Lounging by the pool soaking up sunshine is certainly fun, and while it may make your body look better in that bikini, it doesn’t improve your fitness level. Get in the water and take your summer fun up a notch. You can get resistance training and a cardio workout in the water.

Water has more resistance than air. That’s why we look so funny trying to run in the water. On the other hand, being in the water lowers the effect of gravity, so we weigh less when part of our body is submerged. For basic exercises you can do in the pool, check out our aqua instructor resources at http://www.randomosity.com/aquaINDEX.htm

There are all kinds of fun things to do in a pool that won’t seem like exercise. Pool volleyball and pool basketball are a couple of fun games, but they do require some special equipment like a basket or net. You can improvise with a rope secured at each end for a volleyball net. You can use laundry baskets as a basketball hoop.

Another fun pool game is water frisbee. While it’s difficult to move fast enough to catch far throws, jumping to catch a high throw can be amazing. Moving around in the water works the body hard because larger muscle groups are working to maintain torso alignment, in addition to the challenge of the extra resistance in water.

There are some great exercise you can do with a ball in the pool even if you don’t have a team for frisbee or volleyball. Try holding the ball between your knees. It is a great workout for the inner thigh muscles. Just be sure to keep your face out of the way when the ball eventually comes flying up!

TOP