Summer is here, and that means vacations and fun in the sun! But this also means staying in shape— and you can have fun and get your strength training and cardio in at the same time!
I am lucky enough to be in Cancun this week, and I’m still working to stay active. For my weekend in the pool workout, I am doing laps for cardio and pool exercises for strength. Water workouts burn tons of calories but definitely feel like play!
Here are a few ways to burn some of those extra calories consumed on vacation!
Simply treading water
• Move vigorously. This can burn 11 calories a minute (same as a six-mile-per-hour run.) Because of water’s resistance, you are forced to engage more muscle fibers with a greater ranger of motion. This will help you tone up from every angle.
• Do 45 second intervals with a 30- to 60-second rest.
L- Kicks
• In the deep end of the pool, make small circles with cupped hands, treading water.
• Lift right leg straight in front of you at hip level, keeping left leg straight with toes toward bottom of pool.
• Hold for 5 seconds.
• Switch legs quickly, bringing right leg down as you raise left leg, and hold for 5 seconds.
• Continue for 30 seconds, alternating sides.
• Keep leg straight by squeezing your quads and glutes.
Treading V-ups
• Get into a V-up position in shallow end of the pool.
• Cup hands and circulate underwater, keeping your abs tight in V-up and tread the length of the pool.
• Maintain head and toes above water.
• Cross one length, rest, then go back.
• Complete 4 laps.
Pool Wall Kicks
• Hold onto the side of the pool, chest deep.
• Extend legs behind you at water level with both feet and knees together, then kick like a dolphin.
• Use abs and hips and push through thighs to knees and finally to feet. Kick as hard and as fast as you can for 30 seconds, trying to make the biggest waves possible.
• If you can’t make waves for a full 30 seconds, just separate your legs and do flutter kicks.
Laps
• Swim the length of the pool using different strokes every other lap.
• Give yourself 30- to 60-seconds rest after each lap. (Try the butterfly, freestyle, breast stroke, back stroke and side stroke.)
• Swim laps for a full 30 minutes, taking 30- to 60-second rests in between.
Have fun in the sun, stay in shape, and don’t forget your sunscreen!
