How to Use Water Exercise Equipment

Are you bored of working out at the gym? Maybe it’s time to consider doing water exercises for a change. The swimming pool would be an ideal place for resistance training and exercise. Doing such can also be a great substitute if you’re in a rut doing the same old routine using the same old gym and exercise equipment. What’s great about it is that you get to skip getting all sweaty and you get to keep your cool.

In this post, we will be talking about how to use water exercise equipment. There could be several benefits to reap when you try working out in the swimming pool. For instance, you get a solid workout but without putting so much unnecessary strain, especially on your joints. While you may do laps or try water jogging, water exercises help you get in shape. Keep reading if you want to know more.

What Are the Benefits of Water Exercises?

Resistance training, when performed in the water, will provide you unique benefits. These would include working out without breaking a sweat and doing exercise that is both gentle yet effective. The environment virtually prevents any sort of impact on your joints, making it an outstanding option, especially for those who suffer from arthritis, among other conditions in the joints.

Other benefits also include blood flow improvement, which would mean that more nutrients and oxygen is delivered throughout the body. In addition, sore muscles and joints recover a lot faster when you work out in the water instead of the gym. For full body cardio exercise, you can try swimming laps. It would be ideal to do this exercise in your private lap pool, making it very convenient and easy to keep your routine.

Resistance training altogether can make your muscles stronger but it is a different fashion. While laps certainly boost the cardiovascular system, as well as increase your endurance, you can also do it to strengthen your muscles. You may think of it this way: swimming delivers the same benefits as when you go for a run while resistance training provides the same benefits as when you are lifting some weights.

How to Use Water Exercise Equipment

Using water exercise equipment provides you with a great way to add spice and challenge to your boring strength training and cardio regimen. This water exercise equipment also makes exercising in the water a lot more fun and exciting, which may likely be an inspiration to exercise more often. Here’s how to do it:

Water Dumbbells

Using water dumbbells for your workout is a lot different from using the traditional dumbbells you find in the gym. The reason is that on land, these dumbbells are being pulled down by gravity, which would mean that using it would likely require you to actually lift it. Meanwhile, water dumbbells offer you a fun way of exercising, as these are made using lightweight and plastic handles, with floating foam ends.

The buoyancy would mean that instead of being difficult to lift, they would float. In result, the workout is when you push these dumbbells down, which is difficult when you are under the water. Pushing them down works your triceps, back muscles, as well as your abdominals. In fact, these can also be used for your abs. Here’s what you should do:

• Stand with the top of your stomach under the water.
• Bend your arms and hold the water dumbbells close to the chest.
• Try squeezing your abs while bending forward, without any leg movement.
• Then, push your chest, as well as the dumbbells, underwater. Do this step as if you’re doing an abdominal crunch or a sit-up.
• Repeat the routine for a number of sets.

Water Fan Paddles

Water fan paddles are those handheld tubes that feature webbed circular fans found on both ends. While these are not heavy, you experience a drag once you pull them in the water, which is likely to increase your resistance. These are great for working your upper back, abdominal muscles, and your chest. However, you should know that using these would only work if, instead of moving them up and down, you move them side to side.

• Try spreading your arms in a horizontal position and at the height of your shoulders
• Face your palms forward and then clap your hands to the front and open your arms again.
• Repeat doing these steps, as you feel your shoulders and chest burning in a little while.

Resistance Bands

Resistance bands also offer a great way to enjoy water exercises. You may be able to use these stretchy cords made of flexible latex to take resistance training into the next level. Here’s what you can do:

• You may stand near the shallow end of the swimming pool then step at the band’s center.
• Grab the handles to create some resistance.
• Perform a bicep curl routine.
• To make it more challenging, try making the resistance bands a lot shorter. You may wrap the handle on your hand to make it shorter.

Ankle Weights

Under the same category as the resistance bands, a great pair of ankle weights also create heavier resistance, specifically on your muscles. In fact, these ankle weights can be wrapped around the ankles and attached using Velcro fasteners and straps. Doing so makes it perfect for working out, both in water and on dry land.

When you try using ankle weights on land, your legs are likely to be prone to an intense workout, as the weights generate additional resistance every time you lift your feet from the ground. On the other hand, underwater resistance training using ankle weights also provides you with a more intense workout, as you are required to fight against any additional pressure that is produced by the water.

• Walk back and forth towards the shallow end of the swimming pool.
• If you find the workout too easy, then you need to take things to a new level. Try bending your knee up to your chest if you can.
• If you want a full-body exercise, try rotating the moves.
• Begin with a routine of leg exercises then try switching to the arms while your legs are resting.

Conclusion

Whatever water exercise equipment you end up choosing, you should know that consistency is important. If you have a routine, it is guaranteed that you will have a fun and exciting time exercising in the swimming pool. You also need to remember that just like any other new physical activity, you may feel tired and sore for a couple of days after you try this exercise. The good news, however, is that once you get used to it, you will feel less sore when doing the routine.