27 Jul A Cool Pool Workout – Summertime or Anytime!
You don’t have to be a lap swimmer to get a workout in Park Springs’ pool. You can easily design your own low-impact fitness routine that will be gentler on your joints and body, but still offer calorie-burning and muscle-toning benefits.
Exercising in a swimming pool offers a number of advantages over other exercises. The water reduces the pounding your body takes, but also offers resistance. For these reasons, professional athletes often use water workouts to rehabilitate injuries. Water exercise can build both cardiovascular fitness and muscle mass, while burning in the neighborhood of 400 calories an hour during demanding training.
Developing your own fitness routine in the water is relatively simple. First, like any exercise, remember that a good warm-up and cool-down, as well as stretching, are recommended. Spend approximately 5 minutes doing light movements at the start and end of your workout.
The Aquatic Exercise Association recommends building your fitness routine to include intervals of the following movement elements:
- Run/Jog, using similar motions as you would on land, either in sprinting fashion or accentuating movements like high knee lift, high heel kick or arm pumping.
- Sideways or Backwards Walk/Jog at a slower pace to work on flexibility, balance and coordination.
- Cross-country or Downhill Ski, mimicking a cross-country skiing motion by placing one leg forward and one leg back, then jumping to switch legs, swinging your arms in the opposite direction from your legs. Another option is jumping side-to-side, with knees bent, simulating downhill skiing turns.
- Tread Water, using exaggerated arms movements to stay afloat.
While it’s easy to design your own swimming pool workout to meet your exact needs or fit into your schedule, Park Springs also offers a selection of group aqua aerobics and water fitness classes to keep Members fit, motivated and invigorated during the summer months, and throughout the year.