Build your Fitness in the Pool

As the weather turns colder and the nights grow longer, it can often be hard to motivate yourself to get out and exercise. Fortunately, there is an indoor alternative that can help you continue your health and fitness journey all year round; the swimming pool.

Swimming is one of the very few exercises that works on both your cardio and strength simultaneously. It is low impact so won’t damage the body and can product some incredible results if part of a larger workout plan.

Even if you are not a confident swimmer, there are a number of fantastic aerobic exercises that can be practiced. The high resistance of the water in a swimming pool ensures that every movement requires some strength.

Here are four effective exercises for the swimming pool in North London, that can be undertaken by those of any experience level.

Flutter Kicks

One of the most simple and effective pool exercises, the flutter kick strengthens your leg muscles, whilst also working your abs too.

Hold both hands against the side of the pool and float on your front, with your legs stretched out behind you. Then kick your legs repeatedly up and down. If you feel confident enough, build up your strength by releasing your hands from the side and cover the length of the pool using flutter-kicks only.

Pool Running

This effective exercise is fun and tiring in equal measure. It also builds up your cardiovascular health over time, whilst also working to strengthen those muscles.

Start from one end of the pool, ensuring that you know where you can touch the bottom with your feet and where you cannot.

Begin walking in a fluid and exaggerated motion across the pool, slowly increasing your speed the further you get. By the end of a length, you should be powerfully running in the water.

Pool Balance

A tricky to master but highly effective pool exercise, this balance workout will work your leg and hip muscles as well as test your core strength. Don’t worry if you find this a little challenging to begin with, it does take a while to master.

Stand in the pool with the water at waist level and your feet shoulder-width apart. Slowly raise one leg so that your thigh is parallel with the bottom of the pool and your lower leg is at a right angle to your thigh. Once in this position, compose yourself and find your balance for around ten seconds before lowering your leg again.

Once you are used to this movement, incorporate your arm into the next leg lift. When raising one leg, lift your opposite arm straight out in front of you, with your palm facing down.

Pool Jump

The ideal exercise for those recovering from injury or whose joints are not what they used to be. Essentially these pool jumps are similar to squats.

Begin by standing in the pool with the water level at waist height. Then slowly squat into the water so that you chin is touching the surface. Once at this position, use the power of your legs and bottom to thrust yourself up into a jump, landing on your two feet before repeating the process.