This isn’t just about the swimwear options for what to wear to water aerobics. There are many other essentials that are helpful for any aqua aerobics class.
Quote of the day: “The advice shouldn’t be to act your age. It should be to act your spirit. Your age may try to prohibit you from dancing like that, or starting over, or trying something new. But your spirit would never do such a thing. If something feels aligned, your spirit wants you to go for it, whether you’re 15 or 85. Acting your age makes you fit in more while acting your spirit will indeed cause you to stand out.” Light Watkins
What to wear to water aerobics
1-Swimwear-both summer & winter
2-Rash guards
3-Water Shoes
4-Hats
5-Sunscreen
6-Weights and extras
7-After the class
The first thing that comes to mind when you think about what to wear to water aerobics is having to put on a swimsuit. For many women that can be the reason, they don’t want to join a class like this. Hopefully, with a little perspective and lots of introspection, we will realize that our bodies are wonderful as is.
And moving our bodies in the water is a wonderful way to exercise while being friendly to our joints.
Besides, this water aerobics activity is meant to be fun and enjoyable. I always think of it as the fact that we get to go play in the water.
But don’t be tricked into thinking it’s not exercising. You can definitely get a good workout from it.
Do you need some perspective about feeling comfortable in your swimsuit? That’s what you’ll find in the Inspirational posts section of this article.
Spoiler alert: The MOST IMPORTANT thing to wear to water aerobics is a smile and a good attitude. Having fun is the best way to get a workout. For instance, our Sun City community has the best water aerobic classes because everyone is friendly and we all laugh!!
Other Inspirational Swimsuit Posts
A review of Target swimwear– Not all swimwear has to be expensive and I included the best quote.
Roita swimwear review– Older women talk about online swim choices.
How to love your body in swimsuit season-The simplest way to have a swimsuit body.
Swimwear for Water Aerobic
The most obvious essential for what to wear to a water aerobics class is your swimsuit. Yet, in all reality, you don’t automatically need a swimsuit. You could just as easily wear a lightweight pair of shorts, a sports bra, and a t-shirt.
Yet, since most people do wear a swimsuit for these classes, I will concentrate on the instructive essentials with options. Remember, what works for one person is different for another.
Summer Options
When you think about your swimwear for water aerobics, you want a suit that is going to stay in place since you will be jumping around.
For some women that would mean racerback suits or competitive swimming suits.
Yet for most water classes, it’s only as intense as you make it to be. I’ve seen women wearing strapless suits and they stay up just fine.
Insider tip: Those ruffled skirts that provide modesty with your swimsuit? They aren’t as important as what to wear to water aerobics. The extra fabric can make it difficult to move, and once you get out of the water, the extra material just hangs straight down and molds to your legs.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear them, just remember, it may not be the easiest option for water aerobics classes.
A couple of important factors for what to wear to water aerobics:
1-Chlorine-resistant swimsuits. These swimsuits should be resistant to chlorine as well as snagging and tearing.
2-Swimwear with higher neck coverage. These are helpful to save the skin on your decollete.
3-Shoulder-covered swimwear. There is swimwear that will cover your shoulders so you don’t have to worry about getting burned.
4-Rash guards & swim shirts. Adding these on top of your swimsuits is fabulous protection from the sun. Find a list of the 10 best rash guards by surfers. One piece of advice for considering them as what to wear to water aerobics is you might want to consider one size smaller than normal. When they are the size you are comfortable wearing normally, they can be too big in the water and float around the body.
Insider tip: Swim shirts can be worn outside of the pool too when you are outside and want to be protected from the sun. Think of them as a cute top to go with your shorts or jeans.
5-Tankinis. I prefer this type of swimsuit because they are more convenient for bathroom breaks. Remember just because it’s a two-piece doesn’t mean you have to bare your belly.
Insider tip: Don’t forget the trick of pulling your one-piece to the side instead of pulling it down for the bathroom break!
Winter Options
Depending on the season and weather when you are considering what to wear to water aerobics, you might need to consider wet suits.
Wetsuits come in many different varieties. There are short versions and long versions as well as thin ones and thicker ones.

