Healthy Swim: Get Fit in Your Own Backyard Pool

Having your own pool gives you the perfect exercise venue. Swimming itself is a perfect whole-body fitness routine: Your arms and legs are exercised by propelling you through the water, and your cardiovascular system works overtime to fuel your muscles while providing you with oxygen to breathe. This effort alone burns a whole lot of calories. It’s been estimated that a person weighing 205 pounds can burn around 931 calories when swimming vigorously for an hour. Imagine doing that daily, combined with a balanced diet, and you’ll be able to reach your ideal weight and a lean body in no time.

However, swimming isn’t the only fitness routine you can undertake in your pool. For those who aren’t ready for the physical rigors of swimming, water walking or jogging can be a more comfortable alternative. All it requires is that you get a flotation device like a vest or a pool noodle. Afterwards, you just walk back and forth around your pool while standing straight. The water provides resistance and this strengthens the muscles.

Another alternative to swimming is water aerobics. Like aerobics on land, it combines several high-intensity cardio exercises into a single workout that can burn calories even faster than normal. All you need is to do them in chest-high water so that the water adds to the resistance. Weights and resistance bands add to the difficulty. These workouts can get you fit and trim in no time.