Water Exercises for Abs

If you are tired of your regular abs routine and want something different, water exercises for abs are a great way to tone your stomach while still having fun. These are especially easy in the summer months because you will most likely find yourself at the pool more often, so you can enjoy the nice weather and still get a great workout.

  1. Kickboard

    • A kickboard is a great exercise tool. There are many ways to use a kickboard for abdominal exercises, but these are two examples that you will find fun and rewarding. Wrap your arms around a kickboard and hold it to your chest. Float on your back, and do a backstroke kick up and down the length of the pool. The goal of this exercise is to keep your feet and knees as close to the surface of the water as possible, which is challenging and will therefore impact your abs even more.

      Another great exercise is to hold a kickboard straight out in front of you and do a "dolphin kick" up and down the length of the pool. A dolphin kick is when you move by keeping your legs together to make one uniform kick movement with both of your legs.

    Spinal Rotations

    • Spinal rotations are a great exercise for your oblique abs. Stand in water that is deep enough that you can hold your arms out to your side while keeping your hands under water. Your arms don't have to be at a 90-degree angle, but they should not be hanging at your sides. Keep your palms facing outward and your fingers closed, and rotate to your right as far as your body will permit. Remember to keep your abs tight and your back straight while doing this exercise.

    Walking

    • Because of the resistance, any kind of movement in the water burns calories. Walk slowly across the shallow end of the pool, standing upright and holding your abdominal muscles tight. Remember to maintain control of your core, which is the central area of your body: abs and lower back. This will cause the movement to be more effective. For more of a challenge, you can buy water weights to wrap around your legs for more resistance as you walk.

    Leg Lifts

    • Leg lifts will also help tone your abdominal muscles. Start by standing in the deeper part of the shallow end, about 4 feet deep. Hold on to the side of the pool to keep your balance, and then slowly lift your right leg up, pulling it into your chest. Hold your abs tight and keep your back straight. Lower your leg slowly, maintaining the resistance. Repeat with the other leg. Once again, you can increase the challenge by doing this while wearing leg weights.

      You can also do leg lifts in the deep end, by holding the wall of the pool with one hand. You can lift one leg at a time, or both simultaneously. You can also lift your legs while twisting to one side to impact your oblique muscles. Do an equal number of exercises on each side.