Water aerobics: 5 easy exercises for slimness on vacation

The end of the year is a difficult period for all of us. Stress at work, pre-New Year's worries, buying gifts - in a series of these things it is so easy to lose your inner balance. But we know how to avoid this.

Nina Kolomiytseva
, certified specialist of the international yoga association (Yoga alliance), founder of Cultural Organization 108, @nina108K

In yoga, there are several poses that are used to relax the body and help relieve mental stress. Just what you need to stay in harmony during this stressful period.

The health benefits of swimming are undeniable:

• you can do aquafitness without putting extra stress on your skeleton, since in water your body becomes weightless;
• Due to the fact that water is 12 times denser than air, it provides greater resistance. Therefore, when moving in water, your muscles experience several times more stress than when exercising in the air, which allows you to keep them in good shape;
• joint flexibility improves due to active movements of the arms and legs. The spine in the aquatic environment is stretched, allowing the vertebrae to take their natural position;
• the heart muscle is trained, which helps to avoid diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• The volume of your lungs increases and your breathing becomes rhythmic. This allows for the prevention of diseases such as asthma;
• By improving the condition of blood vessels, swimming allows you to control the level of cholesterol in the blood, preventing it from increasing;
• Considering the high energy consumption of this sport, you will be able to control your weight, lose extra pounds and constantly stay in shape;
• achieve the relaxing effect of water procedures, which is associated with the production of endorphins - the so-called “hormones of happiness”, which are responsible for our state of mind.

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Recommendations from experts

The benefits and harms of swimming in the pool depend on the attitude of the swimmer himself. If a person has never dealt with water, he must first learn not to be afraid of it, get used to the feeling of water on his face. You can simply lower your head under the water and dive shallowly. It is better if at first there is always a bottom under your feet. To learn how to stay on the surface, start by swimming on your back. Special exercises with a board for beginners are useful.

When swimming, inhale only through the mouth, exhale through the nose. The difficulty is not to take in water as you exhale when diving.

When the water is no longer scary, they start with breaststroke or doggy style. There will be health benefits, but without extreme stress. For fit people who need to keep in shape, the crawl with butterfly “inserts” is recommended.

The main thing is not to quit classes if something doesn’t work out. By training regularly, people quickly notice how swimming affects their figure, tone, well-being and mood. The very quality of life changes, regardless of the level of training or the chosen style.

Beginners are recommended to use special exercises with a board

It is important to master the correct breathing technique: inhale only through the mouth, exhale through the nose

Having learned to confidently float on the water, you should start mastering sport swimming with breaststroke. If necessary, you can use a special simulator

How swimming improves your figure

Balanced physical activity, which is applied to the swimmer’s body, allows you to work out all muscle groups. In this case, the impact will be soft, without the risk of injury, and the effect will be equal to a full workout in the gym.

In the Premier Sports water zone in Moscow you can visit a sports pool, the length of which reaches 25 m, as well as an entertainment pool and two children’s pools, with a comfortable water temperature of 30-32°C:

With regular visits to the pool, your figure acquires a toned appearance and a sporty silhouette. This is achieved due to the fact that the muscles become toned in the process of overcoming the resistance of water. At the same time, metabolism is also activated, starting the fat burning process. Classes under the guidance of an attentive trainer are guaranteed to give a positive result, the key to which will be the correct execution of the exercises and swimming technique.

Water aerobics

Water aerobics includes two stages: warm-up and main. The first stage consists of simple exercises:

• inhale and exhale while raising your arms up while standing in the water;
• mill using hands with movements in different directions (hands are completely in the water);
• tilts in different directions - the neck should not fall below the water level;
• jumping out of water;
• bending the legs at the knee with lifting to the buttocks.

The warm-up stage is mandatory before moving on to the main stage. The second stage includes physically difficult exercises, during which you can get injured if you skip the warm-up. Basic exercises include:

• swing your legs up while sitting with your buttocks at the bottom of a pool with water level up to your chest;
• jumping in water from a squat (performed at a minimum depth);
• scissor kicks in chest-deep water;
• rotation of the waist in the water, holding on to the side.

During rest periods between exercises, you should walk in water. Standing still can cause you to freeze. Water aerobics burns body fat when done three times a week.

You can learn how to properly perform exercises in the pool for weight loss by reading the instructions in this video:

Training in the pool is an effective method of combating excess weight. Water classes include a set of exercises aimed at working the entire body. But to obtain the maximum effect with minimal risk to health, training in the pool must be performed strictly in accordance with the instructions, and under the supervision of a trainer.

How often should you go swimming?

To achieve Olympic results, you need to train daily, spending several hours a day swimming. If your goal is to lose weight, it is enough to exercise 2 times a week, swimming in the pool for 30-45 minutes.

It is important to follow the sequence of actions:

• warm-up on land for 5-7 minutes;
• ten-minute warm-up in the water - calm swimming;
• active training, in which it is important to alternate the load on different muscle groups;
• cool down - swimming at a slow pace.

