Training Methods for Swimming in Place

Water provides an effective training tool because it provides resistance, a key component in strength training, even when just swimming in one place. You can use an inflatable object like a beach ball to target specific areas in your workout routine.

  1. Tread Water

    • You can burn about 11 calories a minute just by treading water, which is the same as a six-minute-mile running workout. This exercise is done simply by keeping your body afloat in deep water. Use your arms and legs to continuously pump and hold your body upright and your head above water.

    Roll in Place

    • Use a beach ball to build strength in your core muscles. Bring your body parallel to the surface of the water and hold yourself up with the beach ball under your stomach. Rotate your entire body around the ball, using you obliques, back and stomach muscles to stabilize. Repeat several times in each direction.

    Ball Pull-Down

    • Use your beach ball to build arm strength by pressing it into the water's resistance. Bring you body parallel to the surface of the water while holding the ball with your arms extended over your head. Press the ball down into the water using your arms' strength and until the ball is submerged and your arms extend beneath you.