When most people think of water workouts, they automatically think lap swimming. While that certainly is a great workout, it’s definitely not the only option. I’ve always been a swimmer, but after a hip injury and stress fracture in my foot all in the last two years, I needed to expand my exercise options in the water since I was not allowed to do a traditional land-based workout.
It is possible to get cardio, strength-training and flexibility out of a water workout, but it does take some creativity. Most pools offer water aerobics classes and have equipment available for a wide variety of exercises. Here is an example of my weekly workout schedule centered around the pool at my gym.
Monday/Wednesday: One Hour Water Aerobics class
The class is taught by an instructor who varies the type of exercise each class period. I use water aerobics for my cardio workout, since I cannot run or bike for long periods of time without pain. Water aerobics can be as easy or as hard as you make it. I can decide the pace and resistance based on how my body feels that day. It is also a nice social workout, as I can converse with fellow classmates and sometimes even convince my friends to come with me.
Tuesday/Saturday: Lap Swimming
Since I was a college swimmer, I do at least two sessions of basic lap swimming per week. I spend at least an hour in the pool, and can get in between 2,000 and 2,500 yards in, depending on my pace. Lap swimming is a great cardio workout, but I can also vary which muscle group I focus on by doing mostly kicking or pulling, or swimming different strokes. Dolphin kick is great for working your core. If you don’t know how to “swim”, many facilities offer adult lessons. Tell your instructor that your goal is to be able to lap swim for fitness, and they can tailor the lessons to your needs.
Thursday/Sunday: Resistance Training
The pool at my gym has available several kinds of equipment that can be used for strength and resistance training, including kick boards, pool buoys, water barbells, foam noodles, and hand paddles. On these days I will start with a warm-up of swimming or jogging in the water, then alternate several different exercises to work on arm strength. I mainly use the water barbells to work my shoulders, upper back and triceps, and the foam noodles can be used for leg exercises. Think of traditional weight-lifting motions, and use the equipment and water resistance to work those same muscle groups.
Fridays: Day of Rest!
Not only is it nice to give my body a rest, but being in the pool six days a week can wreck havoc on my skin. I use a moisturizing body wash after every pool session, but during the winter my skin sometimes doesn’t hold up to that much chlorine. If I start to get uncomfortable, I’ll replace my resistance days with actual dry land weight lifting to give my skin a rest.
Working out in the water had enabled me to keep my fitness routine even while dealing with injuries. People with arthritis or recovering from surgery can resume their workouts in the pool, which can lead to quicker recovery or the slowing of disease progression. Now that my stress fracture has healed, I can do more land based workouts, but I still turn to the pool more often than not.
Sources: Personal Experience