How would you like to relax and exercise at the same time? Kind of an oxymoron wouldn’t you say, you know, words that don’t agree. Well for the most part those words don’t agree. EXCEPT, if you are referring to doing water exercises in exercise pools or swimming pools.
If you are in a water vessel like an exercise pool, you’re in an environment where your body is mostly buoyant and you can perform a whole host of stationary exercises in a fairly relaxed physical state. Sure you’re moving around, twisting, turning, maybe lifting weights while performing a number of different water exercises. However, the resistance and buoyancy of the water significantly reduces the risk and unnecessary straining. The muscles you want to target for exercise aren’t as dependent on so many of your other body muscles for balance or positioning. For that reason, I like to call this relaxing while you exercise.
It’s well known that resistance training affords some of the most beneficial exercising routines. Because water has the ability of apply resistance to a set of muscles in a fairly even pattern, it helps to eliminate over straining or over extending your muscles.
Here’s one example of how water resistance in exercise pools can even out and exercise.
Take a treadmill, you run in place either horizontally or at a set incline all the while keeping up to the speed of treadmill track. Your knees and feet can take more of a pounding than your actual leg muscles. Running is water waist deep or more puts more effort on your leg muscles and less impact on your feet or knees. Now you can get stationary water bikes for exercising in exercise pools. These bikes can be purchased for under a hundred bucks on up to several hundred bucks. Here are a couple of examples.
Couple a water bike workout with some water weights and some water paddles for more focused resistance movements, you can do an entire gym workout in the comfort of your own hot tub, swim spa, exercise pool or regular above or below ground swimming pool.
Now I do want to mention a couple of important cautions to bring to your attention before you begin a water exercise session. If you’re using a hot tub for exercise you will want to bring the water temperature down to no more than 80˚. Especially if you do a more vigorous routine. Even in water, you can over heat your body which in turn can cause dizziness and possibly even cause you to pass out.
For your own safety, it’s a really good idea to let someone know you are going to be doing a workout and to check on you periodically to make sure you are OK, especially you older folks. Remember that working out harder and faster in water isn’t so necessary. You can get great muscle tone with nice even smooth resistance routines done on a regular basis. Heck, even just sitting in a hot tub you can exercise your legs and arms with simple movements that take advantage of the water resistance.
Some of you might be saying, “I would love to be able to do this but I can’t afford the investment of getting a pool or spa”. Well, there is a solution, “The Exercise Pool”. Custom Built Spas gives away in our hot tub building information package, a book on how to build exercise pools. This can be a very inexpensive project that can double as a plunge pool. Plus this type of water vessel can even be expand into a hot tub later if you wanted to do that.
If you want a little more detail on doing a project like this, go ahead and get my info package, it’s all in there. Or, give me a call or send me an email, I’ll answer any of the questions you may have! Exercise pools can be constructed in a variety of sizes and shapes and I’m positive I can help you come up with one that would fit your yard and needs.
Gene Trumbull
Custom Built Spas
