有氧運動。最重要的是,我終於可以在水中像正常人一樣感到放鬆。這是水上運動獨有的、不可取代的好處,也是其他陸地運動無法帶來的。"
無論你想保護關節、從傷病中恢復,還是只是想探索新的健身體驗,王秋婷希望她的水中飛輪工作室能夠成為新熱點。
更多新聞內容,請鎖定:
民視台灣台(152頻道)週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台(53頻道)週二至週六凌晨1:00
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