Are you tired of the same old workout routine you do at home or in the gym? How about you take things up a notch by trying some pool workouts. Swimming pool exercises come with numerous health benefits and without some of the disadvantages of regular workouts. In this article we tell you why it’s time to make that switch and give you some of the best workouts you can try out in an exercise swimming pool.
So what exactly do pool workouts entail? Does doing a couple of laps in a swimming pool count? Or do you need specific swimming pool exercise equipment to pull them off. Technically, yes you do need some equipment.
Pool workouts are sometimes called water aerobics. They’re ideally low-impact workouts that are used to build muscle strength and boost your overall endurance. However, you can make them harder by increasing the reps or going faster during the workout. So yes, these exercises are fun, but they can also be as challenging.
Classes usually last for about an hour, where the instructor guides you through a series of moves. These moves are sometimes paired up with set music to keep you motivated throughout the whole process.
As for the nature of the exercises, pool workouts are usually composed of warm-ups, strength training, cardio exercises and a cooldown. Note that chances are you won’t be swimming since most of the workouts are performed in the shallow end of the pool.
Pool workouts are a particularly good choice for people with some kind of joint problems, chronic pain or just recovering from injury (6). So while you’ll be revving up your heart rate, your joints will not be jarred by the water. Additionally, they have also grown popular among pregnant women and seniors.
So what gives water aerobics and edge over regular workouts if any?
For starters, there’s heavier resistance in water than in air. As a result, the same exercises you’d do on land are potentially become more challenging in water. This then means your muscles will become more engaged and thus boost calorie burning over a short period.
While aquatic exercises are great cardio workouts, they also come other health benefits including:
The combination of cardio and strength workouts together with water resistance in water aerobics ensures you’re getting a full workout. You can end up burning as much as 400-500 calories in an hour depending on cardio activity and size of weights (1).
The flow of water is constantly changing naturally and as a result, its movements can be very unpredictable. These multiple flow directions increase the pool’s resistance to about 4 to 42 times greater than air (7). The greater resistance ensures your muscles get a more rigid workout.
A study conducted in 2007 indicated that 12 weeks of aquatic aerobic exercise led to increased muscle strength, agility and flexibility among participants (6).
Read More: Swim Workout For Triathlon: The Ultimate Training Guide
Traditional weights usually require your body to push and pull against the weights in addition to gravity. Working out with weights in the water, however, requires your body to strain against the water’s resistance. This in turn leads to increased muscle endurance.
Water resistance requires your body to move in multiple directions to adjust to the constant push and pull of water. As your muscles are subjected to this strain, your joint’s range of motion naturally increases (4).
This study conducted in 2013 showed there was a significant increase in flexibility among a group of older adults that underwent aerobic therapy exercise (4).
Watching bodies of water move is one of the most relaxing activities you can take part in to help relieve stress. This is partly why vacations to island paradises and beaches are very popular. However, being in the water can be just as relaxing.
This study conducted in 2007 showed that women who took part in aquatic exercise significantly decreased anxiety and negative mood in women (2).
Several studies have indicated that water-based exercises like water aerobics can relieve joint pressure. This joint pressure is usually due to a number of things ranging from normal wear-and-tear to arthritis. As a matter of fact, hydrotherapy is considered to be the leading form of therapy for people suffering from joint problems (3).
Water resistance is not just good for your muscles.
One of the lesser known facts about water pressure is that it works well with your blood, enhancing blood circulation throughout your body. This effectively decreases your blood pressure and in the long run, reduces your resting heart rate. What this means is that your heat will be maintaining its productivity while exerting less stress on it (5).
Working out in hot temperatures can sometimes have some negative effects on your body. Water aerobics can help you cool down while still facilitating effective workouts. This cool, crisp and refreshing environment can particularly motivate you since you’ll no longer be struggling in the heat!
Regular workouts can be really taxing on your joints. However, in water aerobics, the buoyancy of the water helps in taking off some of the impact placed on our body because of our water weight.
In essence, the gravitational force applied on your body when in water is not as much as when you’re on land. As a result, the impact on your joints when doing activities like running is not equal to the impact when doing similar activities on land. This can particularly be great for people with joint conditions or those undergoing physical rehabilitation.
