Almost everybody has the desire to be fit, however many of us just do not like getting hot, sticky and sweaty. Often, the key to getting in shape is thinking outside the box to find exercises you are comfortable with or enjoy doing. For those of you who love to swim, jump in the pool! Aquatic activities are both a gentle and challenging way to work out with the added bonus of placing less stress on your muscles and joints.
Simply swimming for leisure is great, but if you put forth the effort to swim laps daily you’ll quickly find yourself getting stronger and slimming down. Start at a slow pace, gradually increasing the intensity of your laps as you become a stronger swimmer. In order to target different muscle groups, mix up your swimming styles. With regular practice, you’ll be swimming better than you ever imagined and you will be in significantly better shape!
If you love getting in the water but don’t know how to swim, don’t worry because there are exercises to be done in the pool that do not involve actual swimming. A simple starter challenge is to just walk through water about waist-high. The resistance of the water makes it much harder to walk, making this simple move a great workout for your legs. Work your arms by simply waving them through the water at different angles with fingers sealed. You might invest in awesome pool tools, or you can save money by being creative and find something big and flat to hold in your hands, such as a lid to a small storage container. While holding the object in your hand, submerge it in the water and move it back and forth from one side of your body to the other until your arms are too tired to continue.
Other fun ways to workout in the water? Jet skiing, water skiing and surfing are a blast!
Try these ideas out and feel free to share your success stories with Fitzness. We would love to hear all about it!
