Pools aren’t just for kids. Water fitness can be a low impact way for adults to get some extra exercise. Read on to discover water-based exercises focused on improving balance and coordination, as well as some exercises that use natural water resistance for building muscle.
Spiderman
Defy gravity with this superhero inspired exercise. Stand near the pool’s edge. Sweep your hands back and forth to provide stability while you run up the pool wall and back down to the floor. Repeat several times, alternating your leading leg.
Pool Planks
Strengthen your core even if you have weak upper body strength. Hold a pool noodle in your hands parallel to your body. Press it down into the water until your head is just above the water, keeping that back straight for 1 – 2 minutes.
Noodle Exercises
Use pool noodles in a variety of exercises. Sit on a noodle in the water and bicycle yourself around the pool. Next, sweep your arms back and forth to move backwards. Lean back onto a noodle, legs extended, then pull your knees up to your chest in a crunch motion. Hold a noodle underwater at arm’s length, knees tucked to your chest. Shoot your legs out straight behind you into a plank, holding for up to a minute before repeating.
Double Leg Lift
Lean against the pool edge or on a noodle in water that is at least chest deep, arms extended along the sides. Lift your legs up to the surface, keeping them straight and together. Push your legs back down against your body’s natural buoyancy. Repeat several times.
Jumping Jacks
Water adds several degrees of difficulty to this simple exercise. Standing chest deep in water, do a jumping jack like you would out of water but don’t bring your hands out of the water. Bring your legs back together at the end, but continue immediately into the next interval, before your feet touch the pool floor. Do this in the deep end to add difficulty.
Water Weights
These take advantage of water’s resistance to help you build muscle. Hold a water weight at your waist and curl it up to your chest, keeping the whole movement underwater. Hold a pair of water weights at your hips then lift them outward and up to the surface in a lateral raise. Push them back down before they break the surface. Perform a front raise by holding your arms out parallel with the surface, water weight in hand. Press the weight down to your waist, keeping your arms straight. Lift the weight back up in the same motion, keeping the exercise under water. Don’t stop for rest to add difficulty.