Water Shoes
Don’t forget your feet when you are thinking about what to wear for water aerobics. Sure, you don’t need water shoes, but I like them because:
1-They keep the bottoms of my feet from getting scuffed up.
2-My toenail polish lasts longer.
3-The hot concrete around the pool doesn’t burn my feet.
There are basically two types of water shoes that work fabulously for any aqua aerobics class.
1-Thin-soled water shoes. These basically protect your feet from the concrete but don’t give you much cushion for jumping.
2-Thicker-sole water shoes. These can look like regular sneakers and can be worn for everyday walking excursions.
Hats
If your aqua aerobics class is outdoors, another essential to consider is a hat.
This is not the time to grab your large straw hat for sun coverage. Most times at a water aerobics class there will be a lot of water splashing and most straw hats do not do well getting wet.
In that regards the best types of hats are:
1-Bucket hats-Look for fun colors and brims to keep the sun off your face and neck.
BTW, Love Your Melon gives 50% of their NET profits from their sales to non-profit organizations that lead the fight against pediatric cancer.
2-Baseball caps-These are great for shading your face but beware of the back of your neck.
3-Rain hats-These are ideal for water aerobic class.
4–Corded hats– If you live in a windy area, consider finding a hat with a cord too.
Insider tip: You can add a cord to many of your existing hats, as I did to this one.
Since we are talking hats, it’s the perfect time to ask you to subscribe to my emails as you will get an eBook about wearing accessories. In addition, my email family gets personal tidbits of what’s going on in my life along with other happenings, sales, information, giveaways, extra photos, and interesting articles.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are as just as important as our suits and hats. The other protection our head can use if we are outside is sunglasses. The water reflects the sun easily and can be damaging to our eyes. Make sure your sunglasses protect your eyes from UV radiation.
Sunscreen
Any and every day should be a day that we wear sunscreen if you are following the recommendations from your dermatologist.
Natural sunscreens. The important factor to consider with your sunscreen is the ingredients. Since you are slathering it on your skin which is the biggest organ of your body, it’s good to find a sunscreen that is non-toxic.
Insider tip: Always check the expiration date of your sunscreen if you have some left from last year. The worst thing you can do is apply it thinking you are protected, and then it’s expired and doesn’t work and you get burned.
Related post: I compared many different brands of natural sunscreen
Weights & Extras for Aqua Aerobic Classes
There are all kinds of extras you can take to your water classes to give you more buoyancy, extra resistance, or both.
We have been to classes where they supply these extras and classes where you have to bring your own.
Having these extra items allows you to vary the intensity of your workout and make it harder if it seems too easy otherwise.
Here’s the breakdown
1–Pool Noodles are great to aid in floating for some of the leg exercises of water aerobics.
2–Floatation Devices are another way to add buoyancy without having to hold onto something. One of my instructors uses this one during class.
3–Aqua Gloves give you more resistance in the water.
4–Floatation Dumbbells are another way to add resistance and give you more workouts for your arms. There are different weights available.
5–Arm or Ankle Weights are nice because there are many you don’t have to hold onto them for extra resistance and weight.
After the Class
Once the class is over, you have to decide if you want to just cover up and go home in a wet swimsuit, or change out of your suit.
Those decisions can factor into what you wear to and from the class.
One of my favorite things to do is to wear my rash guard over my two-piece swimsuit with a pair of shorts to the pool.
After class, I can even change out of my wet swimsuit in public. First I remove the rash guard and then throw a large cover-up dress over the two-piece suit. I pull down the swim bottoms and put on my shorts. The swim top can be shimmied out of under the cover-up dress and voila, I’m nice and dry for the trip home.
Swim cover ups are the easiest thing to throw on after class. But don’t forget you may already have a tunic, scarf or shift dress that would already work.
Insider tip: Take a plastic bag or clear tote with you to put the wet pieces in.
Once you get home, the best thing you can do is rinse out your suit and hang it to dry. If you do this every time you are in the pool, you don’t need to put your swimsuit in the washing machine. This allows your swimwear to last longer.

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