By Hannah Callaway and the TLS Team
Memorial Day has passed, children are out of school, and pools are OPEN for the summer! If you’re hanging out at your local swimming pool with your kids or if you’re going solo, keep in mind that this is a handy, unassuming place to get some great exercise. While it is tempting to curl up by the pool in a chair with a big straw hat and your favorite book, dive right into the water and get started!
To a degree, it doesn’t matter what you do in the pool as long as you’re treading water. Water is nearly 800 times denser than air. Therefore, everything you do in the pool will encounter resistance of some kind and strengthen your muscles.
If space allows or if lanes dictate, do some laps, mixing backstroke, breaststroke, etc. Mixing up your strokes keeps you (and your muscles!) from getting bored. Don’t feel like you have to push yourself too much. You are enjoying a nice day at the pool, after all. Consider doing a set number of laps, engaging in a game of Marco/Polo, then returning to the lanes to finish up.
Many public pools offer “adult only” swim times. If your pool doesn’t, try to get there first thing in the morning for maximum pool space. Crowds tend to ease up during dinnertime as well.
Unsure where the closest public pool is? Use this site to locate one nearby. Are you lucky enough to have a pool at home all to yourself?This article from Fitness Magazine provides a more extensive list of specific workout moves to make when you have plenty of space.
Tip: Swimming in a lake works just as well. Keep exercise in mind even in freshwater!
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