Aquatic Fitness Exercises

A lot of people choose swimming as their favorite workout, but did you know there are other ways to exercise in the water? An in-pool workout session is capable of can give you a full-body exercise without the challenges that land-based activities pose.

If you love the sensation of being submerged in water, and you’re looking for new ways to improve your fitness, read on and explore the underwater world of exercise!

Pool Exercise Benefits

Your body will experience higher resistance in water than in air. This resistance will fully engage the body muscles and facilitate the burning of larger quantities of calories within the shortest time possible.

Aquatic exercises provide great cardio and also increase your flexibility, strength, and endurance.

Water buoyancy will give extra support to the muscles and your joints. This will enable an even harder workout and place a lesser impact on the body.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that aquatic exercises are essential to those people that have joint conditions like rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

It also is a recommended exercise for expectant women and people who have fibromyalgia, osteoporosis, and balance issues.

What Special Equipment will you need?

If you intend to take aquatic classes at any fitness center, the equipment you will require is likely to be provided by that facility. Just bring with you a swim cap, towel, and goggles.

If you intend to do a solo work out, you should purchase these gears:

• Wrist weights
• Foam dumbbells
• Resistance gloves
• Kickboard
• Buoyancy belt

Let’s take a look at some of the exercises you can try out.

Walking in water

This exercise helps you experience the feel of resistance. It targets your arms, lower body, and core. You can use ankle or hand weights to heighten the intensity.

How to do it:

• Start in shallow waters.
• Lengthen the spine and instead of tiptoeing, insert pressure on the heel, and then the toes.
• Ensure your arms are on your side and inside the water. While you walk, move them.
• As you continue walking, stand tall, and engage the core of your body.

Back wall gliding

This helps activate your lower body and core muscles.

How to do it:

• Hold the ledge of the pool, ensure your knees are tucked into the chest then press the feet inside the wall.
• Push from that wall then float far away on the back.
• Make sure to draw the knees to the chest, then press the feet to the pool bottom and head in the direction of the wall.
• Do this for around five to ten minutes.

Jumping Jacks

This exercise works the lower and upper body muscles.

How to do it:

• Stand in chest-high water.
• Begin with the arms at the side and feet together.
• Jump – move your legs outwards and simultaneously bring the arms over the head.
• Jump to go back to the original position.
• Do one to three sets of eight to twelve repetitions.

Water Arm lifting

This will strengthen your arm muscles. The use of dumbbells helps improve resistance.

How to do it:

• Stand in shoulder-high water.
• The dumbbells should be held at the side, and your palms should face up.
• Draw the elbows close to the torso while lifting the forearms to the water height.
• Make a rotation of the wrists.
• Put your arms back to the original position.

Lateral arm lifting

This targets the upper body. It is best done using foam dumbbells.

How to do it:

• Stand in shoulder-high water.
• Make sure to hold your dumbbells at the side
• Lift the arms to your side until they are at the same level as the shoulders and water.
• Lower the arms to the sides.
• Do 1 to 3 sets of 8 to 14 repetitions.

Leg Shots

This works the legs, lower back, and core.

How to do it:

• Keep the feet off the pool bottom.
• Keep your knees tucked in the chest.
• Press the legs and feet out and float on the back.
• Tuck the knees back in the chest.
• Press the legs out and float on the stomach.
• Do one to three sets of eight to twelve repetitions.

Lift Extensions (high-knee)

They strengthen the lower body and core muscles.

How to do it:

• Stand in waist-high water.
• Lift the right leg and bend the knee till the leg is at par with the level of water.
• Pause for some seconds with the leg lifted.
• Extend out your leg then stay in this position for some time.
• Lower the leg while maintaining its straight posture.
• Repeat with the left leg.
• Continue this exercise for five to ten minutes.

Leg Kicks

It works the leg and core muscles.

How to do it:

• Hold onto your pool ledge.
• Flutter-kick the legs.
• Scissor-kick the legs.
• Use your legs to do breaststroke kicks.
• Perform dolphin kicks.
• Each kick should last for one to three minutes.