6 Water Aerobic Exercises to Get Fit at The Pool
Water aerobics is a great way to burn calories and strengthen your muscles simultaneously. It is also much safer than other options like treadmills and elliptical machines.
Group aquatic fitness classes typically feature water aerobics led by a professional instructor in a larger gym. These are a good way to have fun while burning calories during your workout, and they can also help some with their breathing during exercise.
If you’re looking for a low-impact form of exercise that doesn’t require any equipment, water aerobics are a great activity to try out. You can follow the basics on YouTube or in this article and do various exercises that get your body moving and your heart beating! Playing in the water will burn calories and keep you active. The water’s buoyancy will reduce the impact of your workouts so you can make them last longer.
1. Walk-in Water
Sometimes it’s hard to believe how much water is all around us. Whether you’re in a pool or just taking a nice stroll along the shore, you’ll find it difficult to go on land without feeling resistance with every step. Water is a key element in your body’s exercise routine. It’s found everywhere and it differs in how it interacts with other elements of your body. By using wrist weights while you walk, you can increase the intensity of your workouts, while also improving your muscle strength and balance. Improving your writing can be frustrating and time-consuming, but you can make a huge impact by following these guidelines to achieve the best results.
- Begin swimming in the shallow area of the pool, where the water hits your waist.
- A great way to elongate the spine and keep your core muscles engaged is by walking, which can also help with stress.
- When walking, make sure your feet are planted on the ground, but not using your heels first. Follow along with a heel-first walk: ball of the first foot in front, and heel landing heavily on the ground. Walk for about ten steps like that. If it feels comfortable and natural to do so, then feel free to walk without your heels touching the ground.
- Keeping your arms in the water and moving them as you walk will provide you with a workout for your biceps, triceps, and deltoids. The result will be great strength gains in a short period!
- If you walk in the water for about 5 to 10 minutes, it’s a great warm-up for your other water aerobic exercises that you’ll perform afterward.
When you’ve increased your fitness levels, you can make your walking speed more intense by increasing the intensity of your workouts. You can also try running in a zig-zag pattern to create a more intense cardio workout and burn more total calories.
2. Straddle a Noodle
For this exercise, get a floating pool noodle and straddle it with your legs in the deeper part of the pool. Imagine if you are sitting on a horse. To get a good workout, pedal your feet in the water as fast as possible while opening and closing your arms at the same time. These noodles tend to want to rise, so it can be a bit of a challenge to keep these noodles down.
To keep your spine healthy, don’t sit up straight to cheat. When your core stays active, you will be able to stay stable on the beam. Challenge yourself with this water aerobics workout for five to ten minutes. As you straddle the noodle, you’ll also strengthen your upper chest and arms. This is a fun activity that feels challenging because it’s difficult to keep your balance and work at the same time!
3. One-Legged Balance
This aquatic exercise lives up to its name by letting you hold your weight on one leg with your other leg’s knee up. Though this sounds simple, this will make your core and leg muscles stronger. Single leg work is very good for strengthening and toning. This exercise also helps you improve your balance, reducing the risk of falls and injuries in your everyday life.
To execute this movement, stand in waist-deep water and lift one knee. Make sure you place a pool noodle under the middle of the best foot. The sides of the noodle will float up, making a U shape. Keep your hand on the side and balance with one foot up for as long as you can. Finally, you can switch legs and repeat the exercise on the other leg.
If you want an added challenge, you can try lifting both your arms above your head as you balance on one leg. If you have friends in the pool exercising with you, ask them to swim in circles around you. They will create tiny currents that will make this balancing movement a lot tougher to hold.
4. Do the Spiderman
It’s hard to get in a superhero workout when you work full time. That’s why they’ve made it easy with this pool wall move that lets you pretend to climb the wall as Spiderman would. It’ll be fun and surprisingly a good workout too. This challenging move will strengthen your core and back muscles.
To successfully execute this exercise, you must stand near the edge of the pool without falling in. You should first jump and run up-and-down the swimming pool wall, then you will do four Spiderman moves in a row before returning to your original position.
5. Tuck Jumps
Tuck jumps are great for individuals who want to work out with water fitness classes. They’re challenging and easy to learn and have a lot of benefits like assisting with weight loss.
If you want to work on some stability, like the tuck jump and layup, practice it each time you jump! It’s important to strengthen those legs and arms, especially before any athletic event.
This movement can be repeated multiple times during your water aerobics routine, for a good cardio workout. It can also be made more difficult by tucking jumps in the deeper end where your feet will not touch the pool floor. This is the time of struggle when people have to make hard decisions in between not-so-easy jumps. Most people prefer this option because it can relieve anxiety and keep your mind occupied.
Read more articles: Water Aerobics: Why Taking a Dip Can Improve Your Health
6. Water Zumba Class or Group Aquatic Class
Few workouts are more fun than a water Zumba class. It combines the benefits of dance, fun songs, and a good cardio workout. Best of all, these classes have a party atmosphere so you won’t feel like it’s a workout when you’re splashing wildly with your friends!
Get the Most Out of Your Workouts
A few tips to help you get the most out of your water aerobics are to wear shoes designed for exercise and to pay attention to the temperature of the water. Also, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout your workout. Water shoes are great for people who work out by lifting weights, running, or power-walking.
They are perfect for staying active. Remember to hydrate before and after your workout, as well as throughout the day when you’re not exercising. It can be difficult to work out in a swimming pool because you don’t even notice you’re sweating in the water. Aquatic workouts are an excellent way to stay focused on your health and get in shape.
They offer a solid cardio and strength workout, which strengthens major muscles in the body. It is especially helpful to exercise in water if you have joint issues or you’re recovering from an injury. Before you try any new fitness routine, it’s best to talk to your professional trainer or head to your local health club for an appointment. You can also test your performance with the Circle DNA test so you know what workout will benefit you most.
Originally published at https://fitnessgeekpro.com on May 7, 2022.