5 Summer Water Exercises

Water offers a different kind of resistance to a body that's accustomed to moving on land.Water exercise is easy on your joints and bones while still excellent for muscle tone and aerobic conditioning.  Every move takes a lot more energy, and consequently burns a lot more calories; you use twice as many calories swimming as you do walking. If you have access to an ocean, a lake, or a pool try these 5 exercises:

Swimming

a fantastic whole-body workout with strength, flexibility and cardiovascular benefits. Modify this activity by going faster, changing strokes, or staying in the water for longer.

Water Polo/Volleyball

Next time you're at a pool party, organize a casual game of backyard water polo or volleyball. If you don't have an actual water polo ball, you can use a slightly deflated volleyball. Set up goals at both ends of the pool, using patio chairs or a couple of empty coolers tipped sideways. The rules of real water polo are overly complicated, but for our purposes just think soccer in the water. You're not allowed to stand on the bottom, and once you pick up the ball with a hand you have to either pass or shoot. Between treading water and sprinting up and down the pool, your muscles and aerobic capacity will get worked much harder than just swimming a few laps.

Body Surfing

getting up on your board and paddling out against the waves are some the most strenuous activities you can do at the beach. 

Water Aerobics 

Numerous public and private community centers throughout the county, as well as YMCAs and Jewish Community Centers, offer these group classes.

Obviously, different instructors have their own teaching methods. But what makes these sessions so appealing, is that you can individualize the workout according to your ability and fitness level. In other words, you control the intensity of the exercise.

In addition, with your entire body submerged, There's a sense of privacy if you're not comfortable being observed while training.

 

Pool Running

In contrast to aqua aerobics, which is usually done with your feet on the pool floor, pool-running is most often done while wearing a buoyancy belt. You're in a vertical, weight-supported position and you run.

The recommended form is to pump your arms and legs in an up-and-down motion (people tend to let their legs get out in front of them). Granted, it might look a bit strange to the uninitiated, but it's the best cross-training activity for runners.

Pool-running is also an ideal way to stay in shape while recovering from an injury.