Get fit with these exercises to do in the pool

 

With the arrival of the summer, we try to spend all our free time in the pool, putting aside our fitness routine, but do you know how to use the pool to exercise? You can burn more calories and improve the resistance and the tone of your muscles by doing exercises in the water.

 

To do your workout in the swimming pool offers many health benefits: In addition to help keep you in shape without feeling the heat, it facilitates the blood circulation, reduces the stress, and helps with the cellulite!  Even more, to exercise in the water reduces the charge on the articulations.

 

In only 20 minutes per day you can complete your fitness workout in the pool during those warmest months while you enjoy a dip, in the privacy of your home.  We suggest you a list of 10 water exercises to tone up your body:

 

1 – Walking, jogging or running in the water

 

Start burning calories within a few minutes.  Lift your knees and move the arms. This type of exercise is very recommended because it involves all the body and you work more because of the resistance caused by the water.

With these exercises in the water, you work on your coordination and your cardiovascular capacity.  You can do it in the part of the pool where the water reaches your waist or do it in the deepest section to increase the intensity and the difficulty.

You can start by walking in the pool with water up to your waist for 3 minutes, it’s a great warm-up for the following exercises.  Then continue jogging or running for 5 continuous minutes, depending on your physical condition.

 

2 – Knees to the Chest

 

With water up to your chest, jump the highest you can and lift your knees to your chest.  Use the arms to stabilize yourself. With this exercise you tone up your upper body. Make 3 series of 20 repetitions.  According to your shape, adjust the number of repetitions.

 

3 – Jump

 

With your feet together and water to the waist, jump from one side to the other, using your hands to move yourself.  Make 3 series of 20 repetitions. You will tone your legs and abdominals.

 

4 – Vertical Burpees

 

Do as your children do and get out of the swimming pool without using the stairs.  With water at the waist level, work out your shoulders, arms, abdominals and legs by placing yourself on the side of the pool and lifting yourself up, trying to get out of the pool, by placing your hands on the edge of the pool.  Make 3 series of 10 repetitions.

 

5 – Bicycle

 

Doing bicycle is also one of the most complete workout you can do in our pool.  In Gre, we offer you the water bicycle AQB 2, with it you’ll be able to put yourself back into shape in the easiest and most comfortable way, without suffering from the heat!  The water bicycle is especially recommended for the development of the muscles in the lower part of the body, for weight loss and for specific sports training. You can burn up to 800 calories per hour!

 

 

6 – Scissors

 

This exercise simulates the movement of scissors, opening and closing the legs under the water.  That way you work out both the legs and the arms, used to keep your balance. Do this exercise for 3 minutes.

 

7 – The Nail

 

Hold yourself onto the side of the pool, and with your feet joined together, lift up your feet until you reach a 90-degree angle.  This exercise will work your legs and abdominals. Make 3 series of 10 repetitions.

 

8 – Jack

 

Jump, opening and closing both your arms and your legs.  This will re-enforce your legs. Make 3 series of 10 repetitions.

 

9 – Abdominals

 

With your back against the wall and your arms over the side of the pool, in a cross shape, lift your legs up to your chest.  You’ll see it will work the abdominal area. Make 3 series of 10 repetitions.

 

10 – Relax

 

To conclude, relax in the water, “doing the dead”, for two minutes.  That way, you’ll relax all your body after the fitness workout.

 

Once you have completed the fitness routine, it’s important to stretch yourself to prevent injuries.  The stretching done in the water is better, because the muscles are more relaxed and the impact under water is reduced.

 

Do the stretching in the part of the pool where you can easily hold your feet on the bottom and help yourself with the pool elements: side or even the stairs.  Each exercise should last 15-20 seconds and should never hurt.

 

We have seen a series of water exercises to maintain your shape. However we can’t forget the swimming, of course.  Swimming is the exercise most recommended for people with problems in the neck, shoulders or back, because it’s a low-impact sport.

 

Swimming presents many positive points, in addition to increasing the cardiopulmonary capacity due to the resistance of the water, it also improves the coordination and it’s accessible to everyone.  The only inconvenience that could happen is that you don’t have long enough to swim within your pool. For this problem, Gre has a solution: the Pool Athlete.

 

The Pool Athlete allows you to swim even in small pools.  The static support is an innovative way to swim in your home pool, no matter what size or what type it is, in-ground or above ground.  With this sophisticated accessory for pools, you can train, learn how to swim and even do therapy in the convenience and privacy of your own home, without the need of an Olympic pool.