Pool Exercise for Weight Loss

There are three basic types of exercise: those you do for flexibility, for strength and toning, and for an aerobic, or cardiovascular, workout. With its natural resistance and low (or no) impact on the joints, pool exercises are easy and fun. Water workouts can help you lose weight as well as tone and strengthen your body.

  1. Flexibility

    • Begin with flexibility exercises to stretch your muscles and improve your range of motion.

      Stand toward the side of the pool, holding the edge for balance. Take one leg and lift the foot behind the body, pointing it to the sky with the knee bent and the other foot firmly on the floor of the pool. Take the foot in the opposite hand (left foot in the right hand), lifting the foot slowly and holding it for 20 to 30 seconds.

    Stregth and Toning

    • Tone and strengthen your muscles by performing repetitive strategic movements targeting specific muscle groups. Water toning exercises have the added benefit of reduced risk of injury.

      With your body suspended in the water, the only pressure is from the exercises you do (not from the impact of your feet hitting the ground) while you work out.

      This would include many standard muscle building, toning exercises including arm and leg curls. Place your back to the wall of the pool and stretch your arms out along the outside of the pool on the edge. Leave your feet touching the bottom of the pool. Use your abdomen and leg muscles to lift both knees until they form an L with the back. Do 5-10 repetitions to strengthen and tone the abdomen and upper leg muscles.

    Cardio

    • Get your body moving and your blood pumping. It's easy to get your heart rate up in the water because the natural resistance makes you work harder to perform movements that would be easier on land. Jogging, walking and step aerobics in the water will get your body to an elevated heart rate quickly. Cardio workouts in water include step aerobics and pool boxing.

      Stand in water shoulder high. Keep one foot in front of the other shoulder-width apart. Put your arms in a guard position under the water, with the elbows at a 45-degree angle. Throw a punch with arm opposite your forward foot. If your left foot is forward, punch with you right arm. Repeat this several times and then change feet.

    Elevated Heart Rate

    • Determine your target heart rate in order to lose the most weight with your workout. To determine your target heart rate you first take your age and subtract it from 220. (If you're 30 years old, it's 220 -- 30 = 190.) Take the result and multiply it by 0.55 to get the low range (190 x 0.55 = 104.5), and then take the original result and multiply it by 0.85 (190 x .85 = 161.5) to get the high end of your target heart rate range.

    Tip

    • While working out in the pool, you don't seem to sweat. This does not mean that you don't require water. Keeping your body well hydrated is still an important part of your workout.