The temperatures in the summer can sometimes be a bit less than desirable. Yet, we wait all winter for summer to get here stat. As they say, beggars can’t be choosers, but maybe we could just have a more mild summer sometimes and not multiple days of temperatures reaching over 100 degrees… is that too much to ask?
When the temperatures climb above any sort of temperature that wants you to step outside or sweat, then sometimes we find ourselves skipping a few more workouts than planned. If this happens to you, have you considered working out in a pool? Adding water to a workout can provide a ton of resistance, plus cool you off at the same time. There has to be a community pool, a neighbor with a pool or local gym that has a pool you can dip your toes into.
If you find the pool, we got the workout.
Fun Fact: water offers 12 times the resistance of air. Whoa! We wish we filled years of summers doing water workouts.
Aqua V-Sits with Knee Tucks
Targets: abs, shoulders, arms, and hip flexors.
- Standing in the shallow end, simultaneously sit back into the water like you are going to float from a seated position. Keep your head above water by treading the water with hands straight out from your shoulders. Keeping your legs together lift both legs straight up towards the sky so that you fold at hips to create a wide V shape.
- Go ahead and hold this position for about 1 minute.
- If you feel like you want more of a challenge quickly bring your knees to chest and then back into the V shape position.
- Do 15 to 20 reps.
Mermaid Kicks
Targets: abs and legs
- Head into the deep end and start treading water with your arms out to the side and legs extended beneath you.
- While engaging your abs, squeeze your legs together and sweep them backward with a slight bend in the knee.
- Quickly extend them forward as if your legs were stuck together like a mermaid.
- To counterbalance the motion, sweep your arms through the water in the opposite direction of legs.
- Try this continuous for one 1 minute.
Summer Burpees
Targets: abs, obliques, hips, and legs
- Staying in the deep end hold on to the edge of the pool with your right hand so that body floats up towards the surface perpendicular to edge.
- Begin by tucking your knees into your chest to place both feet flat against the side pool wall, right on top of left, as high as possible.
- While keeping your hands gripping the edge, jump your feet off of the wall and extend your legs behind you.
- Engage your abs to bring your body as parallel to surface as possible in a side-plank position.
- This is one rep.
- Return to the tuck position and continue until you have completed 15 repetitions on one side.
- Then switch sides and repeat the same on the left side.
Want to learn more exercises in the pool? Check out these 3 Pool Exercises to Gain Strength in the Heat.
