Swimming is an amazing way to burn calories and tone your muscles. Doing laps can burn anywhere from 540 to more than 700 calories per hour — more than going for a run! But swimming isn’t the only way to use your pool to get fit. Use the natural resistance of water to add variety to your routine by incorporating these calorie-burning exercises into your repertoire. Do as many reps as you can of each exercise before moving on to the next. Repeat the circuits and increase the repetitions as your fitness level grows.
K-Treads
Tread water while making circles with cupped hands. Lift your right leg to hip-level while stretching the left leg to the bottom of the pool and holding the position for five seconds. Switch legs using fast motions to alternate sides.
Jumping Jacks
This move is particularly effective in the water because you have to push against the resistance while maintaining your balance. Jump your legs out and bring them in without touching the bottom.
Otter Rolls
This move works best with a beach ball that you can hug to your chest while floating on your back. Extend your legs, keeping your feet together. Roll to the right, moving over the top of the ball in a 360-degree motion. Take a breath and roll to the left using the same motion.
Frog Jumps
Stand in your swimming pool with your heels together and your knees bent outward in a plie position. Jump out of the water as high as possible, returning to the plie position when you land. Increase the difficulty by going deeper into the water.
Knee Tucks
Stand in the pool and perform a tuck jump by bringing both of your knees to your chest. The water slows your movements and forces you to use your core for stability.
Pike Scull
Stand in shallow water and sit back while treading with your hands at your sides. Lift both of your legs together like a jackknife to form a V with your body. Keeping your head and toes above the water’s surface, move your cupped hands in small circles to “scull” — move forward along the length of the pool.
Wave Maker
Standing in chest-deep water, face the pool wall. Hold the edge of the pool with your left hand and place your right palm against the wall with your fingers pointing down. Extend your legs behind you, keeping your knees and feet together before kicking like a dolphin. Continue kicking and making as many waves as possible for 30 seconds.
References:
Cosmopolitan Magazine, Fitness Magazine, Shape
