Aquatic exercise is a low-impact activity that takes the pressure off your bones, joints and muscles, says MayoClinic.com. Most of the exercises are full-body, which makes you burn a large amount of calories. Exercising in the pool temporarily reduces your body weight by 25% and protects the skeleton.
Water Jogging
This exercise is cardiovascular and will aid both in weight loss and in strengthening lower body muscles. At high intensity, this popular exercise can burn 17 calories per minute, more than on land, says LifeScript.com. Beginners should start with power walking laps through the pool to build up their strength and endurance. Slowly increase your pace and number of laps until you are able to jog. The resistance from the pool will give you a great lower body workout and increase your stamina. Swing your arms during power walking or jogging to increase your calorie burn.
Arm Exercises with Hand Webs
Hands webs are an effective tool for building upper body strength. They can be used for bicep curls, tricep extensions and more. Wearing hand webs, stand in waist-high water with your arms down, your palms facing forward and your elbows close to your body, says MayoClinic.com. Curl the hand webs to the top of the water. Twist your wrists and push backward. This exercise will work the biceps and triceps. You can also work your chest and back muscles by submerging your body neck deep in the water. Keep your elbows bent and in an arching motion as you bring your arms in front of your chest. Twist your wrists so your palms are facing behind as you push behind.
Noodle Exercises
The noodle is a tool for diverse aquatic exercises. Incorporate the noodle in a cardio drill to add your upper body to lower body movement. For example, add noodle shoulder presses as you perform jumping jacks in the pool. Another good compound exercise is curling the noodle as you jog in place.
There are also balance exercises that you can perform with the noodle to challenge your muscles in different ways. Start by submerging the noodle with your arms and stepping on the center of the noodle with the bottom of one foot. Push the noodle downward until you touch the bottom of the pool then slowly lift the leg and bend your knee. Repeat this process on the opposite leg.
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