Pool Exercise Tips
Swimming pool training needn’t be limited to endless laps, following the dreaded black line.
Swimming pools offer the perfect atmosphere for high intensity exercise, especially during these apocalyptic heat waves. The weightlessness of water provides a low-intensity arena for workouts during the day or night with the aid of swimming pool lights, while the nature of being in a pool makes exercise feel more like play than work. And of course, there’s the added benefit of constant cooling!
There are several exercises you can do while you are splashing about this summer, and you can enlist a variety of tools to help. The old noodle may even play a role!
Here are a few tips to keep in mind:
- The key to swimming pool exercise is to use the resistance of the water to engage your muscles. Whether you are simply leaning against the side of the pool doing ‘bicycle’ kicks underwater or using a pool noodle to hold your weight while you do leg raises, water is your friend when it comes to muscle-toning without putting stress on your joints.
- A good way to get an aerobic workout while you are working on strength, is to repeat as many reps of each exercise as you can within a 30 second time period. After 30 seconds is up, give yourself a minute break, and then move on to the next exercise. As you become fitter you can increase the rep time to 45 seconds or even one minute without increasing your rest time. This is an excellent way to get your heart rate up and improve your cardiovascular fitness, while toning those stubborn muscles.
- While you may not feel like you’re sweating in the cool water, you actually can lose quite a lot of fluid while swimming. Ensure that you rehydrate as you would after or during any other exercise regime. Your kreepy krauly and salt water chlorinator will keep your pool clean while you exercise, so the aim of the game is to work up a sweat.
If you start an aqua fitness regime, try to engage in it at least twice per week. Doing it any less than this means the benefit of your last session will be lost before you embark upon the next. If you have a busy day time schedule and need to exercise at night, you can do this with the aid of swimming pool lights. Depending on how you feel and how your body responds to exercise, you can train in the pool up to five times a week.