Carolyn J. Braden • 3 Minute Read
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.
According to AARP, 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?!
Grannie Florida loves pool fitness!
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 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 of pool noodles on Amazon for our home pool. Walmart also has many pool noodles, some for $1.00! Check out pool noodles here on Walmart’s website.
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.
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 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.
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.
Watch my Grannie Florida character do another type of fitness that is great for all ages: Dance Fitness! See it in our 15 second video above or via our YouTube channel @carolynjbraden.
Using Swim Gloves for Pool Workouts
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. You can buy a similar water aerobics set on Amazon.
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.
Have you tried swim workouts? If so, leave me a comment below and let me know how you liked it!
You can also comment with the ways you like to workout while swimming. I love it when others share their awesome ideas!
Carolyn J. Braden is the owner of Carolyn’s Blooming Creations is a regular contributor and editor for CBC. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.