Pool Workout
Warm-up 20 minutes
Walking as fast as you can in water up to waist or slightly above.
If you feel comfortable, go in to your shoulders and try running. It might take awhile to get the groove of it. Remember to keep your feet flat on the pool surface. No tip-toeing!
Resistance Exercises do 3 sets of 15 for each exercise
Quadriceps, Hamstrings and Glutes
Jumping Lunge:
Face the wall and hold onto the side of the pool. Jump up and down with a long and deep lunge. Alternate legs each jump.
Squat :
Stand with your feet hip-width apart in shallow water with your arms bent at your sides, hands out flat with fingers together and palms up. Slowly bend your knees into a squat position, sticking your derriere out behind you (don’t worry about looking silly – you’re under water!). Do not allow your knees to extend beyond your toes, but try to simulate a sitting-in-a-chair position. Cupping your hands, keeping your back neutral (not arched) and abs tucked in, exhale and stand up straight. Turn your hands to return to the starting position. Be very careful to maintain perfect form throughout this exercise.
Cross Scissor Jumping Jack
Jump up and down while crossing your feet on each landing.
Hips and Glutes
Basically a single legged kick-back:
Facing the edge of the pool, hold on with both hands and slowly bring one leg out to your side, keeping your back straight. Exhale while you bring it up as high as you comfortably can without turning at the ankle (this probably won’t be as high as you could if you did turn your ankle). Bring it back down and repeat, doing a full set for each leg.
Side lateral leg lift:
Face the wall with your hands on the side of the pool. Alternate raising legs up and to the side.
Glutes
KICK! You can breeze around on a kickboard or hold onto the side of the pool, but the scissoring motion is great for the buttocks and hamstrings, and it indirectly tones the abdominals. What could be more fun than this?
Water Jogging: Using a flotation device, run in place with your feet never touching the ground
Back, Shoulders and Arms
Press Down / lateral raise (bent over): In the bent over position, push down until the Bells meet beneath your chest. Then spread your arms until the reach their original position. You should feel like your flapping your wings.
Pull-ups: Grasp the side of the pool and lower your body as far as your arms will allow. Keeping your knees bent, exhale and pull yourself up as high as you can (the range of motion for this will vary greatly from one person to another).
Chest
Press down / lateral raise (behind back):
Begin with arms stretched out to your sides and then press the Bells down behind your back. Return to starting position
Standing Flye: Standing in water up to your neck, reach your hands out to each side, with your elbows unbent and your palms forward. Slowly bring them together, clapping your hands, and then turn your hands to return to the starting position
Triceps
Reverse Curl: Stand straight, with your open hands palms-down on the surface of the water. Keeping your elbows locked at your sides (pretend they’re glued to your ribcage), exhale and push down until your hands are beside your hips. Turn your hands and bring them back to the starting position.
Lateral Raises: Stand in shoulder-deep water with arms hanging straight down against your sides. Slowly extend both arms straight out to the sides all the way up to the water-level. Pause briefly and repeat.
Biceps
Curl: Bring your open hands to the side of each hip, palms forward, with your fingers close together. Exhale as you slowly bend at the elbow to bring your hands toward your shoulders.
Abs
Modified Captains Chair: Stand with your back to the side of the pool, holding onto the rim with your elbows. Keeping your knees unbent, slowly bring both legs up to a sitting position and hold it for ten seconds. Do not hold your breath, though. Breath slowly throughout this exercise. Then bend at the knee to bring them down, repeating this as many times as you’d like to. Be careful to keep your back straight throughout this exercise.
Water Roman Chair: In deep water, float either on a tube or two kickboards (resting under your arms). Place your feet together and bend your knees up to at least waist-level, pause briefly and return.
STRETCHING
Leg circles (inside to outside and reverse)
Face the wall with your hands on the side of the pool. Move your leg in a circular motion up, back, and down. Alternate legs and reverse directions.
Hip Stretch: Hold the side of the pool with one hand, stand on one foot, bend the other knee and grasp your ankle with your free hand to stretch your quadriceps and hip flexors.
Chest Stretch: Hold the side of the pool with one hand and turn your body by pointing your toes away from the wall to stretch your biceps and pectorals.
May 2009 Yoga and more 