Water exercises seem deceptively easy. The water's buoyancy reduces stress on your muscles and joints so much that you're unlikely to leave the pool sore, but the American Council on Exercise counsels that this doesn't mean you're not getting a great workout. The water itself provides resistance for both resistance training and cardiovascular exercises, while equipment like water noodles and hand webs add extra resistance for more intensity.
Log Jumps
Log jumps are a good warm-up exercise to get your entire body moving, or a mobility exercise if you have arthritis. Stand in shoulder-deep water with straight arms out in front of you, with palms facing toward you. Swing your arms back, then rotate your palms forward as you swing your arms forward and up. Lift both legs off the bottom of the pool as if you were jumping forward over an imaginary log with both arm motions; "jump" forward as your arms swing back, then jump "back" as your arms swing forward.
Water Walking
Water walking is an effective aerobic exercise because it gets, and keeps, all your major muscle groups moving rhythmically. Walk back and forth across the pool in waist-deep water, swinging your arms in an exaggeration motion as if you were walking on land. Focus on using your entire foot for walking, not just your toes, and keep your torso upright. Wearing water shoes will help you maintain traction on the bottom of the pool.
Advanced Water Walking
For greater workout intensity, move your water walking to the deep end of the pool. Place a water noodle between your legs for flotation, and if you aren't comfortable swimming in the deep end, wear a float vest or float belt too. Cup your hands, or wear hand webs, to increase resistance as you swing your arms through the water. For the most intense workout, jog at a rhythmic pace.
Leg Curls
To do leg curls, which tone your hamstrings, tie a water noodle in a knot around your left foot. Stand against the side of the pool and extend your left foot straight in front of you. Bend your knee against the water noodle's resistance, then slowly straighten your leg. Complete a full set before switching the noodle to your other foot.
Leg Extensions
To do leg extensions in the pool, toning your quads, tie a water noodle around your left foot. Lean forward and hold on to the edge of the pool. Shift both legs back, left knee bent at a 90-degree angle, until your left foot nearly breaks the surface of the water. Straighten your left knee against the noodle's resistance, then bend your left knee to 90 degrees again. Repeat, completing a full set on your left leg before switching the noodle to your right foot.
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