The pool’s the place to be in summer, but if you aren’t a swimmer, that vast body of water (and all those people gliding across the length) can be intimidating. Experts tell us you don’t actually need to swim to get the benefits of water. Stay in the shallows and do a spot of exercise. One study published in the Medical Science Monitor said that water exercises benefited patients with hip osteoarthritis both before and after total hip replacement. “We noted a significant reduction of pain (p<0.001), increased ranges of motion and muscle strength, and reduced use of medicines (NSAIDs) (p<0.001),” it stated.
Chitra Kataria, who heads the rehabilitation division at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, in Delhi, says that water therapy is used in hospitals for everything from building cardiovascular capacity and endurance in sportspeople, to developing joint mobilisation in those who have orthopaedic conditions, and strengthening muscles during post-fracture care. “Exercises that people find painful on land are less painful in water, because of its buoyancy that reduces the effect of gravity,” she says. Water exercises may even help those who have a niggling pain in the neck or back because of poor posture.
Besides rehab though, people who want quick results from high intensity interval training (HIIT) can get in the pool and do similar workouts. “You’ll gain stamina and muscle mass, while burning fat fast, without injuring yourself,” says Fitness Coach and Aqua aerobics instructor, Pooja Bhatia Arora, Bengaluru. Most people who do HIIT on land may not have sufficient muscle strength, because of which they load the joints, leading to injury. In the pool, you can avoid this, and also feel less fatigued, because of the cooling effect of water.
A team thing
Get in the pool with your whole family or a bunch of friends. “Experience the water so you feel a connection with it. So just hang out in the pool, or play some fun games. They’ll give you a workout without you even realising it,” says Manisha Khungar, a swimming coach based in Gurgaon. Play tag as you walk in the water trying to catch each other; do a relay using a pool noodle; simply play handball in the water.
4 exercises you can do in the pool
Russian twists
Start with feet wide. Extend both arms forward and bring palms together. Twist from side to side ensuring palms and wrist are firm, to create enough drag force in water. Keep the core tight and movement on the lower body minimal throughout the exercise. This works on spine mobility and helps tone the obliques.
Squats
Squats in the pool can be done at the shallow end where the water level is below waist. Start with feet shoulder-width apart, feet pointed slightly outward. Push the butt back and down, keeping the back straight (neutral position) and knees behind the toes. ‘Sit’ back, completely extending the hip and knee. Squats strengthen the glutes. Pool squats also help improve mobility of the knee joint.
Push-ups
A pool push up can be done at the vertical pool wall. Start with hands wider than shoulder-width and palms resting on the pool deck. Propel yourself up and straighten your elbows, all this while keeping the back neutral (straight). For a beginner, use the pool floor and jump into the pushup. If you would like to challenge yourself, propel yourself upon without a jump and make your descent slower. A pushup works on pectoral muscles and triceps.
Frog Jump
Start with legs shoulder-width apart. Jumps and try touching your toes with your hand, while getting both legs into a butterfly position. The frog jump in the pool works on the abdomen and inner-outer thighs. It also is a cardiovascular exercise.
Pooja Arora
If you walk for exercise, try these in-pool variations
Walk forwards, backwards, sideways. Lift the legs as you walk, to complete a circular motion, getting the whole foot to touch the ground. This will aid in knee, ankle and hip mobility. It will also help the stabiliser muscles to develop. These are muscles that contribute to strengthening the bond between the bones in a joint.
Hold the sides of the pool with face upwards and arms stretched out on the sides. Perform a cycling motion, open-close scissors movement, flutter kicks, reverse crunch, to work the core, glutes, and back.
Take into the pool empty water bottles and go deep enough to your shoulders. On land, gravity pulls down weights. In water, you will need to push down, whether you do lateral arm raises, bicep curls, tricep extensions, or a chest press. Too nervous to go submerge your shoulders? Simply squat in the part of the pool you’re most comfortable and the arm exercises. You’ve got a compound workout without making too much of an effort.
Preeti Cheema, Rehab Trainer
Cropped shot of a woman's foot in the swimming pool
