Exercises You Can Do in the Water

With the heat of summer, we all like to refresh and cool off. Which is why water exercises are an ideal option to keep working out and make the most of all the extra benefits that water sports offer.
Exercises You Can Do in the Water

Last update: 05 October, 2018

Water is an ideal place to practice sports, for many reasons. You’ve surely heard about water aerobics? Even though many people believe that it doesn’t generate results. Do you want to learn about some exercises that you can do in the water and that will help you to stay fit?

Why exercises that you can do in the water are beneficial

When you’re in the water, your body is quite literally submerged. It’s a ‘no-weight’ situation, as if you were as light as a feather and weighed nothing. This is exactly why many people believe that these sports don’t bring results, but they’re wrong! Sports that you can do in water offer many benefits.

Benefits of exercising in the water

Keep reading and we’ll tell you which benefits these are:

  • You burn calories. Even if your body is weightless, moving in the water requires an extra effort compared to when you’re on solid ground. The water pressure in the pool, or the currents in the sea, create resistance to your movements that you must overcome with more intense movements. This generates an additional calorie expenditure.
  • They tone your body. The same reason that we mentioned before, is the reason why your body tones up. Doing movements that allow you to ‘go through’ the water helps to strengthen your muscles. It’s like lifting weights, without actually having to lift weights!
Group of people doing water exercises.
  • Your joints aren’t affected. Water plays the role of a cushion, so to speak. Your joints aren’t affected negatively at all, because you’re floating. If you can’t make any movements that impact them once you’re inside the water, you won’t experience any pain afterwards. This is an ideal way to work out, stay fit and great for those who suffer with an injury.
  • It’s good for your heart. When you’re in the water, your body relaxes and your heart doesn’t feel the need to pump harder. So you can really put effort into your workout, without the risk of tachycardia.
  • You get vitamin D. If the pool where you work out is outdoors, you get this essential vitamin directly from the sunlight.
  • Your age isn’t important. These types of exercises are great for any age group, since they have no risks. It’s the perfect way to get children interested in fitness, and for elderly people to stay fit.

After reading about these results, you may want to sign up for a water sport? Here are some workouts that you can do in the water, to get the amazing body that you’re looking for.

Exercises you can do in the water

Being inside a pool is like being in a gym, there are lots of options to work out! We understand that if you’ve never tried it, you may not be able to come up with too many options, but we’ll help you through it. These are some of the exercises that you can do in the water:

  • Sprint. You can do this in motion, or by staying in your place. The important thing is that you elevate your knees as close as you can to your chest, and as many times as you can for 30 seconds.
Woman sprinting in the water.
  • Backwards pull-ups. Inside the pool, put your hands on the edge and try to lift your whole body until half of it is out of the water. Go up and down between 12 to 15 times. This way, you’ll work your triceps, chest, abs and shoulders.
  • Jumps. Jump and lift both of your knees towards your chest at the same time. If you feel like you’re losing your balance, extend your arms to your sides and use as a balance. You can also jump from one side to the other, keeping your legs closed together. Both exercises work your legs, glutes and abdominals.
  • Lunges. If you have a hard time doing lunges at the gym, try doing it underwater! We don’t say this to discourage you, we just mean you’ll get even better results.
  • Squats. The same thing happens with squats, while it may be a little more difficult, doing them in the water helps you to get better and more visible results.

Do you dare to try these exercises that you can do in the water? You’ll see it’s a healthy and fun way to get fit and achieve the amazing health that you’re looking for. Jump right in!


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.