It's hot out there! There's no time like the present to submerge yourself in some refreshing H2O. And while you're at it, you can burn calories and tone up all over—faster, in fact, than if you exercised in the air-conditioned sanctuary of your gym. Why? Water provides 12 to 15 times more resistance than air. So you can burn as many as 3½ times more calories than if you walked at a moderate pace—and it's more refreshing! You don't even have to swim to get these results. Here are 19 easy ways to get started, from solo moves you can do in a pool or at the beach to high-energy games for the whole family. You'll have more fun, stay cool, and shed pounds in no time. 1. Treading Intervals You'll slim down faster and firm up all over. In deep water, tread as hard as you can for 30 seconds. Then go easy or float on your back for 30 seconds. Fit in 30 bursts over your afternoon at the pool and you'll scorch nearly 300 calories. 2. Step Push-Ups You're lighter in water, so full push-ups are easier while still being a super arm and shoulder toner, says Rob Shapiro, a personal trainer in Brookline, MA. Start in plank position in the shallow end, hands on the top pool step and toes on the pool floor. Slowly bend elbows to lower as far as you can without getting your face wet. Straighten elbows and repeat. Work up to 2 or 3 slow sets of 15 reps. 3. Waist-Deep Lunges Water makes high-impact jumps joint-friendly. In waist-deep water, lunge with right foot forward, right thigh parallel to pool floor, left knee bent, hands on hips. Quickly jump up, scissor legs, and land with left leg forward. Do 15 to 20 times. 4. The Blender Water workouts provide 360 degrees of resistance, says Jay Cardiello, a certified strength and conditioning specialist in New York City. In waist-deep water, quickly swing right leg forward. Pause, then pull it back against the current to starting position. Next, swing leg to side, then back. Alternate legs for 10 to 15 cycles. 5. The Helicopter This move revs your heart rate to melt more calories, says Mary Sanders, PhD, a spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise and director of WaterFit Wave Aerobics. Squat in waist- to rib cage-deep water, then jump up and "jog" vigorously for a count of 6. Repeat for 1 minute, then rest for 15 seconds. Do 2 more times. 6. Calorie-Torching Laps ( Pick up the pace during your laps, and you’ll swim off about 350 calories in 30 minutes. Here are some tips for increasing your speed. Be a goal-setter. Setting small goals—like doing more laps—motivates you to swim faster and farther. Olympic swimmer Dara Torres sings each lap number to herself to keep track. Do sprints. Alternating shorter, faster distances in the pool with 10 to 15 seconds of rest can increase your overall speed. Plus, research shows that interval workouts are best at blasting belly fat. Take Your Tunes Underwater. Exercisers who listen to fast-paced music naturally pick up their pace and rate workouts as feeling easier, despite the increased effort. Pick up waterproof headphones and an iPod case at your local sports store. 7. Surf Strolling The combo of sand and water kicks your lower-body muscles into high gear. Researchers found that walking in thigh-deep waves yields the biggest burn, but even ankle-deep water will tone your legs. 8. Wave Jumping Head out into waist-deep water, crouch down, and jump over the waves as they come in. Try jumping backward or sideways, or scissoring your legs. 9. The Ocean Push-and-Pull Simply staying upright as the waves hit works your abs and back to tone your torso. Try balancing on one foot to work more muscles. Or compete with your pals to see who can remain standing the longest. (Up the ante by facing the beach so the waves surprise you.) 10. Chaos Running On the count of 3, everyone carefully walks or jogs in a zigzag pattern from one end of the pool to the other, then back, suggests Sanders. The currents created by the erratic directions increase resistance. 11. Water Circles Walk as fast as you can in a circle around a section of the pool that's about 3 feet deep (the more people, the better the effect). Do about 20 laps, then change direction for 10 laps. The resulting rush of water against your body will feel much like the jets in a whirlpool. 12. A Game of Fetch Torch 175 calories in just 20 minutes: Throw an inflatable ball to the other side of the pool and see who can retrieve it the fastest. You won't even notice you're doing sprints. 13. Visiting A Water Park You may climb more than 800 steps to reach the water slides and walk 5 to 7 miles during a 1-day visit. And the ride down will cool you off. 14. Kickboard Laps ( You'll easily glide through the water with a kickboard or noodle in hand. Practice different types of kicking: flutter (alternating legs), dolphin (legs together, mermaid style), and breaststroke (frog kicks), suggests Paul Smith, swimming instructor and fitness specialist at Lake Austin Spa Resort in Austin, TX. 15. Deepwater Jogging Hold a noodle or slip on a flotation belt or vest. "Run" as hard as you can for 30 to 60 seconds, bringing knees toward chest and pumping yourarms. Do 10 sets, recovering your breath between sprints, suggests exercise physiologist and triathlon coach Ben Greenfield of Spokane, WA. 16. A Beach Ball Workout Trying to submerge a ball that floats really works your core and upper body. Experiment with different movements to vary the muscles targeted, says Sanders. For example, press a small ball down in front of you with bent arms, then move it to the side and straighten arms. 17. Backward Motion Research shows that water walking or jogging in reverse engages more muscles in your legs and back than going forward (83% more quads, 61% more lower back, and 47% more calves). 18. Shuffle Slides To tone your inner and outer thighs, shuffle side to side in at least thigh-deep water, says Melissa Layne, an American Council on Exercise spokesperson and a water aerobics instructor for 20+ years. Keep movements smooth. 19. Arm Presses Stand in chest-deep water with palms open and fingers spread and move your arms back and forth and up and down. Increase your speed for a greater challenge. Source
