Summer is a great time to indulge in frozen desserts and jump into the pool for a relaxing swim! Because of the call of the blue, blue waters, you can hardly restrain yourself from getting enveloped in its cool embrace. If exercising in the intolerable heat of summers seem like drudgery to you, check out a fun way of jazzing up your workout plans this summer! These water workout exercises are super fun and the best part you won’t be dripping with sweat at all!
Why Aqua Fitness?
With so many fitness trends doing the rounds, we always look for new and unique ways to get out of the monotony which makes us hit a plateau. Yes, the same workouts every day can be boring so we need to include the new to spice up our old workouts. So what is the summer body workout plan for women, or for men for that matter?
Some people have goals that look a certain way by the end of the season. Whatever be your goals and aspirations regarding your body, try these awesome workouts to reach your fitness goals.
- A tough enough challenge for you?- Well, there are some young people who look at the aqua fitness options with skepticism; can I lose weight just by splashing into the water? The pounds one will be losing by running on the treadmill, one cannot by swimming! That’s what people usually think! But trying never harmed anybody, did it?
- Fitness, custom made for you- You can increase or decrease the difficulty levels You can go at your own pace and you can get help from a floatation belt to keep afloat. You can even let go of it if you think you are up for the challenge.
- You don’t have to be great swimmers- If you are skipping a water workout just because swimming is not your forte, just slip into the pool and the rest will follow. The water workout exercises can be fun and you need to be a swimmer to try it out.
- Options and even more options- If you are wondering that there simply cannot be lots of options to try out, consider these water workouts for seniors so that the elderly can amp their fitness routine a la’ their younger counterparts. Also, pregnant women can start also keep up their fitness routine, as these workouts are easy on the joints and chances of injury are practically nil.
- Cross- training at its best- Yes, get a super fast workout by strengthening your muscles and improving your cardiovascular fitness at the same time. Water workouts can achieve the same within the stipulated time frame. So if you have water workout equipment or no equipment, you cannot stop yourself from getting a great workout.
- Balance is the key- Working out in the water can give you equal resistance for your full range of motions, which is known as double concentric muscle action. This is a great exercise for providing your body with the right balance.
- Not just your muscles and heart- Yes, it is not only for your muscles and heart, but your lymphatic system and internal organs get a good workout as well. Instead of feeling exhausted, get energized and refreshed with these fat loss workouts for women and men.
Now that you are more or less convinced of the benefits of aqua workouts, try these awesome fun ways of losing calories. You no longer have to flaunt a flushed and sweaty body after a workout. This is a wonderful way of relaxing after a hard days work.
To Swim or Not to Swim?
Once done with your laps of swimming, wondering what you can do differently to break the daily monotony? Try these, and get your energy back on track.
- Walking across- Have you ever walked across a pool? You must be wondering why should you walk if you can swim? Well, don’t worry yourself to death. This is a wonderful exercise, walk across the pool, against the water current gives for a killer workout.
- A game of fetch with yourself and friends- You’ve always played this with your dog right? Now do the same thing with your Throw a ball to the other side of the pool and try and fetch that. A game like that can keep you on your toes, or rather swim on your toes, competitive and fun!
- Jogging in water- Torch as many as 750 calories in an hour! Now isn’t it cool? Just sprint across the pool by bringing your knees up to your chest in a swift action, flailing your arms in the process. Doing it in water can literally take your breath away. Yes, it is as hard as it looks easy. This is an ideal exercise for every muscle.
- Play a sport like a volleyball- This one is great, as you make two teams and play water volleyball. So you are not winning for your team only, but also for yourself! These games offer a great workout. Different kinds of pool workouts can target different muscle groups.
- Shuffle slides- Shuffling side to side is a great thigh workout, especially if you do it in thigh-deep water.
- Wave-making- Hold on to the edge of the pool with the help of one hand, and place your other hand flat on the wall. Extend your legs behind you at water level. Start kicking using the whole body to make waves in the Flutter kick, Dolphin Kick or Frog kick, use innumerable ways of kicking to give your body the much-needed workout. This relatively easy workout will tone your back, abs, butt, and also the legs.
- Waist-clincher- This simple workout will not only help you shrink your waistline, but will also help build a stronger core. Put your arms along the pool edge and extend your legs in front of you. While taking a breath in, move your legs to your right and then to your left while breathing out.
- Move with a ball- Strong and toned arms can be flaunted in almost everything we wear and are definitely something which we want badly. Try this simple exercise for toned and strong arms. Stand with feet apart and extend your arms in front of you holding a small 6-12″ ball. Push the ball under the water and bring it up again, making a figure-eight pattern. The more effort you put in, the more resistance from the water, and hence the better the workout.
