Swimming pools are a great place for exercise. Not only does water resistance make what are ordinary motions on land a lot more strenuous underwater, but the buoyancy that it provides can help with balance and reduce the amount of impact that occurs on the joints and bones. For this reason, many people who suffer from conditions such as osteoporosis, arthritis or fibromyalgia find that exercising in a swimming pool or swim spa is a much better option than doing it on dry land. But what if you’re getting tired of your swimming workouts? What other ways are there to use the advantages of the swimming pool and still get your heart rate up? In this article we’ve come up with some ideas for how to exercise in the pool without swimming.
Water Dumbbells
Although water dumbbells might not look like the dumbbells you’d use on dry land, it’s because they actually use water resistance rather than dead weight to raise your heart rate and build your muscles. Typically composed of plastic or foam, it’s their ability to create drag and resistance in the water rather than their actual weight that determines how challenging your workout will be. And rather than slowly and carefully lifting up and down as you would on dry land, you can quickly push back and forth through the water for a more strenuous workout.
Resistance Fins
Resistance fins can be used to strengthen the lower body, legs and core by increasing water resistance while water walking, running or leg exercises. Using resistance fins can burn more calories and tone the muscles more efficiently compared to the same exercises performed on dry land. They can be used for high-speed workouts to increase cardiovascular strength or lower speed workouts that improve endurance. Resistance fins are ideal for those who need to focus on knee strength and therapy.
Water Barbells
As with the water dumbbells, water barbells work using water resistance rather than dead weight. Water barbells look similar to a regular barbell, but instead of steel or rubber-coated concrete weights, they employ fluted plastic baskets to create multi-dimensional resistance in the water. The barbell provides strong resistance against body twists, arm curls, kayak rowing motions and more. Water barbells make an excellent addition to water aerobics programs and can provide an added challenge to high-intensity interval training.
Buoyancy Belt Exercises
Many of the exercises you do on land are hard to replicate in the water because you have to keep yourself afloat and properly balanced. A buoyancy belt can help with stability and allow you to concentrate on the exercise movements. It will also elevate you above the pool floor which allows your legs to fully participate in the exercise.
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