A swimming pool is the ideal exercise environment. The water provides a degree of resistance as you move through it, helping you build strength. The water's buoyancy also supports your joints, producing less impact than a land-based workout. But standard dumbbells, barbells and exercise machines are useless in the pool. You need specialized exercise equipment to make the most of working out in the water.
Hand Webs
Hand webs resemble wide mittens, turning your fingers into one large paw that provides additional resistance as you move your hands through the water.
Water Shoes
Water shoes have mesh uppers so that water quickly drains out once you leave the pool. They also feature grippy soles that provide traction against the pool bottom.
Water Weights
Normal dumbbells, the sort you'll find in a free weight room at the gym, are constructed of heavy materials because gravity provides resistance as you lift. Water weights work differently. They're constructed of buoyant materials that you push down against the water's resistance rather than up.
Water Noodles
These flexible noodle-shaped floats serve two purposes. First, you can place them underneath your body to provide extra flotation at need. Second, you can tie water noodles around your ankles to serve as impromptu ankle weights, providing buoyant resistance as you push down against the water.
Kickboards
Like water noodles, kickboards are dual-purpose aquatic exercise equipment. You can use a kickboard to support your hands and keep your upper body afloat as you practice kicking your way across the pool, or you can turn the kickboard on edge and sweep it through the water to provide resistance for aquatic strength training.
Swim Fins
While you won't usually see swim fins in water aerobics classes, they provide both extra resistance and extra propulsion as you swim laps, turning a basic flutter kick into a more intense workout.
Float Vests
Aquatic exercise float vests aren't the same as a traditional life vest. While aquatic exercise float vests are designed to keep you afloat in deep water so that you can jog, run or use water weights in the deep end of the pool, they don't support your head or position you in the water the way a life vest does. They aren't appropriate for situations in which you might become incapacitated in the water.
Member Comments