Pool workouts are gentle on your joints and challenging for your muscles. Working out in the water tones your body from head to toe, including your belly. "Water's continuous resistance forces you to engage more muscle fibers through a larger range of motion," says master trainer Greg Moe in a Fitness Magazine article. Perform ab-targeting pool exercises to burn fat and flatten your belly.
Leg Raise
The leg raise works your entire body including the muscles of your belly. In the deep end of the pool, tread water using only your arms. Contract your abdominal muscles and straighten your back. Maintain this position and raise your right leg to waist level keeping it straight. Lower your leg while simultaneously raising your left leg. Continue to alternate legs for 30 seconds, rest for one minute and then repeat.
Knees to Chest
The knees-to-chest exercise will target the muscles in your lower belly. Position yourself with your back in a corner of the pool and place your arms on the deck to either side to stabilize your upper body. Pull your belly button in, contract your abdominal muscles, elongate your torso and extend your legs straight down. Maintaining this position, bend your legs and bring your knees to your chest, squeezing your abdominal muscles at the top of the movement. Lower your legs back down. Complete two sets of 15 to 20 reps.
Ball Lever
The ball lever exercise engages muscles in your shoulders, back, abs and triceps. Begin by floating face down in the pool with your legs together and extended behind you. Hold a beach ball in front of your head with your arms extended. Your body should form a straight line from your hands all the way to your feet. Contract your abdominal muscles and then, keeping your arms straight, pull the ball underneath in an arc until it reaches your thighs. Bend your elbows and return the ball to the starting position. Complete two sets of 10 to 15 repetitions.
Flutter Kicks with Kickboard
This exercise works your abdominal muscles, hip flexors and glutes and will also improve your cardiovascular fitness. Stand in the shallow end of the pool and hold a kickboard with both hands. Allow yourself to float face down in the water, positioning the kickboard in front of your head with extended arms. Stabilize your abdominal muscles, straighten your torso and extend your legs. Keeping your legs straight, begin to kick your legs back and forth in a scissor-like motion. Flutter kick your way to the other end of the pool, rest for 30 seconds and then kick your way to the shallow end. Repeat two more times.
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