You see, working out in water dials down the impact of moves without decreasing their ability to sculpt your bod or help you burn calories because the H2O serves as a form of resistance similar to the way a dumbbell, ankle weight, or mini-band would. Just, FYI for those of you wondering: Are pool exercises effective?
In fact, aquatic HIIT has similar training benefits to that of land-based HIIT and sometimes even greater pros, especially if it follows the S.W.E.A.T. method, recent research suggests. Exercises that fall within this method will address the following cues
Aquatic workouts that are performed at different speeds, in different positions in water (jumping, floating, partially submerged, standing tall), at full ranges of motion, and in all three planes of motion, have resulted in improved cardiovascular and muscular endurance for women, according to the Journal of Sports Medicine . And remember, the more muscles you build, the more calories you burn.
Another major benefit of working out in the pool instead of on dry land? "The buoyancy of the water assists in relieving the impact on the joints that would normally be felt when exercising on solid ground," says Melody Davi, NASM-certified personal trainer. Because of this, pool exercises are a great for everyone, but especially if you're recovering from injury or dealing with certain medical conditions (think: pregnancy or osteoporosis).
Here, Davi recommends 10 pool exercises that are great for any woman looking for a full-body workout. None of these moves require you to know how to swim. All you need is your bodyweight and waist-deep water. Chances are, you've already mastered some of the some of them in the gym (think: tuck jumps, bicycles and pushups).
Time: 1520 minutes.
Equipment: pool
Good for: total-body
Instructions: Choose four or five of the moves below to create a "mini-circuit." Do three sets of the prescribed res for each move. Rep counts are specified below. Davi recommend performing these exercises two or three times a week.
1. Triceps Dips
How to: To start, stand with feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent, hinged forward at the hips, torso tilted forward, arms hanging straight down, palms facing body. Raise both arms out to the sides until they reach shoulder height and squeeze shoulder blades together. Return to start. That's one rep. Do 1215 per side per set.
"The arm work here strengthens your upper back by using the resistance of the water," Davi says.
Muscles targeted: Upper back, core, quads, glutes
10. Pli Jump Squats With Heel Touch
How to: Start standing in water with feet outside shoulders, toes turned out, and arms at sides. Bring arms to clasp in front of chest while lowing into a deep squat. Push through feet to explode up, extend legs straight and bring heels to touch before pulling them back apart to land in a wide-legged pli squat once a gain. That's one rep. Do 1215 per set.
"This move is great for HIIT training and building power without the impact that would occur if done on solid land," Davi says.
Muscles targeted: Outer/inner thighs, glutes, cardiovascular