Swimming pools are fun. That is a statement that carries with it the “no kidding” factor, right? Well, if you have a swimming pool and want to get in shape and be healthier, you can blast fat in the pool and avoid injuries. When you’re running or working out at the gym, the chance is there that you could injure yourself and be out of commission.
When you work out in a swimming pool, you’re not only being cushioned by the water, but you’re also using the resistance of the water to enhance the workout you’re getting. It’s a win-win all day! Pool workouts and water aerobics are fun, cool and non impact way to lose weight. No matter what the temperature is outdoors, you can workout in the pool. Just make sure you stay hydrated while you’re swimming — even though you’re surrounded by water.
Pool Exercise Advantages
It may not seem like you’re getting much of a workout when you do exercise in the swimming pool but you are! Looks are deceiving. Pool exercises provide a myriad of benefits. What are some of those in-pool exercise advantages? Here are a few:
Endurance
Working out in a swimming pool means you’re pushing and pulling against the “weight” of the water and that’s adding resistance to the workout without risk of injury. A pool workout builds muscle strength and endurance.
Building endurance enhances your cardiovascular system. When your blood is pumping through your body you’re helping move toxins through the system and out of your body and you’re also giving your heart a workout.
Fat burning
You need to burn close to 4,000 calories to lose a pound of fat. That’s a lot! A one hour swimming pool workout helps you burn as much as 600 calories; you can see why people who swim every day lose weight! Consider too, that you don’t have to be specifically undergoing an exercise to routine to reap the pool benefits — playing with your children, swimming laps or playing in pool volleyball games all burn calories!
Low-impact with high impact!
Pool water makes your body buoyant. This means the workout places less stress on your muscles and joints BUT still offers high impact! You’re minimizing the risk of injury while maximizing workout time.
Muscle strengthening
Working out in a pool offers more than 40 times the resistance than working out on land. This means your muscles are working harder in the swimming pool. You’re burning more calories and not risking injury.
Stress relief
Any kind of exercise helps rest your mind and body. A workout releases endorphins and that helps you feel good and reduces your stress levels. When you combine this with the natural relaxation properties immersing yourself in the water provides and you can see how a before bedtime slow swim will help you sleep better. Swimming after a stressful day will help alleviate the stress and make you feel better.
No age limit!
The best part of working out in the swimming pool is that no matter your age, you can work out in the pool. If you have been a couch potato you can start a swim workout and help get into shape. You don’t even need to know how to swim to workout in a pool. Stay in the shallow end, wear a life vest and reap the benefits of the in pool workout.
Fat-Blasting Pool Workouts And Healthy Tips
We’ve put together a list of pool exercise and all-around healthy tips!
- Jogging This is one of the easiest and most effective fat-burning pool exercises. You can burn up to 20 calories a minute! It’s easy — jog across the pool, back and forth. Jog fast, then to a slow jog. Interval training at its best. Carry free pool weights to amp up the exercise.
- Chaos running This is an advanced version of water jogging. Rather than jogging in a straight line, jog across your pool in a zigzag pattern. This creates currents in the pool, increasing the resistance which will help further strengthen all your core stabilizing muscles.
- Interval training Any kind of interval training is ideal for quick weight loss. Interval training can help you slim down more quickly. Do short bursts — high intensity, then slow it down. Bursts of workouts like this help you burn up to 300 calories!
- Push-up planks If you can do this without your head going underwater, then it’s a great workout. Go to the shallow end, put your hands on the top step and get into a plank position. Hold that pose. Then lift your right leg and your left arm, and hold that pose. Switch and lift your left leg and right arm. Hold it. Do sets of ten reps then work your way up.
- Lunges To do a lunge, stand in the shallow end and take long, lungeing steps. Lower yourself until your thigh is parallel to the floor. Switch legs and try it again. Do this ten times per leg and work your way up.
- Fetch Throw an inflatable pool ball from one side of the pool to the other. Jog toward it and grab it. Throw it from the shallow end to the deep end, jog until you have to swim, then swim to grab it. Do this as a sprint. This can burn an additional 175 calories in about twenty minutes.
- Beach ball sinking Try to submerge a floating beach ball. It’s not as easy as it sounds, but it is fun! This workout works the core and upper body. e your upper arm and shoulder muscles.
- Arm presses Water resistance firms up flabby arms and strengthens and tones shoulders and upper back muscles. Stand in chest-deep water with your palms open and your fingers spread apart. Move your arms back and forth and up and down. Slowly increase the speed as you do this. Use free weights if you want to add the challenge further.
- Shuffle slides This tones inner and outer thighs. Place your hands on your hips, spread your legs so they are shoulder width apart. Bring your left leg toward your right leg in a quick, but smooth, movement so that you’re standing with your feet close together. Spread your right leg so that they are once again shoulder-length apart, and repeat. Do this until you reach the other end of your pool.
Get the Most Out In-Pool Time
some pool exercises are harder than others. Some pool exercises can be made more challenging by adding in workout equipment. Other times you just want to play in the pool and not necessarily “exercise” and that is great because you’re still sneaking in a workout. Sshhh, don’t tell anyone!
Here are ways to make sure you reap optimum rewards from your pool workout.
Free weights
One of the biggest mistakes people make when doing pool exercises is believing that doing laps around the pool is enough to lose weight. Yes, it’s better than not doing anything, but you need to get your hard pumping in order to burn calories.
Alternate using weights with other exercises that focus on resistance training and using free weights can help build and tone your muscles, which, in turn, helps speed up your body’s fat-burning capability.
Music
Music affects mood. When you’re working out, play your favorite music. Keep note of the music you play, though. Sometimes slow music will not motivate you to move quickly. You may need fast, hard-rocking music to get you fired up and working out!
Use slow, relaxing music to cool down and recover. Look for waterproof earbuds or invest in floating speakers.
Carbo loading
Eat carbs before your workout. Carbs provide your body the fuel it requires to sustain itself through a high intensity workout.
Break it up
Alternate high-intensity exercises with short breaks to help lose weight faster, and increase your cardiovascular endurance level.
Do your pool exercises in waist-deep water
Unless you are doing laps or treading pool exercises, make it a point to do your pool workout routine in waist-deep water. This will provide your body with enough resistance to get the most of your water aerobics. At the same time, your feet will still get good contact on the pool floor to help you stay well-balanced throughout the different pool exercises.
Wear water shoes
Water shoes prevent you from slipping while exercising. They help improve traction and add more resistance, resulting in providing your more intense pool workouts.
Drink chocolate milk
A study published in the Journal of Exercise Physiology, drinking a glass of low-fat chocolate milk immediately after a workout helps your body recover faster compared to drinking commercial recovery drinks.
Get a good night’s sleep
No matter how intense your pool exercise routines are, if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, it wouldn’t help you lose weight one bit. Poor sleep can negatively impact your endurance and recovery.
Keep in mind that a pool workout just might help you sleep better — it’s a great cycle to get into.