All of us are so excited for the summer and want nothing more than to spend all of our free time next to the pool. Which can make wanting to hit the gym a challenge. Luckily, there are plenty of exercises you can do while you are enjoying the sun that doesn’t even feel like a workout. Here are six pool exercises to try:
SHALLOW WATER (Roughly Waist High)
Exercise: Squat Jumps
How To: The higher the water you are in, the tougher this exercise gets. Do a regular jump squat and do your best to explode out of the water. Land back in the squatted position and do it again.
What It Does For You: These will help you be more dynamic and explosive in your jumps. It is also less impact on your body. Honestly, you are burning calories while it feels like you are just splashing and jumping around in the water!
Exercise: High Knees
How To: Going as quickly as possible, bring your knees as high up out of the water as you can. Think about bringing knees to chest (one leg at a time). Like running in place, with focus on getting your knees up as high as possible. Keep your abs tight. Make sure you are pumping your arms.
What It Does For You: The resistance of the water will slow you down, but you will be working in overtime to go against the water. This is great cardio, helps build power in the legs, and is great for your inner thighs and hip flexors.
DEEP END
Exercise: Deep Water Running
How To: Using an Aqua Jogger is ideal, but honestly you can just use a noodle and make it work. Try and simulate how you regularly run. Stride and pump your arms. Your strides will be much slower than on land but you are still putting in the effort. You are not touching the bottom of the pool. You are imitating what you would do on the ground but you are floating in the water.
What It Does For You: This is a great way to get in an amazing workout with no impact, thus making it a fantastic option for anyone with injuries or bad joints. (I am 24 but I swear my joints are 75)
Exercise: Wall Sit Ups
How To: Throw your feet onto the edge of the pool so the bottom of your legs are out of the pool and your back is in the water. Crunch up and bring yourself out of the water. Control the movement back down and don’t go splashing into the water.
What It Does For you: It is what you make of it, but it is going to strengthen your core just like any ab exercise. The benefit is if you are doing the rest of your workout in the water, you don’t have to get out to do abs.
Exercise: Bottom Water Explosions
How To: Dive/get down to the bottom of the pool. Squat down, pause, and explode as hard as you can upward using just your legs. It is as simple as that! (Keep Your Abs Tight)
What It Does For You: This is a power movement, great for legs.
Exercise: Treading Water
How-To: Level 1: Use Your Hands and feet to keep your head above water.
Level 2: Lift Your hands out of the water and use just your legs to keep you afloat.
Level 3: Putting your hands back in, put your legs together and push your toes above the water so you’re body is in a V shape. Try and stay floating by just using your arms.
What It Does For You: It is up to you. Depending on how fast you are moving your hands and legs is how many calories you burn. The faster you go the more you burn. Your heart rate should be raised and thus should give you cardiovascular results.
You can make these as easy or hard as you want. You can even do them while you are talking with friends. It doesn’t have to be a hassle to get a workout in, and you don’t have to be drenched in sweat at the gym wishing you were by the pool. You don’t have to miss the party or the workout when you can do both at the same time!
Featured Image via Pixabay.
