How to Get a Good Workout In a Pool
How to Get a Good Workout in a Pool
I have loved swimming since I was a little girl. Little did I know how much I exercising I was doing! No wonder I was always so hungry after swimming.
Working out in a pool has many benefits. It keeps you cool, which is important to me due to living in the hot and humid Florida weather. It also can help you burn calories and build muscle without a lot of stressful impact on your body. Did I mention that working out in a pool is also fun?!
Read on to learn about how to get a good workout in a pool, what pool exercises I like, and about my full-body personal swimming routine good for ALL AGES.
See a fun summary of my pool workout in this 30 second video (below) or via my YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden”.
1- Warm-Up and Cool-Down Stretching
Poolside Yoga Warm-up and Cool-Down
Like you would do for any workout, you should stretch before and after a pool swim workout. I like to put a yoga mat or my Frontgate foam pool raft (the best because it never has to be inflated!) next to the pool and do some good stretches. I stretch my legs and arms using some yoga poses for about 5 minutes.
2- Noodle Swimming
Swimming with a Pool Noodle for Exercise
After doing some stretching, I’ll sometimes use a pool noodle to do a couple of laps in the pool. I purchased an inexpensive set on Amazon for our home pool.
Group Swim Workout
This is a great way to warm-up your body and get it used to pool swimming. My husband doubles up on pool noodles or uses a thicker pool noodle that we got from Frontgate.
Using a pool noodle for crunches
Pool noodles are also great to use for stabilizing yourself when doing standing crunches in a pool.
3- Laps and Weights
Using Pool Dumbbells
Next, I usually swim about 50 laps (my pool is about 11 yards long), or however many I can do in about 30 minutes. I use my Apple Watch (currently I have a Series 6) to track all my workouts and I love the fact that they have a “Pool Swim” tracking option. It tells me how many laps I’ve done and more.
Using Swim Gloves for Pool Workouts
I do strokes like the butterfly or breast strokes, and sometimes do freestyle to get my heart rate up even higher. I take brakes when I feel I need them. I like using swim gloves when lap swimming, as I noticed my hands hurting after doing some hard swims several days in a row. These help me move more easily in the water and cut down on any hand pain. I purchased them in a kit with a belt and pool dumbbells.
4- Fun Swim
After doing my swim workout, it’s time for fun! I love playing pool volleyball, doing some pool dancing (like regular dancing but in the pool!), or I’ll relax by doing some free floating or raft floating.
Group Pool Fitness Classes
One may often think that pool workouts are just workouts that older people like to do due to arthritis, While it’s a great option for those that suffer from arthritis pain, pool workouts are actually great for all ages and all body types.
As I get older, my body feels more pain from my intense walking, biking, yoga or dance workouts, so I like to do my pool workouts several days a week to give my muscles and joints a break. If you don’t have a pool to workout in at your home (or it’s too cold outside), check with your local YMCA, fitness centers, or online to see if you can find a pool to swim in in your area. Many pools have group swimming classes which could be super fun to do with friends.