If you’ve mustered up the courage to crush your weight loss goal, let Betterme take the sting out of this demanding process. Our app will help you restructure your habits, remold your life and crank up your fitness results!
Here are some of the muscles you’ll be working on when you do water aerobics:
Before getting to the good stuff, it’s imperative to know the basics for your safety and those around you. These include:
Working out in aquatic environments usually offer several options alongside techniques for all levels of physical ability. They can range from basic walking to high-level aerobic activities like deep water running. Standing exercises are also sometimes performed in water that is waist to chest deep.
All these exercises usually focused on improving your range of motion, muscle balance, strength and flexibility. That being said, ensure you only go for exercises that suit your level of physical fitness.
Temperatures in exercise swimming pools are crucial. Lower water temperatures (82-88 degrees F) are considered well suited for high-intensity exercises. It’s also advisable that if you’re among people prone to overheating like pregnant women or obese people, you should consider low temperature pools.
On the other hand, warmer temperatures (84-92 degrees F) is best suited for people with fibromyalgia, arthritis or those who are frail.
While having basic knowledge of water safety or swimming is desirable when you’re around water, it’s not a necessity in this case. Most if not all of your workouts will be done in the shallow end of the pool so you’ll be able to stand for most of the moves.
Most people can tolerate longer exercise sessions in water due to its relative ease. This generally leads to workouts that are more intense coupled with larger ranges of motion. You should then be more aware of potentially overstressing your body and getting fatigued following an aquatic exercise session.
Group exercises are an excellent way of building connections, socializing, increasing accountability and staying motivated when working out. Being part of an exercise group can greatly increase your efficiency and as such your overall outcome.
Read More: Swimming Workout Plan For Beginners
Before getting to the how bit of it, let’s look at some of the swimming pool exercise equipment you need for your workout.
First off, don’t forget to bring a swim cap, towel and a pair of goggles. However, if you’re planning on working out alone, you should consider bringing the following equipment:
Here are some of the best full body workouts you can try out in a swimming pool:
This move targets your upper body. Throw in some foam dumbbells for maximum output. Here’s how you do it:
This move works on muscles found in both your lower and upper body. You can add some resistance by using ankle and wrist weights. Here’s how you do it:
This move primarily strengthens your core muscles and lower body. To increase the overall challenge, add some ankle weights. Here’s how you do it:
Planks are one of the best core-strengthener exercises on land and they are also key in boosting muscular endurance. However, it can be particularly difficult for you to hold them long enough for maximum effect if you lack a strong upper body. All this drastically changes in a pool.
Here’s how you do it:
This move strengthens your core and leg muscles responsible for balance without the risk of falling and hurting yourself. When performing the move, your core muscles will be forced to keep you upright which will in turn increase your static balance.
Here’s how you do it:
Reasons why BetterMe is a safe bet: a wide range of calorie-blasting workouts, finger-licking recipes, 24/7 support, challenges that’ll keep you on your best game, and that just scratches the surface! Start using our app and watch the magic happen.
This is considered to be the foundation exercise for water aerobics. It’s particularly instrumental in helping you get a feel of how you can create resistance for your workouts.
This move primarily targets your core, arms, and lower body muscles. You can increase the overall intensity by using ankle and hand weights. Here’s how you do it:
This move will help you activate your core muscles and lower body. Here’s how you do it:
This is one of the best exercises in the swimming pool to strengthen your core muscles. Here’s how you do it:
It’s true that regular “land” workouts can become monotonous after a while. If you find yourself in this scenario, consider switching to pool workouts. These exercises are associated with numerous benefits, are just as challenging if not more and the bonus? They are low-impact and as such, are good for your joints.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not serve to address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on for making any kind of decision-making. Any action taken as a direct or indirect result of the information in this article is entirely at your own risk and is your sole responsibility.
BetterMe, its content staff, and its medical advisors accept no responsibility for inaccuracies, errors, misstatements, inconsistencies, or omissions and specifically disclaim any liability, loss or risk, personal, professional or otherwise, which may be incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and/or application of any content.
You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or your specific situation. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking it because of BetterMe content. If you suspect or think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor.