Have you ever participated in or thought about doing pool workouts? Water aerobics classes have been around for decades. They are often considered an exercise modality for the older and injured, or those with medical problems.
This trend is changing with new water training classes. These high-intensity, lively group exercise classes are attracting the young, able-bodied fitness crowd.
Continue reading this article to learn about water exercises that tone your body.
Benefits of Pool Workouts
Experts recommend swimming and water exercise because it uses the whole body at once. Every muscle and joint moves through a range of motion. It’s difficult to achieve this exercise benefit on dry land.
Water workouts provide a cushioning effect. Unlike many fitness routines, the body increases in strength and tone without impact on joints. This benefits people of all ages.
Pool workouts can help you achieve weight loss or maintenance goals. In fact, swimming for one hour can burn between 400 and 950 calories. If you have your own pool, you can get a great workout without any gym membership cost.
Water Workouts to Try in Your Pool
Are you interested in using your pool for health and fitness reasons? Here are some exercises to get you started.
1. Walking
Don’t worry if you aren’t a swimmer. Walking in the water provides 12 to 15 times more body resistance than walking on land. This means you may burn about three times the number of calories at a moderate pace walking in the water.
This activity can be done in shallow to deep water. Deepwater running provides a higher level of resistance and increased fitness benefits.
2. Treading Water
If your pool is deep enough, you can do treading water exercises. Tread water as hard as you can for 30 seconds and then rest by floating. Repeat this exercise 30 times.
3. Jumping Lunges
To work on toning your thighs and not putting a strain on your knees, try these lunges. Get in waist-deep water, with your hands on your hips.
Step forward with your right leg and bend your left knee toward the bottom of the pool. Then jump up and change legs and lunge on the left. Repeat this about 15 to 20 times.
4. Leg Swings
This is a great exercise to strengthen your hip joint and legs. Stand in waist-deep water. Keeping your leg straight, swing one leg forward. Then push it back down to standing as fast as possible against the water resistance.
Next, move your leg in the same fashion to the side and then to the back. Repeat on the other leg. Complete about 10 to 15 cycles.
5. Water Jogging
This exercise provides an aerobic exercise, meaning your heart rate and breathing increase. Experts consider aerobic exercise the most important part of fitness.
Studies report that individuals who practice aerobic exercise on a regular basis live longer. They also have a greater work capacity and decreased risk for heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.
Squat in waist- or rib-deep water. Jump up and “jog” as fast as you can. Try to jog for one minute, rest 15 seconds, and repeat two more times.
6. Trunk Exercises
Building your torso or “core” muscles helps improve posture and balance. To work these muscles, float on the water and then change position so you are vertical. Repeat this movement as fast as you can, working against the water resistance.
7. Water Squats
Stand in waist-deep water with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat as low as you can, pushing your buttocks back, and then stand or jump up.
Repeat this exercise several times. Work on increasing the speed of your upward motion.
8. Backward Exercise
In this exercise, you will move backward in waist- to chest-deep water. Walk or jog backward while pushing arms from front to back. As you keep moving backward, let your arms float forward.
Once your arms are back front, repeat the arm movement. Complete this cycle about 12 to 15 times. Make sure that you keep your shoulders down and back during this exercise.
To increase the aerobic benefit of this exercise, increase your speed moving backward.
9. Long Lunges
In knee- to waist-deep water, take the longest step forward you can take. Your back foot should stay in place and you should bend your forward knee to achieve a lunge position.
Focus on making long, quick strides that create water resistance. This works the leg muscles and core strength. It also becomes aerobic when you move at a fast pace.
10. Wall Bounders
Stand in the shallow end of the pool. Run up to the wall and quickly place both feet on the wall. Then push backward as hard as you can so you are in a face-up position on the water. Stand up as fast as you can and repeat the exercise.
For a more intense workout, lift the feet higher on the wall before pushing off. You can even use an elastic tether.
Attach the tether to the side of the pool and hold it in your hands. When you push off, you will be working against the water and tether resistance.
Cool Down
Once you finish your workout, allow your body to relax and cool down. Walk or swim at a slow pace around in the water, or float moving your arms.
This allows your heart rate and respiration to return to normal. Your muscles also have a chance to gently move to a more relaxed state as opposed to abruptly stopping.
Do You Want to Have Your Own Pool?
Wouldn’t it be great to be able to take a swim whenever you want? Are you interested in pool workouts to tone your body? Having your own pool allows you to work out on your schedule in the privacy of your own home.
Sahara Contractors & Custom Pools builds custom pools to meet your preferences and goals. We design each pool to uniquely fit your taste and financial needs. Contact us today for a free estimate consultation.
