Swimming Exercises To Enhance Your Workout
Swimming is a calming and often relaxing sport that brings significant health benefits to pretty much anyone and everyone. It’s a fun way to work out if you’re not usually the one to throw your hands in the air if someone asks you to go for a session at the gym.
It’s an ideal and effective way to stay in shape – it’s gentle on joints, improves heart and lung capacity, strengthens your muscles and helps relieve body aches and pains.
Whether you’ve just signed up at your local leisure centre for swimming sessions, or it’s something you’ve been participating in for a while, there are flexible and easy exercises you can do in order to enhance your overall exercise routine. The swimming pool exercises we’ve provided to improve your overall work out are designed for all ages. If you do however, suffer from any kind of injuries that would potentially worsen with exercise, it’s wise to sit these out for a while until your health is 100%.
Beginner Swimming Pool Exercises
Kickboard Kicks: This exercise is typically used in beginner swimming lessons and it is a great way to start off exercises in the pool. When it comes to performing kickboard kicks, you need to hold a kickboard in front of you and start kicking your feet with arms outstretched. It is a simple but effective exercise.
What do kickboard kicks focus on? Legs, hips and stomach muscles. You can shop for a kickboard today from high quality and popular brands such as Arena, Funkita and Adidas.
Flutter Kicks: These type of kicks have the ability to improve your overall swimming technique. To perform flutter kicks, you must hold onto the pool edge (or you can opt for a floating device) and scissor kick your feet front to back quickly in order to keep you afloat. The speed at which you scissor kick your feet is based on your comfortability and safety.
What do flutter kicks focus on? The muscles in your hips, buttocks and core muscles.
Dolphin Kicks: Dolphin kicks are great for working core muscles and improving breathing. You can perform this exercise with or without a kickboard or other training aid. You should start with arms outstretched in front and holding your hands together or hands on the kickboard. To receive the full effect of dolphin kicks, you need to move your body in a wave like motion in order to propel yourself forward. This technique may take some practice, so if you’re struggling you can always try it out of the pool first!
What do dolphin kicks focus on? Core muscles and breathing.
The Bicycle: Pretending to pedal and imaginary bicycle may seem like a not so great idea, but this exercise in the pool helps burn fat which is why it’s a popular move. You can perform ‘The Bicycle’ by facing your back to the edge of the pool, using your hands to grasp the side then moving your legs in a pedal like motion.
What does The Bicycle focus on? Burning fat, strengthening the core, shoulders and legs.
Intermediate Swimming Pool Exercises
Pikes: If you’re ready to work your abs and arms, this is definitely the exercise to do so! Pikes are performed from a standing position in water up to your neck. You then pull your knees up to your chest while you lean back and extend and straighten both legs forward into a pike position. In order to keep yourself afloat, you use your arms by pushing them backwards in circles.
Essentially, this position will allow your body to be in a V shape, with your bottom pointing towards the floor of the pool. This exercise is for more advanced and intermediate swimmers; however beginners are able to hold the pike position for a few seconds!
What do pikes focus on? Abs and triceps.
The Sprint: The sprint technique is one for those who are looking to step up their game in the pool. The sprint can be performed by leaning on the edge of the pool with your elbows and legs straight. The aim is to lift your legs up until they come up above the water and then lower them. The reason this is an effective exercise is due to the resistance from the water.
What does the sprint focus on? Strengthening the core and burning fat.
Tuck Jumps: If you already know what a tuck jump is then great! All you have to do now is do it in a pool full of water! If you don’t however, it is an exercise where you jump and bring your knees to your chest. They are usually performed in sets in order to work the body and it’s muscles properly.
What do tuck jumps focus on? Strengthens the core.
Advanced Swimming Pool Exercises
Weights: Whoever thought of using weights in a pool had a great idea! For more challenging sets and exercises, bringing weights into the pool is ideal if you’re looking o build lean muscle mass. The water has the ability to add extra resistance to the moves which ultimately increases the burn. You should however only use weights designed for the pool.
Noodle Plank: If you’ve ever felt the burn from normal planks, be prepared for more difficulty when it comes to the noodle plank in water! The water resistance makes it more difficult, so you’ll need to use your abs and core to hold the position for 60 seconds or however long you wish to hold the position for.
Pull Buoy Swimming: Mix your swimming up a little with training aids in the pool! A pull buoy is a small training aid that enables your body to stay afloat. You can place a pull buoy in between your thighs or ankles in order to give yourself a swimming challenge! It will float your hips and legs to the surface of the water. Alternatively if you’re feeling brave, you can place a strap around your ankles.
We hope the swimming activities listed above make it in to your swimming schedule and swimming plans. They provide much needed benefits to every individual, whether you’re a beginner swimmer, advanced or even performance swimmer, it’s important to strengthen your core and all muscles throughout the body. For all of your swim equipment needs, feel free to further browse our site.