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For the quadriceps (front of the thighs), hamstrings
and glutes: Stand with your feet hip-width apart
in shallow water with your arms bent at your sides, hands
out flat with fingers together and palms up. Slowly bend
your knees into a squat position, sticking your derriere
out behind you (don’t worry about looking silly –
you’re under water!). Do not allow your knees to extend
beyond your toes, but try to simulate a sitting-in-a-chair
position. Cupping your hands, keeping your back neutral
(not arched) and abs tucked in, exhale and stand up straight.
Turn your hands to return to the starting position. Be very
careful to maintain perfect form throughout this exercise.
For hips and glutes:
Facing the edge of the pool, hold on with both
hands and slowly bring one leg out to your side, keeping
your back straight. Exhale while you bring it up as high
as you comfortably can without turning at the ankle (this
probably won’t be as high as you could if you did
turn your ankle). Bring it back down and repeat, doing a
full set for each leg.
For glutes:
KICK! You can breeze around on a kickboard or hold onto
the side of the pool, but the scissoring motion is great
for the buttocks and hamstrings, and it indirectly tones
the abdominals. What could be more fun than this?
For the back, shoulders
and arms: Do pull-ups. Grasp the side of the pool
and lower your body as far as your arms will allow. Keeping
your knees bent, exhale and pull yourself up as high as
you can (the range of motion for this will vary greatly
from one person to another). For the chest: Standing in
water up to your neck, reach your hands out to each side,
with your elbows unbent and your palms forward. Slowly bring
them together, clapping your hands, and then turn your hands
to return to the starting position.
For triceps:
Stand straight, with your open hands palms-down on the surface
of the water. Keeping your elbows locked at your sides (pretend
they’re glued to your ribcage), exhale and push down
until your hands are beside your hips. Turn your hands and
bring them back to the starting position.
For biceps: Bring
your open hands to the side of each hip, palms forward, with
your fingers close together. Exhale as you slowly bend at
the elbow to bring your hands toward your shoulders.
For abs, you can
simulate crunches, or here’s a toughie: stand
with your back to the side of the pool, holding onto the
rim with your elbows. Keeping your knees unbent, slowly
bring both legs up to a sitting position and hold it for
ten seconds. Do not hold your breath, though. Breathe slowly
throughout this exercise. Then bend at the knee to bring
them down, repeating this as many times as you’d like
to. Be careful to keep your back straight throughout this
exercise. There are lots of gadgets available for toning;
you can get these at most department stores or athletic
supply stores. They make the work a little more challenging
and possibly give you speedier results, but it’s better
to begin water exercise without them. Once you feel like
you need to push yourself a little harder, go ahead and
use them. They’ll add a new flavor to your old workout,
keeping you motivated and interested.
STRETCHING: THE DESSERT
Just about any of the stretches you do on land can also
be done in the water. When you’re finished with your
toning, hold the side of the pool with one hand, stand on
one foot, bend the other knee and grasp your ankle with
your free hand to stretch your quadriceps and hip flexors.
Hold the side of the pool with one hand and turn your body
by pointing your toes away from the wall to stretch your
biceps and pectorals. There are many, many stretches that
you can do. Just make sure that you’re properly warmed
up (this takes a little longer in the pool) and keep your
feet flat on the floor at all times.
Finito! You’re done.
Remember that your perceived exertion is a little off in
the pool – you may feel like you didn’t work
that hard, but you did. You also may be a little sore the
next day, so don’t push yourself too hard until you
know how much you can handle.
IMPORTANT NOTE: YOU
ARE NOT A FISH! You don’t have gills to keep
your body hydrated, and it is possible to become dehydrated
in the pool, so make sure you drink water before and after
your workout. Once working out in the pool becomes a part
of your summer lifestyle, you may begin to think you’re
a fish, but that’s only because pool exercise is so
much fun, it has you hooked!
Please CLICK
HERE to see water aerobics equipment and accessories.
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