Water Fitness Tools

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends cardiovascular exercise three to five days per week, and resistance training two to three days per week. You can do both in the water. Aquatic exercise can reduce pain and increase flexibility, while the buoyancy helps protect your joints. This makes it a good option of exercise for overweight people who find exercise on land too challenging to produce results, or for older adults who suffer from joint or other pain. You can burn the calories you would on land — without the sweat, but with all of the intensity.

Aqua Gloves

Aqua gloves are made of neoprene and fit over your hand, making it into a fin by webbing your fingers into a paddle. They can help you propel through the water when swimming, or make it more challenging to perform upper-body resistance exercises in the water.

Aqua Jogger Belts

A aqua jogger belt is a flotation device worn around your waist. When in deeper water, it will help hold you upright. From this position, you can mimic a running motion in the water — which is intense due to the resistance of the water against your moving limbs.

Water Walker Belt

A water walker belt is a weighted belt that will help your feet stay on contact with the bottom of a pool while walking. Instead of floating up and away from the bottom, you can focus on pushing through the water for a cardiovascular workout.

Kickboards

Kickboards are small boards used to help you stay afloat while you kick through the water. You can focus on the form of your kick, and not the movement of your upper body.

Pool Buoys

Pool buoys do the same thing for your legs that a kickboard can do for your arms. Place the buoy between your knees and hold it there with your legs. You can have your legs elevated in the water, so you can focus on the motion of your upper body pulling you through the water.

Water Dumbbells and Barbells

As with their land counterparts, these dumbbells and barbells allow you to perform resistance exercises in the water. They come in different shapes and sizes, depending on your needs.

Ankle and Wrist Weights

Ankle and wrists weights for pool use are usually made of neoprene to decrease water retention. They come in different weights, and allow you to use progressive resistance by putting the maximum amount of weight into the sleeve or using just a small portion.