If you have access to a pool, moving your workouts into the water is a great way to burn belly fat. Not only are swimming and water aerobics great cardio exercises, every move you make in the pool challenges your muscles since the water creates constant resistance. The pool offers the added benefits of helping you feel weightless and keeping you cool and refreshed. Since you can't spot reduce the fat just in your midsection, you need to focus on pool workouts that burn calories and build lean muscle to melt fat all over your body.
Lap Workouts
Swimming laps is an efficient way to burn calories and challenge your muscles. To beat boredom and target all the major muscle groups in your body, incorporate different strokes into your routine, rather than swimming lap after lap using the same stroke. Try hitting the pool for at least 30 minutes of swimming three times per week; alternate freestyle, breast stroke, back stroke and side stroke during each workout, varying your level of exertion to keep your body challenged. In addition, perform the following pool exercises on separate days from your lap workouts, or tack them onto the end of each swim.
K-Tread
Tread water in the deep end, keeping your hands cupped as your arms move in small circular motions in the water. Raise your right leg straight in front of you, stopping at hip level, and point your toes on both feet; hold the position for five seconds, continuing to move your arms in circles. As quickly as you can, switch legs, raising the left leg as you lower the right leg down; hold for five seconds and repeat the movements for 30 seconds.
Otter Roll
Float on your back on the surface of the water, keeping your legs together and clutching a beach ball to your chest. Drive your left shoulder and hip down into the water to roll yourself over the ball and belly-down into the water and make a complete spin to bring yourself back to the starting position; engage the muscles in your legs, abs, shoulders and back to propel the movement. Take a breath and repeat on the right side; continue the movements for 30 seconds.
Pike Scull
Begin by standing in the shallow end of the pool. Sit back into the water as you bring your legs up until your toes are out of the water; your legs should remain straight and together, and your body should form a V-shape. Cup your hands near your hips and move your arms in small circles to move yourself toward the deep end of the pool; continue for 30 seconds.
Wave Maker
Move into chest-deep water and stand facing the wall, placing your left hand on the edge of the pool and your right hand just below the surface of the water, fingers pointing down. Keeping your head above water, extend your legs behind you just below the surface, keeping feet and knees together. Now, try to move your lower body like a dolphin, starting the movement in your abs, then moving to your thighs and down to your feet. Kick like this with as much force as possible for 30 seconds.
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