Are you bored with working out on dry land? Why not switch to a water exercise workout? Not only are water exercises easier on your joints, they can be a great change of pace from your landlocked routine. You don't even need to know how to swim to burn calories with a water workout. All you need is access to a swimming pool and a willingness to try something new. Here are four water exercise workouts that can give you excellent fitness returns:
Water Aerobics
Just as you can do aerobics on land, you can do a water aerobic exercise routine. This involves exercising in water no deeper than chest high to add resistance but still allow you to keep your balance on the floor of the pool. As with any other aerobics workout, the exercises are designed to keep your heart within your aerobic target zone for thirty minutes. The best way to get started with water a aerobic work out is to join a water aerobics class at your local health club or YMCA. If you don't have access to a class, there are various books that outline a variety of water aerobic exercises you can do on your own.
Treading Water
Treading water can be an excellent form of aerobic exercise. Your goal should be to tread water for a length of around twenty minutes. Not only will you increase your heart rate into your aerobic target zone, you'll also strengthen the muscles in both your upper and lower body. You may not be able to start out with a full twenty minutes of treading water but with continued training, you should be able to achieve it.
Water Walking
For this water exercise workout, it's best to have access to a pool that has lanes. You'll be submerging yourself in water that's around waist-deep and walking through the water at a pace rapid enough to achieve your aerobic target heart rate. Since you're working against the resistance of the water, you'll be toning and strengthening the muscles in your lower extremities at the same time. The deeper the water you walk in, the higher the resistance.
Water Jogging
To water jog, you put on a flotation device and move to deep water. You'll essentially be running in the water without having your feet touch the bottom of the pool. This exercise is excellent for strengthening the muscles of the lower body in a low impact manner. Do five minutes of warm up by treading water before you begin water jogging. Work up to 20-30 minutes of water jogging, if possible to get maximum cardiovascular benefit.
As you can see, a water exercise workout is a great change of pace and can be a gentle way to maintain fitness if you've sustained an injury or have joint problems. Why not give these water workouts a try?
