Heading on a vacation? There’s no reason to sit by the side of the pool watching your kids burn thousands of calories while you ingest the same! Did you know a tropical vacation Pina Colada can pack you full of over 500 calories, around the same as a Mcdonalds Big Mac! Try one of these two water workouts next time you’re away to burn that 500 instead of packing it in. The kids will love that you got in the water with them, and YOU will love that you worked out on vacation!
Triceps & Abs Blast
Warmup: Swim any style, doggie paddle, breast stroke, floating jog – whatever – from one end of the pool to the other for 10 minutes.
Workout: Find the stairs in the pool, and sit on the highest stair you can to complete 20 triceps dips. (The higher you are, the harder it will be.). Swim over & back to your same spot, and sit on the highest step you can to perform 10-20 bent knee v-sit abs (sitting on step, hands by hips, bring knees to chest and extend out along waters surface as straight as you can). Swim over & back and repeat the pattern 5 times.
Calorie finisher: Swim fast over & slow back for another 10 minutes.
Water “Aerobics” On your Own
Set up your phone on the pool edge playing some upbeat music (try Power Music 128-135 bpm playlists on Youtube). Try to perform the following move patterns for each of 6-8 songs, shoot for 30 minutes of motion at the beat of the music. Alternate each move either 32 beats of the music (that’s a traditional aerobic count) or do 60 second intervals if you’re not a beat-junkie.
Soldier Kicks & High Knee Runs: “Soldier Kicks” are straight leg kicks to the front with alternating fingertips to toe touches. “High Knee Runs” are simply a high knee jog with hands pushing to the front of you with open palms facing away.
Cross Country Skis & Jumping Jacks: “Cross Country Skis” involve splitting your feet front to back equally along your midline, moving your hands underwater opposite your legs. “Jumping Jacks” are simple enough to figure out, but have hands in the water, palms facing down providing a great shoulder and lat workout as you move your arms up and down.
Jog with Breaststroke Arms & Pendulum Swings: “Breaststroke Jog” is a high knee run with arms moving front to back as if doing a breaststroke forward AND backwards. “Pendulum Swings” are a side to side kick & hop motion, kick your right foot out to the side and jump switch in the middle to kick your left leg to the left side with your arms moving in opposition to your legs.
Rocking Horse Right & Left: A “rocking horse” is when you bring your right knee up with a bicep curl motion of the arms underwater and hop to kick your left leg straight back with a triceps extension of the arms underwater pressing backwards.
Football Run & BubbleUp Biceps: A “football run” is the fastest, smallest run you can do with your full body submerged. “BubbleUp Biceps” is a standing move, with your palms facing up, where you perform super fast and powerful bicep curl motions making the water “bubble up” in front fo you without splashing.
Jog Forward & Back & Volleyball Hops: Jog forward 4-8 steps with freestyle stroke arms and then jog backwards with reverse breaststroke arms into the current you made. “Volleyball Hops” involve jumping as high out of the water as you can with hands overhead as if blocking a volleyball shot over a net.
TreadWater & Sidestroke: Tread water with hands above water for 30 seconds and below for :30 then switch to a 32 beat side stroke over & back in the pool.
Bonus Round: Add them all together for 8 beats of each to make your own water aerobics class!
Have fun and don’t forget water and sunscreen!
Jacki
