Buoyancy Cuffs / Waist Belt

Buoyancy Cuffs are a versatile piece of water exercise equipment.  They are made of buoyant material and can be placed on the ankles, upper arms or in some cases joined together for a waist belt. 

Placement Options

It may be beneficial to begin by using a waist belt (or hook two cuffs together and use them around your waist as a belt). Wearing flotation around your middle does not present the same challenge to balance and alignment as using only cuffs on your ankles. It does, however, free your hands and feet for some terrific fun in the deep water.  

 Once you are more proficient with the exercises using the waist belt, you can shift to using cuffs on your ankles and increase the difficulty of your workout. It is recommended that a new user start in shallow water and progress to more difficult depths. 

 

It’s important to practice recovery skills in shallow water before going into deep water, so you will be able to return your body to ‘neutral’ without panicking. Neutral position is shoulders over hips, hips over heels, with cuffs basically under your shoulders. 

The buoyancy of cuffs (especially in deep water) requires you to master balancing skills, build core strength and develops coordination for overall body control. As I like to say – you need to know where YOU are in the water.

Cautions

•    Cuffs worn on the ankles require control. Deep water exercise is done in a vertical position. Cuffs must stay in that vertical alignment for balance and control.

•    Take care when doing exercises requiring extended limbs.  Always start out with bent arms or legs then extend if possible.  Shallow water walking in ankle cuffs is an exaggerated move.  The knee comes up then the leg extends out and forward.  Make sure your foot position is solid and you have landed solidly before taking the next step.

•    Put cuffs on (or adjust as a waist belt) while out of the water.