In hot Las Vegas, having a pool at home can be a cool way to stay fit. And the best thing is that you don’t necessarily need a big pool. You just need time and the dedication to make things happen. The secret to effective swimming pool fitness is discipline and the urge to keep on challenging yourself.
Swim Laps
Of course, when you have a pool that’s big enough, try to do some laps. This is a basic in swimming pool fitness. If you know how to swim, it’s practically second nature. Just make sure to challenge yourself when it comes to your pace. Start at a warm-up pace first. After around 15 minutes, increase the pace. Ideally, you should reach 85% of your maximum heart rate. Keep this pace for at least 10 to 15 minutes. You can rest for a few minutes then start again.
Water Jogging
If you don’t have a big pool but still want to a good leg and cardiovascular workout, try to do some water jogging. This can be done as is, with your feet touching the bottom of the pool. Or, you can use a flotation device to keep your feet off the pool floor. Again, warm-up and then gradually increase your pace. This form of jog is more challenging than the usual jogging because your legs work against water.
Walk / Swim Laps Interval
You can also do interval training in your pool. Interval training switches from high intensity to low intensity exercises, and back. The sequence is repeated at least for times. You can switch from swimming to jogging to walking, depending on your level of health. This is a good way to train for strength and endurance. The more you do this, the more you can increase the amount of time spent on the high intensity intervals.
Tucks
Tucks are closed-legs jumps that bring your knees up to your chest. This can be challenging as it works out both your strength and stamina. Do at least ten per set. Try to do three sets at a time.
Water Squats
In and out of water, squats are good exercises to strengthen the legs. With water squats, you use water pressure to challenge your legs and make them work harder.
Remember that in squats, the key to making it work for you is form. Start at the shallow end of your pool. Your head should remain above water even when you do a 90 degrees bend from your knees. Move your feet at hip-width apart. Bend your knees as if you’re sitting down on a chair. Make sure that your knees don’t go beyond your toes as you bend. Keep your head straight and look forward. There should be no strain on your lower back.
Weight Bearing Swimming Pool Fitness
You can also incorporate weight-bearing exercises to your swimming pool fitness. There are aquatic dumbbells and barbells that you can use to execute the usual weight-bearing exercises in water. Water adds additional tension, and makes for a harder workout.
Endless Pools
Of course, you can always get an endless pool. An endless pool is a resistance-training pool that allows you to swim at increasing pace, even when you backyard has limited pool space. What’s more – you can add a spa feature to your resistance pool. That’s a 2 for 1 perk. Heat up with a good lap work out; and then relax in your spa.
For more information about installing these pool exercises options in your pool, get in touch with the Premier Pools and Spas Las Vegas team.
