Your backyard swimming pool can be used for more than just fun and entertainment. It can also be used for fitness and strength training. By using your pool as part of your workout routine, you can save yourself from spending money at the gym and you can work out on your own schedule! Here are some great ways you can utilize your pool to stay in shape.
Things you’ll need:
Here are the basic kicks used in these exercises:
Freestyle Kick – Kick your legs one after the other, bending at the knee and kicking from the hip.
Flutter Kick – Point your toes and kick your legs one after the other without bending your knees.
Frog Kick – Draw knees outward toward your hips and up toward your head. Thrust legs backward in a propelling motion.
Dolphin Kick – Bring knees together and point your toes. Move your body in an S-shape, keeping legs and knees together while engaging your core muscles.
Hold onto the edge of the pool and extend your arms and legs out as though you are swimming a lap. Hold your arms out and apply pressure to the wall to create resistance. Kick your legs in 1-3-minute sets of each of the kicks above.
Stand with your back to the wall and your palms on the ledge, fingertips facing toward your body. Straighten your arms and lift your body out of the water. Lower yourself back into the water, keeping core muscles engaged. Repeat in sets of 10. For an added challenge, lift one leg out in front of you so it is “L” shaped in front of your body. Alternate legs with each set or keep both legs out in front of you in an “L” shape to create maximum resistance and core engagement.
Hold the kickboard with a hand on each side of the board to create a “wall” in front of you. Extend your arms out in front of you and swim to the other end of the pool doing the kicks listed above. Do 1-3 laps of each before switching kick style.
Stand in waist to shoulder-deep water with your feet shoulder-width apart. With one hand on each side of the board hold it parallel to the bottom of the pool. Bend your arms so that your elbows are at your side and your hands and the kickboard are out in front of you. Move your upper body in a downward crunch motion. Repeat for sets of 10.
Stand in waist-high water. Engage your core and lift one leg straight out in front of you without bending your knee. Repeat for 10 reps and then switch legs. For less strain on the knees, you can bend your leg at the knee and lift your leg until your knee touches the surface of the water.
Your local Pinch A Penny may have equipment you can use!
Please consult with your healthcare provider prior to beginning a new exercise routine.
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/swimming+kick https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/burn-calories-pool-no-laps-required https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/pool-exercises https://solpri.com/pool-exercises-ultimate-workout/
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