FitnessU:
Exercises to Do in a Pool
See Marc Luettecke, a student at Loyola University, explain the benefits of a pool workout..
See Airyn White, a former student at Elmhurst College, share a few exercises to help firm up abs and glutes while in the pool.
See Emily Belote, a student at the University of Texas–Martin, demonstrate a few effective pool exercises.
Students give their advice on how to do exercises in the pool, beyond swimming.
“One of the most incredible pool exercises I've run across is underwater jogging. Running chest-deep in a pool from one side to the other is very rewarding—you're fighting water resistance and working with balance.”
—Charles, George Fox University, Newberg, Oregon
“I do pull-ups using the diving board. With the help of the water, it feels effortless. I also stand on a pool noodle and try to keep my balance. I can feel it in my abs. Plus, I swim lengths of the pool. I switch up the different strokes so that I use different muscles. I'll start off doing the front crawl and then do a back stroke; sometimes I'll do a butterfly."
—Kealey, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
“Sprinting from one end of the pool to the other is a great workout. Pool basketball is also an excellent cardio workout.”
—Jordan, The Ohio State University, Columbus
“I teach several water fitness classes. We adapt Pilates to get a good core workout and isolate muscle groups. We do deep-water routines to get great resistance and cardio. My favorite is v-sits using a noodle behind the back and one under the ankles and doing "crunches" and tilting the knees to the side to get the obliques. These are great ab workouts without the stress and strain on the back and neck!”
—Liz, Emporia State University, Kansas
"Fly-backs are an exercise where you put your palms together in front of you and make a full arm-flapping motion under water as hard as you can. This works your upper body.”
—Adam, Western Illinois University, Macomb
“I do noodle figure 8s:
1. Stand in shallow water that is between your waist and shoulders.
2. Tie a pool noodle into a knot. Grab firmly onto the two free ends.
3. Take a wide stance with your lower body and bend your knees. Engage your core to protect your back and pull your shoulders back and down, opening through the chest to start the exercise.
4. Firmly press the noodle down under the water, making sure to reset your shoulders and open your chest.
5. Begin with the noodle in front of you. Drag the noodle toward your right hip, rotating through the torso. Allow the noodle to lift up about 6 inches as you pull it back to the front of your body. Then press the noodle down and to your left hip, rotating your torso to the left allowing the noodle to lift after passing the hip as you bring it back to the front of your body.
6. Continue to make figure 8s under the water, making sure to keep the hips pointed forward, knees bent, and shoulders drawn down and back (into your hip pockets).
This is a great exercise for strengthening the core, chest, and back muscles. Repeat 10 times.”
—Robin, Ohlone College, Fremont, California
How do you stay fit outside?To share your outdoor exercise suggestions,
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