Working out in a pool is infinitely more rewarding than working out on dry land. It refreshing, easy on your joints, and fun! Aquatic exercises can burn fat and they’re healing, too, easing symptoms for arthritis and fibromyalgia sufferers. Water is one of the best fitness tools there is. It provides resistance which strengthens muscles and boosts cardio intensity.
The water supports some of your weight and makes working out easier on your body and largely reduces your chances of an injury, especially if you are overweight, or out-of-shape. Your bones are not forced to bear a heavy load and so it is a safer option for most people.
Pool Workouts
Pool workouts give you better balance, agility, and endurance. It’s a great way to boost your confidence and get your foot into the fitness world. Pool exercises are great fat burners; you can burn a greater level of calories in a shorter time in the pool in comparison to dry land. The best part about it? Working out in water doesn’t feel like work.
Water Workout Tips
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- Stay in the Shallow End: Don’t go in deeper than waist-high. That way your feet will have good contact with the pool floor and your leg muscles will be able to support some of your weight.
- Dress Appropriately: Try wearing water shoes, and webbed gloves to improve traction and resistance.
- Hydrate: Drink lots of water during and after your workout. Most people don’t realize that they can dehydrate just as quickly in a body of water as they can on land.
Exercises
Wall Crawls
I know this sounds weird, but it really works. Climb those pools walls like you’re James Franco in 127 hours. Whoops, bad example. This exercise will help you defy gravity in a way that just isn’t possible on land. It also uniquely challenges specific muscles in your body.
What to do:
- Stand in water at the side of the pool.
- Stabilize your upper body by sweeping your hands back and forth as you run your legs up the side of the pool and back down to the pool floor.
- Do 4 Spiderman exercises, alternating the leading leg each time you reach the end of one circuit.
Water Plank
Planks, along with crunches are the go-to core strengthening exercise. Well, turns out planks can be incredibly effective when done in water, especially if you are lacking in upper body strength. The plank will boost your endurance and the water pushing on you will increase the challenge to your core.
What to do:
- Stand on the pool floor.
- Hold a “noodle” vertically in both hands.
- Press it straight down into the water and lean forward until your body is on an even incline. (Your head stays out of the water).
- Try to keep yourself stable for 1 to 2 minutes.
Crazy Cardio
This isn’t your average, run of the mill jogging session. This takes jogging to a whole new level. How? by creating several currents in the pool and then running through them, you’ll strengthen all your core stabilizing muscles. Make sure you run with the proper alignment, your ears, shoulders, and hips should all remain in one vertical line. This will force your core to do the work of keeping you upright, not your shoulders or your legs.
What to do:
- Run in a zigzag pattern from one end of the pool to the other.
- Then run straight through all the currents you’ve just created.
- Do 3-minute intervals, alternating with something less cardio-intensive, such as Pool Plank and wall crawls.