Swimming is one of the most natural types of movements: water gives life and makes us happier. Those who swim regularly, as a rule, feel better, have great stamina and a beautiful body shape. In addition to free swimming in water, you can do many special exercises. What exercises to do in the pool so that it reflects on your figure as quickly as possible?
Why not just swimming?
Unlike “ground” fitness, where seven sweats are sure to come off you, swimming is easy and pleasant ... but boring. If, while swimming in the sea, you can still enjoy the scenery around or have fun diving through the waves, then in the pool we are limited by our path, and then we share it with a couple more people. For restless natures, going to the pool can be a real challenge. It will be much more interesting for such people to be occupied with completing any task than just swimming.
Moreover, if you are determined to lose weight, then exercises in the pool will greatly accelerate this process. The state of your figure will improve, even if you just swim regularly - your stomach will tighten due to the need to constantly stay afloat, your arms and legs will become stronger. And if you purposefully “attack” fat in certain parts of the body, then you will reach the process even faster. “Water is a fluid simulator,” say aerobics instructors.
And the last argument: if you do not want to get into the water because you are very cold, then exercises will save you from the cold. In the end, you can simply accelerate and swim from side to side faster, but doing exercises is much more interesting.
Who is shown such exercises?
Loads in water have practically no contraindications. On the contrary, they are strongly recommended in the recovery period from injuries and illnesses, for young mothers and for people of mature age. Water significantly attenuates the load on the joints, relieves the back and relieves the condition in case of problems with the spine (here - lower back pain). Of course, the water should be warm and clean enough so that your exercises in the weight loss pool do not negatively affect your health. If you are comfortable in the water, then it can become a real refuge for you, where you can relax both physically and emotionally.
Exercises in the pool for weight loss
The simplest exercise for the abdomen, which is hardly even an exercise, is as follows. You just stand right deep down to the middle of the chest, twist your hands into the castle in front of you, turn your palms towards you and as if “pulling up” a portion of water towards you. Palms fall on the stomach (it should be completely immersed in water). This simple action has a slight strengthening effect on the abdominal muscles - the resistance of the water makes them turn on.
The next exercise for the abdomen in the pool will require courage from you. If you are not afraid of depth, then swim to a place where you can’t feel the floor under your feet (of course, provided that you are well afloat and confident in your abilities). Your task is to stretch into a string, and then gather in a lump.
The main work will be done by the muscles of the press. If desired, this exercise can be performed at the water level on the shoulders, but then legs will take over part of the work - with them you will push off the floor - and the press will not be pumped so deeply.
Pool side exercises
To act on the sides, you need to make slopes - and in the water too. To do this, you can go to the depth of the waist or even the chest line and put your legs wider than the shoulders. Spread your arms to the sides and alternately bend to one and the other side. Try not to lose the plane of movement and not to bend the pelvis back.
Another good side pool exercise is twisting. You bounce and tear off your legs from the bottom, bending them at the knees, but not just pulling them up, but moving them from side to side. In theory, you should stay afloat and actively include abdominal muscles for this. But if it’s hard for you, then you can grab the side with your hands.
Leg exercises
While you are swimming, your legs are losing weight and strengthening. If you swim like a frog, spreading your legs wide apart, the inner thigh muscles are well developed. If you alternately move your legs up and down in the style of a crawl - the front of the thigh and the abs are more involved.
Grasp the edge of the pool so that your feet float to the surface. Start making scissors - flatten and spread your legs. Please note that part of the legs must be on top. Try to completely immerse them in water, and you will feel that it will be much easier. We need a load, so we return to drift to the surface of the water and repeat the exercise 15-20 times.
Scissors can be tried to do and swim to the middle of the pool. Raise your legs at a right angle and try to stay afloat, bringing them together. Hands may help a little, but the main load is on the internal muscles of the thighs and abdomen.
For a run under water
Another unexpected exercise is underwater running. No, you do not need to dive completely under water - just go into the water waist-deep. Now try to run - feel the resistance? This exercise is convenient to do on the seashore with a soft sandy bottom to run away and enjoy the sea views. But you can try to perform it in the pool, if size allows. If not, then replace it with a run in a place with a high knee lift - for this you need to go to that level until the water is at chest level.
A new trend has appeared in the West - now cardio machines are placed under water. It can be a treadmill, exercise bike or stepper - you plunge into the water around the neck and begin your classes. Water significantly reduces the load on the joints. If it’s contraindicated for you to run just like that (you feel pain in your knees or tension in the lower back), then, probably, under water you will succeed.
Arm Muscle Exercises
Your hands will catch up in swimming in any case, even if you do not perform special exercises in the pool - after all, it is they who have to take on themselves a decent part of the work and constantly row. But you can use them even more.
Just as we raised our legs to the border of water and air, you should now place your hands. Their lower part will be under water, and the upper part will be above. Pull them in front of you and start boxing over an invisible obstacle. You will feel how the fists have to overcome the resistance of water. Repeat the exercise 20-25 times.
Another simple but effective exercise in the pool is raising your hands. Go to the depth to the shoulders and stand straight. Now start raising your arms up to the surface and back down. You will again feel the pressure of water - which means that your muscles are working. Do the exercise several times slowly, and then accelerate to feel the difference.
Exercises with devices: dostochki, flippers and noodles
Surely you saw special items that are used for exercises in the pool. The easiest way is to lean on the body and swim, actively working with your feet. Since the hands at this moment will rest on the support, all the work will go to the legs and the effect of crossing the pool will be noticeably more noticeable.
Special long and soft sticks that are used in the pool are called noodles (derived from English noodle - noodles). Noodle is used to diversify exercises in every possible way - even bending-unbending this flexible stick under water will require certain muscular efforts.
If you don’t have enough load on your legs, then try to put on flippers - in them any movement will become more difficult several times. Simple things like lifting and raising legs, flippers will do much more efficiently.
Not only the pool: tips on how to lose weight faster
If you are determined to lose weight, then just swimming exercises in the pool for the sides and abdomen will not be enough. You will have to build an entire program to achieve your goal. It is important to review all areas of your life:
- Move more - complement swimming with walks, jogging, and other sports. Get off at a stop earlier to walk the remaining distance. Climb the stairs instead of the elevator and escalator.
- Rethink nutrition. If you regularly do exercises in the pool to lose weight, and then suffer from brutal appetite and sweep everything from the shelves of the refrigerator, then something goes wrong. Perhaps you should transfer classes to an earlier time, have a snack before training, and generally make the food more fractional - frequent and small portions.
- Get enough sleep. The more we sleep, the more our body suffers from stress and gains weight.