Examples of Aerobic Water Exercises

Aerobic water exercising is a great way to stay cool while getting in a good workout. The health benefits include burning calories and losing weight, strengthening and toning muscles, and improving cardiovascular endurance. Because you are not supporting your full weight in water, there is less impact on the body's joints and a lower risk of injuries. You can alter the time and intensity of these exercises to accommodate for age or physical condition.

  1. Running

    • For this exercise, start in chest-high water. Just as on land, keep your head held up, shoulders back, knees bent and with a slight lean forward. Start off slowly, swing your arms and run with short strides for two minutes. For the next two minutes increase your arm swings and stride length and run at a moderate pace. The next two minutes should be a fast paced, vigorously working both arms and legs with full extension. Reduce your movements to a moderate pace for two minutes and finish with two minutes at a slow easy pace. Repeat this two to four times.

    Cross-Country Skiing

    • This is similar to the running exercise, but you keep the legs and arms straight. Just like on land, the arms and legs move opposite each other, back and forth. Start with an easy two minutes, increase to a moderate pace for the next two minutes and then increase to a hard pace for the next two. Decrease the intensity two minutes at a time. You can repeat this exercise two to four times or go for 30 to 40 minutes at a moderate pace. The object is to increase your heart rate and maintain that rate for an interval of time.

    Line Jumping

    • You'll also do this exercise in chest-high water. Use a line on the bottom of the pool or an imaginary line as you jump over and back. Use your arms to help propel your body forward and backward. Keep your legs together and as you jump over the line, bring both legs up together with bent knees and land on the balls of the feet. As a change, turn sideways and jump over the line from side to side or alternate, four jumps forward and backward and four jumps side to side. You can do this exercise in two minute intervals.