Water Exercises Using Spaghetti Tubes

Kids often use spaghetti tubes, also called aqua noodles or pool noodles, to have fun while swimming, but anyone can use them for water exercises to improve fitness. These long, foam tubes provide a buoyant surface and their flexibility make them useful in the pool to work a variety of muscles.

  1. Upward-Facing Dog

    • If you enjoy yoga for its stretching and strengthening benefits, you can do Upward-Facing Dog in the water using a spaghetti tube. You'll need two spaghetti tubes for this yoga exercise. Stand in the shallow end of a pool, position a tube on either side of your body and position your hands in the center of each tube. Push the tubes into the water. Your hands should be level with your hips, your arms should be straight and the tubes should then form U-shapes, with each end possibly poking out of the water depending on the length of your spaghetti tubes. While keeping your chest upright and your shoulders down, allow your legs to float backward and then rest the tops of your feet on the pool bottom. Arch your back, push your hips forward and pull your chest upward

    Lunge

    • Try lunges in the pool with a spaghetti tube. They target your quadriceps and glutes. Stand in the shallow end of the pool so that the water is chest-deep and position your feet hip-width apart. Hold the spaghetti tube in front of you, one end of the tube in each hand. Bring your hands together slightly so the tube forms a U-shape. Submerge the tube, with the bent part extending toward the bottom of the pool and then step over the noodle. As you step over it, bend your knee and lunge forward. Your back leg should be extended, with your foot resting on the pool bottom. Hold for a few seconds and return to your starting position. Repeat this lunge 10 to 15 times.

    Spaghetti Tube Swings

    • For a balance improvement, try spaghetti tube swings. Sit on your spaghetti tube, positioning your glutes in the center of the tube. Allow yourself to sink somewhat into the water -- the spaghetti tube should keep you buoyant. While keeping careful balance, pull your knees into your chest, then push your knees and straighten your legs. This movement mimics the leg pumping on a playground swing. Repeat this exercise 10 to 15 times. This water exercise also offers benefits if you suffer from lymphedema, because it encourages groin node drainage.

    Considerations

    • Doing water exercises using a spaghetti tube keeps you cool while you burn fat and strengthen muscles, but because you're in the water, there are risks. The most obvious risk is drowning. If you are not a strong swimmer, stay in the shallow end of the pool and make sure you exercise with a buddy. Spaghetti tubes can be slippery so you could easily slip off the tube or lose your grip on it. You may also be at risk from the chlorine in the water in which you exercise. A study published in the November 2006 issue of the "American Journal of Epidemiology" indicates that exposure to chlorine in pools may increase your risk of bladder cancer.