A swimming pool isn’t just for swimming! There are so many options for staying cool and fit with your pool. Water exercises deliver many health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, building strength, staying flexible, burning body fat and can even aid the healing of injuries. In addition, pool workouts are low impact so you can participate even if you have joint issues. Please don’t forget to consult your physician before beginning an exercise regimen.
There are a variety of aquatic exercises, so you’ll never get bored. Here are three of our favorite pool exercises to get you started on your fitness journey!
1. SWIM AEROBICS
Instead of huffing and puffing on your standard treadmill or elliptical in the gym, zap 11 calories a minute just by treading water in your own back yard! The water keeps you cool so you can exercise longer without the risk of overheating.
Some ideas to incorporate into your swim aerobics routine include water walking, jumping jacks, water-treading, side shuffle, scissor jumps and aquatic jogging.
2. WATER TRAINING
Using simple equipment such as a resistance band or hand weights, you can incorporate strength training with fat-busting cardio moves all in one session. For example, this “Hydro Belly-Blaster” routine can help you burn off calories, tone trouble spots and improve muscle strength in less than 30 minutes.
Water training is so effective that it’s been adopted by many professional athletes, including Olympic swimmers, to help them stay in top shape.
3. AQUA YOGA
Aqua yoga delivers the benefits of doing yoga while taking the weight off your joints so the poses feel more effortless and often helps release pain while stimulating the lymphatic system for effective detox.
Poses you can try include the North Star, Warrior II, Flowing Warrior and Half Moon.
Getting started is easy! You don’t need to make a big investment to get started with pool workouts; just a few hand weights (or filling a couple of milk jugs with water,) a couple of resistance bands and pool noodles can go a long way. Investing in water shoes is also a good idea to enhance your grip during exercise as well as a swimsuit that fits well and is comfortable.
