When you think of a plunge pool, one of the first things that might come to mind is relaxation or cooling off. However, they are also a wonderful space to exercise and keep fit in. The small and compact nature can be very beneficial when it comes to low-impact workouts, with water helping to provide resistance while minimizing the stress placed on joints and muscles.
What are the best exercises to incorporate into your plunge pool routine, though? In this latest article, we thought we would explore five of the best options to target every muscle group.
Before we start exploring some of the best exercises to do in a plunge pool, we thought we would first take a quick look at the advantages water-based workouts offer compared to their land-based alternatives. Firstly, one of the biggest benefits of exercising in water is that it reduces the impact on your joints and muscles, making it a fantastic option for those with joint issues such as arthritis or for those who might be recovering from injury.
Water also provides natural resistance, which means that it requires more effort to complete every movement compared to being on land. This increased resistance can help to tone your muscles more effectively while helping to improve your strength. That same resistance also helps improve your cardiovascular health without the high-impact stress that typically comes with land-based activities. The effort it takes to move through water enhances health and circulation and encourages deep breathing that can improve your lung capacity.
Exercising in water does not just improve your physical fitness, though. It also has a number of therapeutic benefits. Hydrostatic pressure can reduce inflammation, while the warmth of the water promotes relaxation and alleviates tension in your muscles, creating a soothing and rejuvenating experience. The sensory stimulation of being in the water has also been shown to have a calming effect on the mind, reducing stress and anxiety.
Water walking is a fantastic entry-level exercise that anyone can undertake. The movements can be undertaken at any depth of water, and individuals need to simply walk back and forth across the pool, focusing on maintaining their posture and engaging their core muscles. It is also possible to carry out the movements while walking on the spot.
For the best results, choose a depth that is deep enough to reach your shoulders but not so deep that you lose your footing. Make sure to stand tall and keep your shoulders back, keeping your arms either relaxed at your sides or swinging naturally as you walk. To start with, do not rush; focus on carefully placing your feet one in front of the other.
These movements will primarily target the lower body muscles, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves. Regular water walking will help you improve your strength and endurance, as well as muscle tone. It can also improve your cardiovascular health, with the increased resistance of the water requiring your heart to work harder as it pumps blood around the body.
When you feel that you have mastered water walking, you can take the exercise further with the addition of some water-friendly dumbbells, such as the Amazon Basics neoprene dumbells. Featuring a grippy coating to ensure you can maintain your grip in the water, these dumbbells will increase the resistance you face as you walk through the water, requiring more effort to move and increasing your strength and cardiovascular health.
For those looking to go to the next level with their plunge pool, aqua jogging is a dynamic and challenging workout that combines all of the benefits of running with the resistance of water. This makes it a fantastic choice for those seeking to improve their cardiovascular health, build strength, or recover from an injury.
The water should reach between your chest and shoulders, allowing you to maintain a full range of motion while maintaining contact with the bottom of the pool. Start by standing tall with your shoulders back, avoiding leaning forward or backward, and begin jogging in place, lifting your knee high with each step. Once you are comfortable jogging on the spot, begin to move forward, focusing on propelling yourself forward with each step. As you get used to the motions, you can start to increase your intensity by varying the speed of your movements.
Unlike running on the ground, aqua jogging in a plunge pool is incredibly low-impact and gentle on your joints. The resistance of the water also means that the heart has to work harder, helping to improve your cardiovascular fitness over time. For those recovering from lower-body injuries such as ankle sprains or knee issues, aqua running can be an effective rehabilitation tool, with the buoyancy of the water reducing the risk of further injury.
When you are feeling comfortable with aqua jogging and are ready to take it to the next stage, a jogging belt can increase resistance, requiring you to exert more effort to move through the water. The FitnessAQUA Fitness Deluxe Flotation Belt belt is specifically designed for underwater exercise and will help you elevate your next plunge pool workout.
Water aerobics is another dynamic, accessible, and enjoyable exercise that is suitable for people of all fitness levels. No matter whether you are looking to improve your cardiovascular health, increase your flexibility, or build your strength, water aerobics is a fun and effective way to achieve your fitness goals.
Before starting water aerobics, make sure that you warm up correctly by walking or jogging slowly in the water to increase your heart rate and loosen up your muscles. You can then move on to the aerobic exercises, with some of the most popular movements including:
When you feel you have mastered the basics and are ready to take your water aerobics further, resistance balls can add another dimension to your workout. These allow you to incorporate additional movements, increasing your strength and the effort required to complete each step.
Push-ups are a classic exercise for building upper body strength and undertaking them in your plunge pool adds an extra dimension of resistance. Conducting pool edge push-ups will target the chest, shoulders, arms, and core muscles while maintaining a low-impact workout that is gentle on your joints.
To perform the movements, start by positioning yourself facing the edge of the pool. Your hands should be placed shoulder-width apart on the edge of the pool, with fingers pointing outward and arms fully extended. Once comfortable, bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the pool edge while keeping your body straight. Push back up through your arms until you return to your starting position.
A weight belt is a great way to improve the effort needed to complete the movements, placing increased resistance through the water and requiring more strength to lift your body back to its starting position.
Finally, leg lifts are a simple yet highly effective exercise that targets your lower body muscles. By lifting and lowering your legs in the water, you will be engaging your core muscles and strengthening and toning your muscles.
Start by standing straight in the plunge pool with one arm on the side of the pool to maintain your balance. Slowly lift one leg straight up until it is parallel to the pool, holding it there for a count of three before lowering it down to the floor and repeating with the other leg.
Exercising in a plunge pool can help you transform your physical fitness and overall wellbeing, making you stronger and healthier. If you are looking to discover the benefits that a plunge pool can provide to your workout routine, our team here at Vessel Pools can help you create a beautiful addition to your backyard.
Want to find out more? Get in touch today!
