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Jun 11, 2024

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This full-body workout will get your heart rate up. But water provides natural resistance, making it joint-friendly. Want to mix up your workout routine? There’s no better place to do that than a

This full-body workout will get your heart rate up. But water provides natural resistance, making it joint-friendly.

Want to mix up your workout routine? There’s no better place to do that than a pool.

There are numerous reasons to move your workout to the water.

Start with the fact that water workouts are low-impact, meaning that they’re easy on your muscles and joints. Per a research review published in ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal in 2019, that means water exercise allows you to work out at higher intensities and longer duration with lower risk of injury compared to land-based workouts.

“By putting less stress on your body, low-impact workouts require fewer rest days and reduce the chances of injury,” adds Angela Ruest, NASM-certified personal trainer and water aerobics instructor at Life Time Westminster in Westminster, Colorado.

This means moving your activity to the water can be a good way to rehab from an injury, too — although make sure you get a doctor’s clearance first.

Plus, water provides its own natural resistance. “The steady resistance of the water allows you to work the entire body, increasing strength and improving coordination and balance,” Ruest says.

And if you’re looking for a way to escape the summer’s grueling temperatures and keep your workout cool, the water, of course, helps with that, too.

Here’s a low-impact cardio pool workout designed by Ruest.

It’s best if you can do this routine with aquatic dumbbells (lightweight bars with foam ends that provide extra resistance as you raise or lower them in the water) or water gloves. Don’t have them? No problem, as the water will provide resistance without them.

The Aquatic Exercise Association also recommends using aquatic shoes for shallow water fitness, especially programs involving impact or traveling movement to reduce the impact stress to weight-bearing joints, allow for better footing during movement, increase traction during traveling movements, protect feet from injury and improve the quality of the workout (especially for individuals who have obesity, are pregnant, or have diabetes and musculoskeletal disorders).

Aqua exercise is safe for most everybody, no matter your fitness level or age. If you have an autoimmune disease, check with your doctor first, as water temperature may be a factor, Ruest says. And if you’ve recently had surgery, get clearance from your doctor first. The International Fitness Association also recommends that people with compromised respiratory functions, severe low blood pressure, bladder or vaginal infections, any infectious diseases, chlorination allergies and open or unhealed wounds avoid aqua workouts.

Spend about five minutes warming up, doing variations of these exercises without any equipment.

For the workout, complete one minute of each exercise one after another in waist- or chest-deep water, taking about 15 to 30 seconds between exercises. That’s one set.

Repeat for a total of three sets, or until 30 minutes has elapsed. If that’s too much for the fitness level you’re at, start with two sets and add the third when you’re ready. Although Ruest says a cool-down isn’t necessary in the water, she likes to do a few stretches at the sides of the pool after her aqua aerobic classes.

Do this seven-exercise workout two to three times a week, perhaps alternating it with other activities you enjoy.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand, arms by your sides. From this position, march as vigorously as you can, bending opposite arm with opposite leg toward your shoulder. To make this more challenging, replace marching with jogging in place.

Start by standing near one of the long sides of the pool, facing the opposite side. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Now walk quickly to the opposite side of the pool. Once there, set the dumbbells aside on the pool deck and place your hands on the pool wall, wrists under your shoulders and your feet a foot or so away from the wall (your body should be at a slight angle to the pool wall). From this position, lower your chest toward the wall and release to start. Repeat five times.

Then pick up the dumbbells and walk briskly to the other side of the pool and repeat the push-ups. Continue alternating.

To make it more challenging, use a jog instead of a walk. Or if you want to do something other than push-ups, hold the edge of the pool and lift yourself up like you’re getting out of the pool and then lower, repeating that five times.

Stand with your feet together and hold a dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing in. Hop (or walk) your feet about a foot apart as you lift the dumbbells out to your sides, arms slightly bent, stopping once you reach water height. Release to start and repeat, moving quickly.

Stand with your feet staggered, right foot forward, left foot back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, arms down by your sides. Bend your left knee and kick your left foot behind you. As you do this, lean your torso forward and sweep both arms up to the level of the water, palms facing down. Once you feel like you can’t lean forward any further, pull your arms back toward your body, palms facing in, and transfer your weight onto your left leg as you bend your right knee forward. Continue rocking back and forth, building up speed as you go. For the next minute, repeat the move on the opposite side so that the left leg is in front and right leg behind.

Stand with your left side next to the pool wall, facing the long end of the pool. Hold dumbbells in each hand, hands by your sides, palms facing your body. Take a big step to the right with your right leg as you lift both arms to water height. Step the left foot next to the right and continue moving quickly to the right. As soon as you reach the wall, reverse directions, this time leading with your left foot first. Move as quickly as you can.

Stand with your feet together, a dumbbell in each hand and arms to your sides. From this position, hop in place to twist both feet to your right, trying to stay close to your starting spot (your feet should stay parallel to one another, but will change direction from facing straight ahead of you to facing to the right diagonal). Then hop again so that your body and feet (staying parallel) face a left diagonal. Continue alternating quickly from right to left until the minute is done.

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and lift arms out in front of you so that they’re parallel to the pool floor. Lift your right knee toward your chest as you press the dumbbells overhead. Moving quickly, release to start, lowering your right leg as you return your arms to shoulder height and repeat with your left knee, pushing your arms overhead again. The pace should be quick; to make this more challenging, add a bounce as you switch legs to turn it into a jog.

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