For some reason, exercising in the pool just doesn’t seem like work. It seems more like play. But water can be a great fitness tool.
Some benefits you can gain from aquatic workouts include:
- Improved muscle strength and increased cardio intensity.
- Reduced risk of joint injuries while exercising in the water.
- Symptom relief from chronic conditions like arthritis or fibromyalgia.
- Less body stress if you’re overweight, obese or out of shape since it’s a low-impact exercise.
- Faster weight loss and fat burning ability.
- Increased balance, agility and endurance.
However, to get greater benefits from your water aerobics, make sure you:
- Don’t go any deeper in the water than waist high. You want your feet to have good contact with the pool floor and your legs to support some of your weight.
- Wear water shoes for better traction.
If you want to stay or get fit, try these 5 exercises the next time you’re at the pool.
Water jogging. By jogging in waist-high water for 1 to 3 minutes, you can burn 17 calories each minute – more than you can on land.- Climb the pool wall. Stand in the water by the pool wall. While stabilizing your upper body by sweeping your hands back and forth in the water, run your legs up and down the pool wall.
- Pool plank. This exercise will strengthen your core muscles. Whiling standing in the water, push a pool noodle straight down into the water with your hands. Lean your body forward until it’s on an even incline. (Hold your head above water.) Try to hold your plank position stable for 1 to 2 minutes.
- One-legged balance. This exercise will strengthen your leg and core muscles. While standing in waist-high water, lift one knee up to waist height. Place the middle of a noodle under your foot. (The noodle will create a U-shape when you let go of it.) Keep your hands by your side and try to stay balanced in this position for 1 minute. Then switch legs.
- Fly backs. This exercise will work your upper chest, back and arm muscles. Start in a lunge position with one knee bent forward and your other leg extended straight behind you. Reach your arms straight out in front of you at chest height – palms touching and thumbs up. Open your arms straight out to your sides and then return them to the starting point for one rep. Do 4 sets of 10 reps then switch your forward lunging leg and repeat.
ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics Reduce Stress and Strain on Your Body
When you’re on land, unlike when you’re in the water, your feet take the full impact of your weight with each step you take. And if your feet aren’t performing properly to begin with, the muscles and joints in your feet, knees, hips and lower back have to compensate for your poor foot mechanics. This action leads to increased stress and strain on your joints and muscles. Eventually, your joints can deteriorate, leading to pain and possible injury.
However, ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics are designed to guide your feet into their proper biomechanical position and redistribute your weight evenly across both of your feet. So you’ll have maximum arch support, better balance and increased stability with every step. Plus, you’ll experience reduced stress and strain on your feet, knees, hips and lower back, so you’ll have less pain.
For more information on ezWalker® Performance Custom Orthotics, visit the WalkEZStore. Or, order your pair today.
Because … when your feet feel good, you feel good.®
