How To Use Your Pool to Keep Fit
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There are a whole host of advantages to having a swimming pool built in your backyard.
In addition to providing a fun place to splash around with your loved ones, a swimming pool can also help swimmers stay fit and healthy.
That’s because there is a range of swimming pool exercises that can be done in the water that aid fitness.
Whether you’re looking for swimming pool exercises for beginners or options to freshen up your workout routine, in this article the team here at Claffey Pools will explain how you can use your pool to keep fit.
Benefits of swimming pool exercises
Swimming pool exercises offer a wide range of benefits. Primarily, this is because water offers more resistance than air, meaning that exercises that are fairly simple on land can be more challenging in the water, so muscles are better engaged and calories more easily burned.
Pools offer a great cardio workout with a particular emphasis on strength, endurance, and flexibility. Plus, water can provide great support for muscles and joints which means people are able to work out harder while putting less strain on their body.
Let’s take a look at some of the swimming pool exercises you can try in the comfort of your own backyard.
Swimming pool exercises for legs
Unsurprisingly, your legs get a good workout in swimming pools. Exercises you can try to specifically target your legs include:
Leg shoots
This is a dynamic exercise that targets your core, lower back and legs. Start by keeping your feet off the ground and tucking your knees into your chest. Next, float on your back and push your feet and legs out in front of you. Then, bring your knees back to your chest and press your legs behind you so you’re on your stomach. Repeat this process as many times as you like.
Leg kicks
This exercise targets both your legs and your core.
Hold on to the side of the pool with your legs extended behind you. Then, you’ll go through the motions of a range of different kicks. This can include flutter kicks, scissor kicks, breaststroke kicks, and dolphin kicks.
If you find the exercise too easy you can add ankle weights to your legs to make it more of a challenge.
Abdominal exercises in swimming pools
Swimming exercises can also help you gain abdominal strength. The following exercises can help in this regard:
Walk in water
This is a great exercise to start off with and can help your arms, lower body, and abdominals.
Begin in shallow water, making sure it’s around waist height. Then, stand tall by straightening your back and lengthening your spine. Walk across the pool ensuring you put pressure on your heel first and then your toes. Do this for five to ten minutes, making sure not to tiptoe.
Back wall glide
This exercise is great at activating muscles in your lower body and abdominals.
Hold onto the edge of the swimming pool, tuck your knees into your chest and place your feet on the wall. Push off from the wall and float on your back for as long as possible.
Once you stop, quickly walk or run back to the wall and repeat the exercise.
High-knee lift extensions
Similar to back wall glides, this exercise also targets the lower body and abdominal muscles.
Lift your right leg, bending the knee until it’s level with the water. Keep your leg lifted for a few seconds and then extend it straight out, holding the position for a few seconds.
Slowly lower the leg down, ensuring it remains straight.
Repeat this with your left leg and continue the exercise for around ten minutes.
Swimming pool exercises for arms
If you want to strengthen your arms, these exercises can help:
Water arm lifts
For this exercise, you’ll require dumbbells or weights, or you can use foam alternatives to offer greater resistance when in the water.
Stand in water up to your shoulders.
Hold the dumbbells in your hands, with the palms facing up. Bring your elbows close to your torso and lift your arms to the height of the water. Rotate your wrists so the palms are now facing down. Lower your arms into the starting position, and repeat 10-15 times.
Lateral arm lifts
This exercise will target the arms and upper body.
It’s very similar to the water arm lift exercise above, but instead of lifting your arms directly in front of you, you’ll raise them to the sides.
Repeat this 10-15 times.
At Claffey Pools, we’ve spent more than 30 years helping people’s pool dreams come true across Southlake Texas, Colleyville & Coppell. If you’re looking to build a swimming pool in your backyard for exercise or any other purpose, get in touch with our team today. We can create a pool that’s customized specifically to you and your needs.