TREADING WATER

Jump in the pool this summer for one of the best workouts around!

The benefits of exercising in the pool are just endless: the water brushing past your muscles as you exercise stimulates blood flow and improves circulation. And you get the added benefit of cooling off after a long day of running after a little one!

Water provides resistance in every direction, so you are able to develop strength in muscles while they are contracted (shortened) and lengthened. We call this concentric (shortened muscle fibre) and eccentric (lengthened muscle fibre) exercise. Think of what your muscles do during a bicep curl: concentric contraction of the bicep muscle is achieved when you bend your elbow, while eccentric contraction of the bicep muscle is achieved as you extend your elbow. Your muscle groups always work in ratio with one another, and as a result it is important to exercise them accordingly. This way you prevent injuries and tone effectively without compromising the function of the joint you are moving. Bear this in mind while doing these exercises.

You will notice that there is often a reference to the 8-second: 4-second ratio in this exercise programme. The reason for this is that we are taking advantage of the buoyancy levels of the water to tone your muscles in a full-body workout.

1 JUMP LUNGES

This is a full lower body workout as it not only works your glutes (bum) and legs, but is also a great way to elevate your heart rate and get your blood circulation going. Position yourself in waist-deep water for this one.

WHAT TO DO

Draw your belly button in towards your spine and pull your pelvic floor tight (tense the muscles as if you have a full bladder and can’t go to the loo). This is called holding your core muscle.

Once your core is contracted, step backwards while bending both your knees and lift the heel of your back foot off the ground (as in 1a). The water should come to just below your armpits when both your knees are bent.

Jump up as high as you can (vertically) while still holding your core and swap your legs around before you land into the lunge position again (as in 1b).

Lunge as deep or shallowly as you feel comfortable, but make sure that you place your weight directly down toward the ground and distribute your weight equally between each leg. This is important to remember as failure to do so will result in you either leaning back or forward – which means only one leg will be doing the work.

Aim to complete ten lunges on each leg, remembering that quality is key.

LOOK OUT FOR

When lunging, be careful not to arch your back or lean forward.

Pull your shoulders back and away from your ears. If your neck is starting to hurt, your shoulders are either forward or up toward your ears.

2 ABDOMINAL CRUNCHES

A new take on the classic crunch, these will strengthen your abdominal muscles while maintaining your core.

WHAT TO DO

Position a pool noodle behind your back with each end tucked under your armpit. The depth of water is irrelevant in this case.

Lean back and lift your feet up while extending your legs, allowing the pool noodle to help you float (as in 2a).

While tightening your core, inhale and as you exhale bend your knees pulling them up to your chest (as in 2b). Use four seconds to bring your knees to your chest and eight seconds to straighten your legs.

Repeat the process for 10 repetitions and do three sets.

LOOK OUT FOR

Remember to keep your core contracted throughout. Relax your shoulders and concentrate on using your stomach to pull your legs up.

WE’RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE BUOYANCY LEVELS OF THE WATER TO TONE YOUR MUSCLES IN A FULL-BODY WORKOUT

YOU MAY NOT REALISE AT FIRST HOW HARD THIS MOVE WORKS YOUR BICEP AND TRICEP MUSCLES WHILE ENGAGING YOUR CORE AND PELVIC FLOOR

3 TRICEP EXTENSIONS

You may not realise at first how hard this move works your bicep and tricep muscles while still engaging your core and pelvic floor.

WHAT TO DO

Grab hold of a pool noodle with both hands and stand in hip-deep water with your back towards the pool wall, feet hip-width apart where the pool floor and wall meet.

Lean forward while pushing the pool noodle into the water with extended elbows (as in 3a).

Keep your shoulders back and away from your ears.

Slowly bend your elbows while bringing the pool noodle up with your arms (as in 3b). Bend your elbows to the point where you are still able to maintain control of your core and balance.

Remember to engage your core at all times throughout this exercise.

Breathe by exhaling on the elbow extension and inhaling on the bent elbow position.

Your goal is to complete two sets of ten of these extensions. Take four seconds to extend your elbows and eight seconds to bend them back to your starting position.

LOOK OUT FOR

Relax your shoulders and make sure that your chin is slightly tucked in to avoid compressing and hurting your neck.

Keep your elbows pointing directly behind you – this goes a long way in achieving good muscle tone without straining your neck and shoulders.

Try not to arch your back, but keep your tail bone (coccyx) tucked in by pulling your navel to your spine. 3b

4 ARM EXTENSIONS

This move strengthens your shoulder muscles and tones your upper back. This goes a long way to helping you carry that toddler.

WHAT TO DO

Move to where the water is deep enough to reach your shoulders and straddle your pool noodle.

Stretch your arms out to the side with your palms on the surface of the water (as in the image to the right).

The way you hold your hands has an impact on the resistance levels of this exercise: Easy Fingers are splayed out.

Moderate Hold the fingers of each hand together tightly.

Hard Cut up a pool noodle into two pieces of about 15 to 20cm long to use as dumbbells.

Keep your shoulders back and away from your ears and push your arms down to your sides. Remember how important it is to maintain your core, as this will help you balance.

Come back to your starting point and then repeat.

Remember to breathe, exhaling on the down movement, inhaling on the up.

Aim to do two sets of 15 repetitions and apply the 4-second: 8-second ratio.

LOOK OUT FOR

It is very important to do this exercise while keeping your core contracted throughout.

Be aware of your lifting your shoulders up to your ears. If you are experiencing any discomfort in your neck this is the likely cause.

Another thing to consider is whether your weight is equally distributed on the pool noodle for balance purposes.

5 SIDE LEG KICKS

This move tones the outer and inner sides of the thighs, as well as the major glute and hip muscles that form part of your hip stabilising group. WHAT TO DO

Standing in waist- or hip-deep water, hold onto the side of the pool with one hand slightly in front of you.

Tighten your core, inhale and lift your leg to the side while taking eight counts to lift it slowly (as in the image to the right). Allow the buoyancy of your leg to act as resistance.

Exhale while lowering it back down again to its starting position, taking four counts to do so. Once again, use the resistance of the water to work your legs.

Repeat the process for 10 repetitions and alternate legs.

LOOK OUT FOR

Be careful not to twist your hips to the side – your hip bones should face forward at all times.

Make sure that your foot is flexed and that your toes are pointed forward. Failure to do so means you will be developing an incorrect muscle strength ratio between the outer and inner thigh muscles of your legs.

Remember to keep your core contracted throughout this exercise, avoiding the temptation to rock your body as momentum or hike your hip up using your back.