Regular training and proper swimming technique guarantee noticeable results within two months of training.

The benefits of training in the pool for weight loss

Swimming against excess weight is more effective for women than for men. Exercising in the pool uses more calories than running. Depending on the swimming style, the following is burned per hour of training:

• 500 kilocalories – crawl;
• 520 kilocalories – breaststroke;
• 560 kilocalories - on the back;
• 570 kilocalories – butterfly.

In addition to destroying fat deposits, swimming:

• prevents the development of flat feet;
• stimulates lung function;
• supports the physical fitness of pregnant women;
• has a massage effect.

To burn excess weight, the water temperature in the pool should be from +24 to +28 degrees Celsius. During training, you need to alternate styles. Before swimming, you should warm up: before immersion in water, and after. At the initial stage, the training duration should be 30 minutes. In the future, the lesson time increases to 1 hour.

For weight loss, intensive swimming is recommended at the beginning of the workout, slow and relaxing at the end. After class, you should not eat food for an hour and a half to consolidate the effect.

You can get the maximum effect from training in the pool by combining swimming and water aerobics.

What types of swimming are most effective?

To achieve the greatest effect, as well as to evenly influence all muscle groups, it is necessary to use different swimming styles. An integrated approach has a positive effect on the condition of the muscular skeleton and joint-ligamentous apparatus, which, in turn, will affect your appearance and well-being.

• Breaststroke is one of the least energy-consuming types of swimming, while the level of difficulty from a technical point of view is quite high. The hand stroke is performed actively, while inhaling, in a plane parallel to the surface of the water. This is followed by a push with the legs, simultaneously with a slow exhalation. This style allows you to swim long distances. It is more advisable for beginners to start training with breaststroke.
• The crawl allows you to develop the highest speed in water. It consists of alternating hand strokes along the body, combined with rhythmic footwork. Therefore, the level of calorie consumption will be quite high.
• The next fastest stroke after the crawl is the butterfly stroke. This is a rather technically complex style of belly swimming. At the same time, the arms make a powerful stroke, lifting the body, while the legs slide under the water in waves.

In each case, the aquatic environment effectively massages the swimmer’s body, honing the contours of the figure, making it more perfect.

The maximum effect comes from interval swimming, in which active loads alternate with calm gliding through the water. By alternating 30 seconds of maximum effort and 15 seconds of swimming at a slow pace, you can achieve a prolonged fat burning effect. In this case, the weight loss mechanism will work not only during physical activity, but also for several days after training.

Shavasana (Dead Man's Pose)

Starting position: lying on your back. Savasana can be performed either on the floor on a mat or on a bed, for example, before bed. We close our eyes, place our hands at an angle of no more than 45 degrees in relation to the body, go through the “internal scanner” along the body from bottom to top: relax our legs from the tips of our toes to the upper thighs and go higher - to the head. The face also needs to be relaxed: close your eyes, do not clench your jaw too tightly, your mouth should be slightly open.

We focus on our breathing - take a deep breath, exhale. You can play soothing music for meditation, imagine that you have been transported to some beautiful place where you feel good and calm. You can spend from 5 to 20 minutes in Shavasana - as long as your body needs to reboot or go to sleep.

You can choose any of the above asanas to return to balance, relax, and get rid of accumulated pre-holiday tension. But no matter what position you choose, the main thing is not to forget about proper breathing.

What types of muscles are used when swimming?

This sport is suitable for everyone, since almost all muscle groups are involved in the process of swimming.

• Freestyle primarily affects the muscles of the chest, legs and back.
• In breaststroke, the shoulders and back are primarily worked.
• The butterfly stroke gives the maximum load, using the muscles of the shoulders, back, abs, legs, while aligning the spine.

Select a convenient time for training and your preferred type of activity on the website page: Select a convenient time for training and your preferred type of activity on the website page: . We work for you seven days a week at the address: ZAO, YuZAYU, st. Olof Palme, 5 (metro station “Sportivnaya”, “University”, “Slavyansky Boulevard”, “Fili”).”

Necessary equipment

Once you purchase a pool membership, make sure you have all the necessary swimming equipment. Below we have provided a list of required attributes:

1. Swimming trunks, swimsuits, shorts, suits

Choose swimsuits without unnecessary elements, comfortable, and streamlined in shape. This will make your swimming experience much more comfortable.

1. cap

The cap reduces water resistance during swimming, making the entire body as streamlined as possible. At the same time, the hair does not bother you and does not get tangled. Most caps are made from silicone. This material does not cause allergies, it is elastic, so the hat fits comfortably on your head.

1. Glasses

They protect your eyes from the harmful effects of chlorine used to prepare pool water. They are also very convenient for diving under water, and you can navigate perfectly there.

1. Swimboard

The swimming board is made of light, buoyant material and is used for learning to swim, improving technique and special training.

