You can find fun noodles in most health clubs, swimming pools and kindergarten classes in the United States. They are a simple, foam rubber tube about 4 inches in diameter and as long as 5 feet. Fitness instructors have developed a surprising number of exercises that use these flexible, soft tools. These exercises include several you can use to develop strong, shapely, springy calf muscles.
Hopovers
This is one of the simplest fun noodle exercises you can do with your calves. To perform it, you simply set the noodle on the ground running perpendicular to the direction you're facing. Focusing on springing with only your calves, you hop back and forth over the noodle as if it were a line on the floor. As you grow tired, you may find it grows increasingly more difficult to resist cheating by getting your other leg muscles involved.
Balance Drill
You can do this drill using one fun noodle perpendicular to the direction you are facing, or a pair of noodles running parallel to the direction you are facing, and to each other. For this drill, you take your shoes off and simply stand on the noodle as it lies on the ground. The uneven footing on an object that will sway and roll even when compressed under your weight forces you to engage your calf muscles in order to maintain balance. Variations on this drill include standing on the noodle for a set time, or leaping onto the noodle to stay just as long as it takes to establish a stable balance.
Sweep and Jump
A partner exercise, this drill builds calf strength while working on awareness, rhythm and speed. Have a partner hold the noodle and stand or sit in front of you. While you watch, he will sweep the noodle along the floor, aiming for your feet. You jump up to let the noodle pass beneath you, taking care to put as much of the load as possible on your calves instead of your thighs and rear. For an extra challenge, put your heels all the way down to the floor between passes of the noodle.
Toe Raises
For this drill, set the noodle on the ground behind you so your heels rest on it as you stand. When time starts, you raise up onto the balls of your feet. Hold this position, or bob up and down, but at no point during the drill are you allowed to lower your heels to the point where they touch the fun noodle. You can do this drill for a set time, or "beat the clock" by holding the position for as long as possible.
References
- Water Exercises: Workouts With the Aqua Noodle
- Dave Coffman; Martial Arts Instructor; Beaverton, Oregon
- Gwen Haney; Gymnastics Instructor; Hillsboro, Oregon
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