How to Use Water Aerobic Weights
March 12, 2014
Extra pounds weighing you down? Well, in the case of water aerobics that’s always a good thing. Using water aerobic weights is one of the main ways that you can help your body get more toned while attending your fitness class. Generally made of foam and resembling barbells, you can use a wide variety of weights to help change up your workout or add to your daily routine. This guide will go over the many benefits and advantages of the water aerobic weights you should pick up for your next water workout.
Dumbbells – Not just for the gym
- Dumbbell weights are one of the greatest tools that you can use while you're out exercising in the pool. Water aerobic dumbbells are made for resistance training so you can easily do repetitions in the water and still achieve a good burn.
- Why foam? There’s a simple explanation for that: foam floats. While they are submerged in water, you'll have a more difficult time keeping them underwater and therefore have a greater resistance against your muscles. By keeping these weights as a foam alternative, it helps increase your overall strength training.
- Your new exercise: One great way to use your weights is to do a simple half jumping jack while in the water.In shoulder-deep water, bring your weights down to your side. This will be your starting position. From there, bring your arms up to your shoulder height but without bringing the weights out of the water. Once you're up to the edge, bring them back down to the side. This can be done accompanying a jump with your legs pulling apart or while standing still.
- Targeted Muscles: During this exercise your triceps, which is the area along the back length of your arm, will be getting the majority of the workout. By keeping your arms flexed and taut as you're slowly bringing the dumbbells to the edge of the water, you're creating a large amount of resistance for your body to work against and to help you get more in shape.
What other weights are there?
- Ankle weights: Made to be strapped onto your ankles, these can be a great way to make your running in water more challenging but all the more rewarding. We suggest keeping strapping these right above your ankle and fastened securely so they won’t slip off as you’re jogging through the water.
- Wrist weights: These weights are a great way to make lifting the dumbbells out of the water all the more challenging. One exercise to try out while wearing wrist weights is to strap these on and do the same exercise listed for the dumbbells. This will provide a heavier object trying to keep the dumbbells down in the water and be more difficult to bring down.
- Jogging belt: Change up your jogging routine by wearing a jogging belt. If you wear this while you're in shallow water you can use your abs and leg muscles to help keep your body sunken into the water so you can have more resistance every time you run across the water. always remember: the more resistance, the greater the challenge it is to move your body through the water and therefore the more pounds you’ll lose.
Putting it all together
- Once you have all of your equipment settled, you'll be ready to tackle any workout class you have in the future and even being able to have your own underwater workouts on your own. If you have your own pool, this is an even better benefit.
- One tip: Something you can try is combining your different tools that you've picked up into the same routine. Try putting on your ankle and wrist weights as you're carrying your dumbbells and run across the water. Not only will the extra weight slow you down, but it will be a fun fight to keep the dumbbells down as you're moving them through the water to go with your running motion.
Water aerobics is a wonderful way to workout with very little chance of injury and a good way to help recover safely. By choosing this activity, you're greatly helping yourself and shedding pounds in the water so you can leave the pool a better and lighter you.