Water exercises offer all the benefits of dry gyms, without the impact, and are especially beneficial for those with weighty issues.

A WATER gym?

Yes, all our equipment is inside the water ... treadmills and all, David Gan nods.

Ive heard of aqua aerobics classes and water workouts but a water gym was something new. Together with two colleagues former competitive swimmer Tan Shiow Chin and fitness enthusiast Fiona Ho I trot off to try a session at the recently opened Water Aerobic Gym in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

A smiling Gan and Khoo Chun-Yi, both sports science graduates, personal trainers and supervisors at the gym, greet us. The place is small, with two pools (one freshwater and the other sanitised by a saltwater chlorination system) and, yes, the fitness equipment were in the pool.

These rust-free contraptions, all imported from Italy, include a hydro bike, treadmills and a moon walker. There are also floatation restraints like the hand paddles, water dumbbells, noodles, kayak paddles and a range of other items.

A former engineer and a keen water sports enthusiast, proprietor Gary Chua decided to start the water gym in April this year. He owns an above-ground pool business and decided to venture into the water gym business as an extension of the pool business. He reckons there is a market for it.

There isnt a fully-equipped water gym in this region but its growing in popularity in western countries, claims Chua, 49. Its also a good way to promote the usefulness of a home-sized pool (6m-9m) that has limited swimming capacity.

Water helps lessen the impact on the joints but gives you the same benefits of a dry workout, and is suitable for pregnant and elderly people. And you dont need to know how to swim.

The first recorded history of water workouts dates back to the early 1980s when American runners, who suffered bone, muscle and joint problems as a result of too much pounding on the pavement, were introduced to water workouts. Using a buoyant belt to hold their bodies in proper alignment, they would run in the pool as a form of training.

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Weight problems? Try the water gyms