5 Pool Exercises to Minimize Stress

One way to effectively relieve tension and improve your mood is through physical activity. Getting in the water for pool exercises is a great place to start. Whether you enjoy the luxury of having your own home pool, or have access to one at a local gym, check out these 5 exercises for the pool to minimize stress!

1. Superman and spiderman

If you’re looking for a full-body exercise that will help minimize stress, this is a great core workout. You can easily make it more or less challenging depending on how you are feeling.

Even without a resistance current, the routine is still challenging – simply hang on to the pool wall to complete the exercise. Watch this video for superman/spiderman instructions:

2. Pool running

Water running mimics the motion of running on land. Your focus is on moving your body, not how much you still have to do to get ready.You fire the same muscles as you would running on land but with water, there’s added resistance and less joint stress.

Running in the pool is also a great muscle warm up before moving on to other exercises. A few ways to run in the water include an underwater treadmill, running against the current in a swim spa, running in the shallow end of the pool or using a flotation belt.

Here’s a quick demonstration of one way you can run in a swim spa with an adjustable current:

3. Strengthen the hips!

Working out your hips may not sound challenging, and you might wonder why it’s on this list. Strengthening your hips can prevent health issues in the future. The muscles that make up your hip flexor are responsible for your lower back and hip strength. They contribute to a wide range of athletic activities, such as sprinting and anything that requires having good range of motion.

What if you’re not an athlete? It’s still important! According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, more than 450,000 total hip replacements are performed each year in the United States. To slow down the wear-and-tear on your body, exercises that work your hip flexors are key.

Check out a couple of simple aquatic hip exercises in the video below:

4. Minimize stress by working the lower body

It’s amazing what simple lunges can do for your lower body – not to mention your peace of mind!

Lower body exercises work large muscle groups, including your glutes and quadriceps, to burn more calories and more fat. Lunges are a lower body exercise that improve strength and balance. When done in the weightless environment of a pool, there’s less weight pushing down on knee joints and less joint stress. This is a much better alternative for anyone who has knee or joint pain.

View demonstrations of lower body exercises for the pool in our video:

5. Legs and core exercises

Once you improve your core strength, you’ll find it much easier to work on other muscles as well. This is because your core stabilizes the body. Everything originates at the core, so it is one of the most important muscle groups to work.

The plow exercise will give you a great workout for a more stable core. One way to complete this exercise is to use a kickboard, creating resistance as you move through the water with your arms extended.

What are you waiting for? Go out and multi-task in the water. Get a great workout and minimize stress any time of the year!

~ Authored by Liz Lecomte