Summer is a highly anticipated season throughout the year. The day is longer, the weather is nicer, and there's always plenty to do to stay active. With so much going on and the plethora of trips to the beach in sight, a lot of people have high expectations to “get in shape” by the time the hot weather rolls in. Whether it’s to capture attention in their bathing suit, or the mere desire to keep up with all the summer has to offer, it is now common to hear people wanting to lose weight, stay fit, and be healthy throughout the summer months.
Unfortunately, the summer season can also be the toughest to exercise regularly. It is sort of a Catch-22 because those with lots of activities planned don’t usually find time to exercise and anyone who does want to work out during the dog days of summer often don’t because heat wears out their stamina and causes fatigue rather easily. Furthermore, activities done directly in the sun or in a hot gym, such as weight training or extensive cardio on treadmills and ellipticals, can be almost unbearable, if not outright dangerous. So where does this leave a person who wants to stay fit while staying cool during the summertime? Well, you can look no further than a cold pool for all your summer workout needs.
Swimming is a great workout that helps to work every muscle of the body using the resistance from the water. In fact, it's been shown that deep water walking for a 130-pound person at moderate levels burns more calories per minute than long distance running on land. This is why it's important to be aware of great workouts like Power H2O, which can help you get an optimal workout without even breaking a sweat.
Swimming laps all day can get pretty repetitive. Doing a great watery workout like Power H2O allows you to push your limits while keeping your body temperature cool and comfortable even on the most humid of days. You start Power H2O workouts by walking around the pool and getting in knee lifts, heel kicks, and lunges for a nice warm up. After this, a workout of vertical jumps, lateral shuffles (16 counts a piece), jumping jacks, running in place, and power jumps towards different areas of the pool come in for the bulk of the workout. These workouts are best done when using the pools current against you. Therefore, it's best to keep moving and avoid staying in one place.
Power H2O is also great for technique because it requires you to keep your posture while in the pool to accomplish each of the goals. Maintaining good posture and mechanics throughout a workout routine are essential to maximizing the effectiveness of the workout and avoiding injury. The long term health benefits of maintaining good posture are more evident. Other than that, the routine itself is not overbearing, as each session lasts 30 minutes and produces real results. They prove that a refreshing pool is a great addition to an individuals repertoire of exercise equipment which most would normally not associate with the pieces of most home gyms.
If you're looking for a less intense workout in the pool – also not as boring as swimming laps -have no fear! Water Yoga is a much more relaxed way to work out and stay cool during the hot summer months. If you already do yoga, you’ll be surprised at the extra boost water resistance adds to the routine. Positions like Wall Cobra, Floating Forward Bend, and Corpse Pose are great ways to work the body in the pool without overheating. Actually combining the two workouts is a great combination of a high intensity workout and a relaxing yet rewarding cool down, so try them both out for a full routine.
Pools are usually seen as places where people come to relax and enjoy their time off but water workouts have shown that pools can offer so much more in terms of health. Ultimately, pools are great places for people to workout, stay fit, and stay cool without taking leisure time away from those that want to hang poolside on a sunny day. Take advantage of a great workout while beating the heat. Simply dive right in.
Pete from GymSource