Now these are all fun workouts which you can incorporate. But if you want to learn the ropes of some serious water workouts like aqua Zumba, aqua aerobics or aqua yoga, you can really get into the groove of things, and take your fitness levels a notch higher!
Aqua Zumba
If you are acquainted with the Zumba dance workout routine, you will know that it is a wonderful way of expending calories and having a ball while doing it. Now if you do the same dance moves in the water will it be as much fun? Yes, definitely, if not more. Bring it on! Zumba is actually using some cool Latin American grooves, think salsa, bachata, tango, merengue, etc. As the tempo of the music reaches a crescendo, the intensity of the workout also increases. So are these workouts difficult? Definitely, the water just makes it harder. Keep a tab on the benefits of aqua Zumba and start doing it!
- Say a relieved farewell to joint pain- Yes, that’s the great part of doing water workouts, your joints don’t buckle under pressure. Let’s just say it’s kinder to your joints, and it won’t flare up as soon as your workout gets over.
- Feel good- I mean, who does not want to look and feel like a million bucks? Aqua Zumba just showed a way how to. Get grooving and splashing in the water and of course have pulsating music for company. Zumba dance workout routine is a super effective way of shedding kilos.
- Twice the work in half the time- When you are doing weight-training, work your way up, but it’s relaxing your muscles as you bring the dumbbell down, like in a bicep curl. But in an aqua Zumba workout, you get to work your triceps, while bringing it down.
- Great for patients with arthritis- Now, if you know somebody who’s unable to workout because of pain in their joints, you should do them a favor and recommend them this aqua workout. They will be ever so grateful to you!
Aqua Aerobics
Now that you are hooked to the pool for good, there’s no need for you to stick with just one kind of work-out. These can be regarded as one of the best water exercises for weight-loss. The effects of water aerobics are slow, but they are mighty effective. Add weights to get more benefits out of it, since reduction of calories can significantly up the metabolism. Check out the benefits of aqua aerobics and decide whether you want to add this to your workout routine or not.
- Great for overweight people- Heavy or obese people have a tough time working out in a gym or any other place. Sticking to water aerobics will help them cool and help keep stress off the knees and hips.
- Keeping muscle tissue healthy and strong- Older people can maintain good balance and strength and hence as they grow older still, they can keep muscle tissues in optimal condition.
- Helps with health issues- It helps with blood circulation, lowers blood pressure and helps with joint pain.
- Lifts your spirit- There’s something very enticing about grooving with a group of people, the water lapping against your body, and you move your limbs rhythmically against the fast beats of the music. Aqua fitness routines also propagate healthy social interactions amongst all fitness enthusiasts.
Aqua Yoga
Whereas yoga is a harmonious amalgamation of the body and soul, aqua yoga adds the extra element of restorative calmness. Workout without stress either on your mind and also on your joints. If you are thinking of joining an aqua class routine, consider joining aqua class routines, give aqua yoga a dekko. What are the basic benefits of aqua kriya yoga?
- No impact on joints, hips and ankles- As there is little or no impact on joints, people of varied age groups can try this out.
- Improve balance issues- Balance, confidence and awareness are improved with the help Aqua yoga.
- It tones your body better- The water gives the body a feeling of weightlessness and it gives a feeling of muscle lengthening and proper toning of the body.
- Tightening of core- Don’t we all want to tighten our cores and aspire to have washboard abs? Aqua yoga clearly tells you how, as it strengthens the pelvic floor and deep core muscles.
- Use of props to help your workouts- There are many props to help your workouts like noodles, floats, and aqua belts.
- The use of walls- The walls of the pools can provide the required assistance and resistance too.
- The students can experience an increased range of motions- With time practicing the aqua yoga will bring stability of shoulder, knee and hip joints.
- It soothes you down- Yes, it quietens you down and soothes your nervous system. A stress-free you, means a disease-free you! So start doing your water yoga poses with diligence and you will have a healthy body and a calm mind.
- Helps you to sleep- If you are suffering from sleep problems, try this and you will be transported to snooze land with ease.
Now you know about the numerous options, it’s time for you to reach out for your swimsuit and water goggles. You can burn a whopping number of calories like 400 to 800 calories per hour, and you know that’s a massive number if you really want to lose weight. So if you are interested in water yoga, aqua zumba or aqua aerobics, there are myriad options for you to choose. Fitness for sure has never been this fun!