Total Body Underwater Workout

Swimming has so many benefits! Did you know that water is about 800 times denser than air? Because of this, it provides about 12 times more resistance to your movements. Therefore, you end up giving your entire body a killer workout-without the high risks of developing injuries or hurting yourself.

We have a little total body underwater workout for you to try next time you take a dip in your pool.

Total Body Underwater Workout

Warm up: Tread water for 3-5 minutes

Underwater Handstand

• Make sure you are in at least 4 feet of water to try this.
• Submerge yourself into the water, flipping your body upside down.
• Anchor your hands steadily on the bottom of the pool floor.
• Lift your legs straight up and out of the water to point your toes towards the sky.
• Use your abs to balance your body, keeping yourself upward.
• Hold for 5 seconds (or as long as you are able) and come back up to the surface.
• Repeat 10 times.

Underwater Medicine Ball Sprint

• Take a 12lb medicine ball (or a weight that suits you best) and walk into the shallow part of the pool.
• Walk down towards the deep end, holding the ball steady.
• Hold your breath as you enter the deep and start running, using the ball as a weight to hold you under the water.
• Run for 5-10 seconds (if you can hold your breath longer, then you can do what is most comfortable for you. if you cannot do 5-10 seconds, do what you can).
• Run back towards the shallow, holding the ball.
• If you ever feel like you need air immediately, drop the ball and float back up to the top.
• Repeat 3 times.

20 Underwater Lunges (per leg)

• Complete this exercise in the shallow end of the pool where your body is well grounded.
• Just as with any lunge, stand up straight and begin by stepping forward with your right leg while keeping your torso upright.
• Maintain balance and inhale as you go down.
• Using mainly the heel of your foot, push up and go back to starting position as you exhale.
• Repeat for 20 reps each leg.
• You may use a water noodle to help balance or you can also use dumbbells for added weights.

25 Underwater Squats

• Complete this exercise in the shallow end of the pool where you can stand grounded.
• Using free weights (or your body-weight alone), get into squat position-knees bent, back straight.
• Squat down slowly as low as you can go.
• Slowly come back up to complete the rep.

One Minute Underwater High Knee Sprints

• Run from one end of the pool to the other, lifting your knees with each stride while your arms swing forward and backward at a 90-degree angle.
• Repeat for one minute. Do 5 sets.

 

Cool Down: Freestyle swimming for 10-15 minutes

Photo Source: Details Magazine, Pinterest