After years of swimming in public pools, you’ve finally gotten your own pool. Congratulations! So now that you have the pool, we have a very important question to ask you: are you maximizing it to its fullest potential?
A swimming pool goes beyond just floating or getting your laps in. In fact, cancel your gym membership, because we’ve got the low down on how to turn your pool into your head-to-toe fitness routine. Feel the burn while staying nice and cool doing it.
Focus on the Tunes
These days, you can get anything you want, pretty much when you want it (except, say losing those last five pounds). The good news is, even if you have some weight to drop or some muscle you’d like to gain, you can do so, in style. Buy yourself a new swimsuit (or swim shorts) and purchase a waterproof mp3 player. Then, while you practice perfecting the butterfly or side stroke, you can do it by listening to your favorite artists—making your workout just wiz by.
Make Swimming Laps a Competition
Whether you are single and want to work on your fitness, or you’re a mom of three who is trying to get her whole family to be more active and get in better shape, consider your pool your greatest asset. Swimming can be one of the easiest ways to add more fun and excitement to your workout! Whether you have toddlers or teenagers in the house, make it a friendly competition.
For your little ones, you can set up an obstacle course in the shallow area (they have to practice diving for sticks and whoever picks up the most sticks in the allotted time, wins!) For the pre-teens and teenagers in the house, make the competition speed focused. Get your kids in shape while wearing them out (whoever swims five laps worth of the butterfly stroke, wins!) However, no matter who wins, give everyone a reward, like a trip to your neighborhood frozen yogurt shop (ok, maybe the winners get to pile their yogurt high with whatever toppings they want.)
Add Aquatic Fitness Classes to the Mix
Aquatic fitness is a trend that just keeps on going strong—so if you have a pool, make it your priority to bring your favorite cardio class to your pool! Here’s why: when you swim as a form of exercise, you increase your range of movement. You also increase endurance, balance, and coordination and muscle strength.
Do you have an injury, or dealing with arthritis?
Consider aquatic fitness the perfect fitness choice in order to stay fit, without putting unnecessary pressure on your joints. Start by using whatever equipment you have on hand—balls, noodles, or aqua mats. Crank up the music from your waterproof mp3 player, and set the time for thirty minutes. You’re bound to get a fun and functional workout that brings on results, from head to toe!
