Belly Friendly Pool Workout

That means, social outdoor activities, play time at the park, BBQ’s, patios and pools!

We have to take full advantage of the sun and heat before the next season rolls in. And just because it’s hot does not mean your fitness has to suffer. On the contrary, summer is the best time to take advantage of the mood lifting effects that come with being active outside.

Fun in the Sun 

Going for walks, jogging, and bike riding are great ways to work your heart muscle. Getting on the playground with your kids is amazing for working your muscles in ways they don’t normally move and getting stiffness out of your joints. But one thing many of us love to enjoy is sitting back poolside and going for a dip to cool down.

So, partnering up with fitness olympian Tamara Vahn,  we have the perfect double duty workout that will keep you cool but fire up those muscles to get you and keep you shapely all summer long!

Try these exercises and tell us what you think. As an added bonus, put these exercises together for a quick & cool 10 minute workout!

Pop Ups

Why:

This exercise is great for working all the muscles in the upper body – shoulders, chest, arms and back.

How:

1. In the shallow end, place your hands on the pool deck
2. Jump up until your arms are straight, as if you are going to jump out of the pool 
3. Then lower back down

Do:

5 to 10 repetitions.

*Best for postnatal women 

Stationary Flutter Kick 

Why:

When we’re pregnant, our shoulders round forward as our breasts enlarge. At other times, we spend so much time hunched over feeding babies, texting, driving & sitting.

This exercise opens up the front of the body and stimulates the backside. This will help with improving posture, activating the butt and working those lovely legs!

How:

1. Place your hands on the pool deck and stretch out your arms so they are almost straight
2. Extend your legs behind you and start kicking
3. Turn up the intensity and see how much you can splash others by kicking hard and fast!

Do:

Kick for 15 to 30 seconds as fast as you can.

*Good for prenatal & postnatal women

Distance Flutter Kick 

How:

1. This builds on the exercise above. Grab a flotation device like the one we’re using; the Salus Nimbus. It’s a great life jacket for kids and when they are taking a break, you can use it to get your fitness on! 
2. Either hug the floatation device close to your upper chest or place your hands on it and extend your arms in front of you. 
3. Then move yourself across the pool by kicking your feet behind you.

Do:

As many lengths as you can until you feel slightly out of breath.

*Good for prenatal & postnatal women

Push Downs

Why:

We do a lot of pushing actions in our everyday lives. This exercise will help build strength and power in your arms and chest as well as engage your core.

How:

1. Standing in the shallow end with your hands on top of a floatation device (such as the Salus Nimbus seen here), push it down into the water in front of your body. 
2. You may notice your feet come off the pool floor slightly when doing this.

Do:

10 repetitions.

*Good for prenatal & postnatal women.

Oblique Squeeze 

Why:

Our mid-section is the power centre of our bodies. And when we’re pregnant or newly postnatal, our abdominals are overly stretched and not as strong as we would like or need them to be. This movement will work your overall core which includes your internal and external obliques as well as the lower back muscles.

How:

Now…this may take a bit of practice to get into the starting position and best when the water level in your pool is fairly high.

1. Holding on to the pool deck with 1 hand, swing both calves out of the water and onto the deck. 
2. Hold a floatation device behind your head and keep your elbows wide and out to the side (ask for help if you need it).
3. Begin to slowly draw your right elbow across the top of the water towards your right hip and squeeze. 
4. Then return to starting position and repeat on the left side. 

Hint: The more space you have between the knees, the more stable you will feel. And the closer your knees are together the more challenging this move will be.

Do:

10 repetitions per side.

*Best for postnatal women

Front Crawl/Breast Stroke (Upper Body Only)

Why:

Isolating the upper body in this movement provides great muscular development and strength in the arms, shoulders, chest and back. Do this consistently and watch the definition increase in your arms.

How:

1. Place a floatation device either between your legs and squeeze tight – which is a great bonus for the inner thighs. Or…slip a leg or two into the device if you can. We did this exercise both ways and found that having the legs inside the Salus Nimbus kids life jacket allowed for greater stability throughout. However, the core and inner thighs were challenged more when the life jacket was being squeezed between the legs. 
2. Once you’re ready, launch yourself forward and perform the front crawl/freestyle stroke across the water’s surface.

Do:

As many lengths as you can until you feel slightly out of breath.

*Good for prenatal & postnatal women

Bicycle

Why:

Feel confident with shapely summertime legs. This exercise works the lower body from your hips to your butt and all the way down!

How:

1. Standing in the shallow end with your back against the pool edge, outstretch your arms and place them on the deck
2. Put some pressure into your arms so you can raise your feet off the pool floor and move your legs in a bicycle pattern

Do:

Aim for 30 seconds at a time and gradually work up to 1 minute or longer.

*Good for prenatal & postnatal women

Your 10-Minute Workout

You can do these exercises at your leisure but when you put them together they can be a quick and cooling workout session.

How do you do this?

• Perform each exercise back-to-back for a total of 10 minutes. 
• Rest only when you need to. 
• Depending on the size of your pool, you may do 3 to 5 circuits in total.

*This article is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or condition. Always check with your doctor before starting a new fitness and/or nutrition regimen.