Get Fit in Your Apartment Pool

The days of the dog paddle are over! Now you can get fit in your apartment swimming pool using a variety of activities from laps to lunges. Water fitness is a great option for low-impact, low-sweat exercise that burns calories and tones your body. Whether you are new to water fitness or just looking for fresh ideas for the pool, take a dip with our tips.

Get in the swim of things
If you know how to stay afloat, you can get fit simply by swimming in your apartment pool. Swimming burns an average of 10 calories a minute, so you can accomplish some serious calorie burning with any stroke from treading water to freestyle. The key is to keep moving: the faster you go, the more you burn.

Try challenging yourself by setting a goal of a certain number of laps or amount of time spent in the water. If you haven’t been swimming in a long time, start with a shorter session and add a lap or a few minutes every week. You can also beat boredom by mixing up your strokes and trying different swim workouts. You might make up your own workout by doing 5 laps or 5 minutes of each of your favorite strokes.

Not a great swimmer? Then it’s good idea to invest in swim lessons. When you know how to do the strokes properly, you will swim more efficiently, which means you can swim longer without getting worn out. Look around for adult swim classes; your local YMCA is a great place for year-round swim lessons, for instance. If you want to stick to your apartment pool, search online for private swim lessons and find an instructor who will come to you. That way you can learn at your own pace and pick a time when the pool isn’t crowded.

Go off the deep end
Low-impact pool fitness isn’t limited to swimming. Water aerobics have been around for decades and are a fun way to exercise in the pool. If your apartment community doesn’t offer a water aerobics class, you can learn the moves from a DVD like Water Gym or a fitness Web site. You can also adapt your indoor gym routine to the waterwith a few modifications.

Water jogging is another water fitness trend that is easy and burns loads of calories. Try the workout solo or find some friends to join you. You might even consider starting your own water aerobics workout group in your apartment community. You can hire an instructor or lead the group yourself.

Punch up your pool time
Water fitness is an excellent workout which doesn’t require any special equipment other than a swimsuit. However, you can push your workout over the finish line by adding special water exercise gear that adds weight or resistance to make you work harder in the pool.

Swimmers should consider getting a kickboard, pull buoy or swimming gloves. A kickboard frees up your hands so you can focus on leg strength as you swim. A pull buoy works similarly in that it keeps your legs afloat so you can concentrate on working your arms. Swim glovesadd extra surface area so there is more resistance for your hands as you slice through the water. If you are doing deep water jogging or aerobics, you might pick up a swim belt for safety to help keep you afloat.

There are many more types of gear to make your water workout fun, from goggles with music players to specialty swim wear. Check out your neighborhood sporting goods store or an online shop like Swim Outlet for the latest selection.

Your apartment pool can be so much more than a place to lounge and soak up some rays. Try jumping in and getting fit with a new water fitness routine that adds a splash to your regular workout.

source:

http://www.movingtoday.com/get-fit-in-your-apartment-pool/