For this exercise, it’s best to use webbed gloves to increase the resistance through your hands.
- Stand with your feet together in the water with shoulders submerged and arms outstretched.
- Begin making a scissors pattern with your hands. Open your palms to the water for increased resistance.
- You should begin to feel the burn in your arms. Try it for 60 seconds before taking a 10-second break and do 5 sets.
This one requires wrist weights or weighted bands and provides a real workout!
- Stand in the water with your back straight, shoulders relaxed and submerged.
- Fold one forearm back toward your shoulder while leaving the other arm fall alongside your body.
- Straighten out the bent arm ensuring you keep the elbow tucked in close to the body.
- Alternate arms and do 60-second sets with 10 seconds rest in between.
- The pendulum will give your triceps a good workout. Try and do 5 sets.
This one works the arms and upper back. It requires a foam aqua fitness dumbbell to help increase the resistance during the exercises.
- Stand in the water with shoulder submerged and legs spread with a slight bend in the knees.
- Stretch out your arms horizontally with the palms facing backwards as you begin sudden backward pulses.
- If you find this too easy, then try it while standing on a kickboard. This will force you to use your core more to combat the lack of stability.
- Try for 60-seconds with 20 seconds rest in between, and aim for 5 sets.
If there’s one area where aqua fitness shines above other forms of exercise, it’s in combating cellulite. When exercising in the water, it gently massages the skin, exerting that continuous action against the skin.
For this exercise ankle weights help provide greater resistance for a more thorough workout.
- Stand on one leg with the water at waist level.
- Place one ankle weight on each leg.
- With one hand gripping the edge of the pool lift one leg and begin making circular movements. Experiment with large and small circles to work different muscles.
- Do 1-minute sets on each leg and then repeat. You should begin to feel the glutes and inner thighs being worked.
Again, you’ll require ankle weights for this one.
- Stand on one leg with the water at waist level with a weight around each ankle.
- Raise one leg to the side and push it outward and then alternate legs. Place a hand on the pool edge for support if required.
- Aim for 3 sets of 1 minute each and take 15 seconds recovery between each.
- You should begin to feel the inner and outer thighs being worked. This is where cellulite is often to be found.
The knee to elbow crunch
- For this one, stand in the water at chest level with your hands behind your neck and elbows apart.
- Lift your knee and try to touch it with your elbow.
- Do it on consecutive sides. It may be difficult at first, but it’s this crunching that’ll really help strengthen those core muscles and help remove any visceral fat.
- Try doing 5 sets of 20 reps with 20 seconds rest in between.
Hip rotations
- Stand in the water at waist level with your legs close together and arms crossed behind your back.
- Try and twist your pelvis on the spot, but without moving your shoulders. Ensure you remain standing straight.
- Try doing 1-minute sets with 20 seconds rest in between.