It’s important to be healthy and fit in order to get the most out of your life. Here are some top pool exercises to try this summer that will help you achieve your goals.
Photo by Yehor Milohrodskyi on Unsplash
If you are looking to get active or want to try something different, why not try out some pool exercises? Being in the water is fun, accessible no matter your age, and low-resistance.
Taking part in regular pool exercises is not only beneficial to your cardiovascular health but also to your mental health. Physically, you’ll notice your stamina improving. You’ll be able to maintain a healthy weight, build strength and tone your muscles. Mentally, it’s great for helping improve your sleeping pattern, reducing your anxiety, and is a good way to reduce your stress levels.
So, what exercises can you enjoy while in the pool this summer? From simple movements like walking in the water to jumping jacks and high-knee lift extensions, there are plenty of exercises you can try.
Walk in the Water
Walking in the water is a great way to start a session and is something a lot of exercise classes will include when they do a group workout in a pool. By starting with this, you can feel and get used to the resistance of the water, and it’s a good way to start beginners off. You can do this one of two ways - one, walk on the spot in the pool, or two, walk around the pool in a certain direction. Weights can be used to make this more difficult. We recommend walking for 5-15 minutes in order to get the most out of it.
Jumping Jacks
Jumping jacks are a cardio workout that will raise your heart rate while also working on your upper and lower body muscles. They are easily done, and the resistance of the water helps make them a little bit more difficult than doing them on land.
How to do jumping jacks:
1. Stand in the pool and move to a level where the water reaches your chest
2. Position your arms down your side and put your feet together
3. Jump and at the same time, extend your feet out and your arms above your head
4. Continue to repeat the movement
5. Do this for one minute, three times
High-Knee Lift Extensions
Regular high-knee lift extensions will help you build strength in your core muscles as well as your lower body. You’ll also benefit from a cardiovascular workout as your heart rate will continue to rise when doing regular high-knee lift extensions. Over time high-knee lift extensions will become easier the more you do them. When this occurs, you can attach ankle weights to your ankle to increase the difficulty and workout intensity.
How to do high-knee lift extensions:
1. Stand in the pool and move to a level where the water reaches your chest
2. Lift your left knee toward your chest
3. Bring your left knee down and simultaneously bring your right knee up to your chest (just like walking)
4. Continue the movement, but at a pace that feels comfortable for you
5. Do this for two minutes, three times
Squat Jumps
Squat jumps require more effort than other pool exercises, helping take your routine to the next level. When performing squat jumps, you’ll be working your leg, arm, core, and cardiovascular systems - essentially, it’s a full-body workout. You can reduce the complexity by simply squatting or jumping if you find them too difficult. Alternatively, increase the rest period between sets.
How to do squat jumps:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart
2. Start by performing a squat
3. As you are at the bottom of the squat, jump upwards quickly
4. When you land, jump again, repeating the movement
5. Do this for one minute, three times
Side-To-Side Hopping
This pool exercise will target your core muscles as well as your lower body. Side-to-side hopping will also work on your cardiovascular system helping your heart. No matter your ability, this is easily done. To increase the difficulty, you can increase the time limit or add ankle weights.
How to do side-to-side hopping:
1. Stand with your feet together
2. Engage your core muscles by tensing them
3. Jump to either your left side or your right
4. Jump back to your original position
5. Repeat this at an increased tempo
6. Do this for one minute, three times
Swimming Laps
If you are in a pool with others and you don’t feel like you have the space to do some of the pool exercises above, the simplest way to exercise would be to swim laps.
Swimming laps is great for burning calories, with the average person burning around 430-575 calories an hour when swimming leisurely. Depending on your ability and confidence, you can opt for breaststroke, front crawl, back crawl, or mix them up. The different strokes that you use will activate different muscles and work your body out in different ways. Try not to put too much pressure on the number of laps you are doing; the main benefit is that you are exercising.
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