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Water aerobics exercises can be very challenging and effective for all body parts when executed correctly. You can use dumbbells, noodles, kick boards and webbed gloves as good resistance equipment while in the water. Likewise, resistance exists without any equipment.
One of the water aerobics exercises I’m going to review today is for your abdominals. You will need a noodle around your back and underneath your arm pits for you to float.
- Take your feet off the floor and lay on your back.
- Bring your knees into your chest. The closer the knees are to your chest the easier this exercise will be.
- Pull your belly button into your spine.
- Keeping the tummy tight, extend your leg into the air from the knee.
- Alternate your legs.
- Do as many as you can, then extend your legs forward and stretch out.
- Repeat.
- One alternating your knees gets easy, try extending both legs at the same time.
- Eventually graduate from using the noodle and execute this abdominal exercise.
This is a fabulous abdominal exercise that you can do on your own in the pool. It is very challenging and one of the water aerobics exercises that specifically targets a problem area. Water aerobics exercises, can be modified and in this case can progress to a more intense levels.
Water Aerobics Exercises
It’s a blizzard outside and probably the last thing you are thinking about is water aerobics exercises. I was thinking that I haven’t talked about the water for awhile and it is one of my passions. Let me just remind you how joint friendly water aerobics exercises are and what a great cardiovascular workout it can be.
Not only is it good for the heart, but I try to incorporate some neuromuscular exercises as well. You know, like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. It keeps the class on their toes and keeps them thinking. So one of my fave neuro exercises is doing a Cross Country Ski, legs only, then swing the arms side to side in front of you. Some people have a really hard time with that. Sometimes, I keep them doing the ski legs and scissor the arms in front of the body, alternating the top arm. That exercise not so confusing.
Another one of my fave water aerobics exercises, is doing jumping jax legs, combined with the arms swinging front and back. That really confuses them because they want to change the leg action to meet the arm action. Some, can’t do it at all.
You have to keep the mind thinking, just like you have to keep the muscles moving! You don’t use it, you lose it!!
There are several different water aerobics exercises you can do with aqua dumbbells. I believe I made this exercise up. It is more of a toning exercise than a cardiovascular exercise.
How this works is like this:
- Stand on both feet in the pool with 2 aqua dumbbells, and tummy tight.
- Place the dumbbell in your right hand so the palm is facing toward the ceiling.
- The other arm (left) is extended out to the side, palm face down, near the top of the water and perform an isometric hold.
- Right elbow is tucked into your waist. Don’t move your arm at all. Bring the dumbbell, palm face up, more toward the center of your body.
- Extend from the elbow and bring right dumbbell to touch left ankle. Ensure the elbow stays tucked into waist.
- Start out with 8 repetitions, then pulse for 8-16 reps.
- Switch to left dumbbell to right ankle, with the right arm executing an isometric hold.
Think of the execution of the moving arm like you were doing concentration bicep curls from your inner thigh. This exercise works the biceps, triceps, core and legs. It happens to be one of my favorite water aerobics exercises. I’ll have to think of a good name for it soon. See how you like it.