1. Snorkel

A breathing tube will help you breathe underwater without lifting your head out of the water. This is very convenient if a novice swimmer trains his stroke technique and body position in the water, without being distracted by raising his head out of the water to inhale.

1. Flippers

Fins are a great help if you feel unsure in the water. In addition, when applied to training in the pool, fins allow us to swim much faster: thanks to them, the streamlining of the entire body increases.

How to swim underwater correctly

Scuba diving deserves special attention. It is believed that for moving underwater it is best to use modified versions of the butterfly or breaststroke:

1. In the underwater butterfly, the arms are extended forward in an arrow; advancement under water is due to wave-like movements of the body and legs.
2. In underwater breaststroke, the arms are not thrown forward after the stroke, but are placed along the hips, then, during the kick, they are smoothly brought forward for subsequent sliding.

We talk in more detail about how to swim underwater in this article; the issues of how to dive correctly and how to hold your breath are also discussed separately. If you are interested in the technique of swimming with fins, then this is the place for you.

Indications for the use of swimming for the spine

The vast majority of spinal diseases can be treated with swimming. Most often, water aerobics and simply being in the water or swimming are complementary therapies, but this method has a very powerful effect .

Swimming is useful for those diseases of the spine that cause compression of the vertebrae and nerves. Swimming is often prescribed for:

• osteochondrosis;
• kyphosis, scoliosis and other curvatures;
• intervertebral hernias and vertebral displacements.

The main goal and effect of most options is to relieve stress and improve the position of the vertebrae, joints and ligaments.

In addition, the muscle corset improves, the muscles distribute the load and even small groups are worked out, which ultimately stabilize the position of the bones.

Contraindications to the use of swimming for the spine

In fact, they are practically absent . Even if you do not have swimming skills, it is quite possible to acquire the necessary skills to perform effective therapy in the pool.

In addition, it should be noted that there are restrictions when you should not swim:

• curvature of the spine of 3-4 degrees, here you should swim only as prescribed by a doctor;
• osteochondrosis at a significant stage or during exacerbation, you must first obtain a treatment program and consult;
• heart and lung diseases, you must first learn about the permissible loads and training options.

Of course, there are also general restrictions that do not concern the spine, but relate to factors that do not contribute to swimming. We are talking about various skin diseases, colds, and central nervous system diseases. At the same time, in general, swimming is more often useful than harmful and can be useful to many.

Rules for training

Water aerobics classes for weight loss begin with a preliminary visit to the doctor. Despite the fact that there are few contraindications that categorically prohibit water activities, it is better to make sure that they are absent. A doctor should confirm that your body will not react with an allergic reaction to the chlorine added to the water for disinfection. Exercise is contraindicated for people with asthma.

It is also better to refuse classes in the following cases:

• Infectious diseases;
• Inflammatory processes of the genitourinary area;
• Recent injury or surgery.

If all of the above factors have nothing to do with you, all that remains is to find a qualified trainer who will create an individual set of exercises that is suitable for you.

Any strength training involves classes consisting of 3 parts:

• "Warming up";
• The main part of the lesson;
• Relaxation.

Let us give an example of one of these complexes.

Warm-up

1. Inhale through your entire chest and raise your arms. Exhale as you lower them into the water.
2. Make several rotational movements with your arms.
3. Stand on your toes with your arms extended upward. Stretch your whole body behind your fingertips.
4. Place your hands on your hips. Bend 4-5 times in each direction.
5. Jump with your legs slightly bent while standing waist-deep in the water.

Warm-up movements will prepare the body to perform the main complex. It includes movements to “work” the muscles of the whole body.

Thin waist

These exercises need to be done from the following starting position: palms are connected in the abdominal area, elbows fix the stomach, hands are applied to the chest.

1. “Twist” your body by turning to the sides. For the desired effect, “twist” up to 15 times.
2. Lean forward successively, then lean back. Each movement is repeated up to 15 times.

Remember!

The main condition for a competently executed movement is the hands, which are completely covered by the water surface.

Butterfly technique - photo and description

Butterfly (aka “dolphin”) is rightfully considered the most spectacular style:

Movement algorithm:

• The main feature of the technique is the wave-like movements made by the body.
• The arms simultaneously make a stroke , but, unlike the breaststroke, they are not immediately thrown back, but go to the thigh, then thrown back over the top. Hand movements are synchronous with the wave-like movements of the body.
• The legs work as a single “tail” , striking synchronously with the wave moving through the body.
• To inhale, the head and shoulders are raised during the stroke , then the face is lowered into the water to exhale.

Read more about what butterfly stroke is and how to swim it correctly on this page.

The butterfly swimmer looks very beautiful and effective - see for yourself:

However, the downside of this beauty is the large expenditure of energy: this is the most exhausting method of swimming, requiring both good endurance and strong muscles of the back, lower back, abs, and shoulders.

It is definitely not suitable for beginners - it is usually mastered after crawl and breaststroke.

What style to swim for beginners?

We are convinced that the most practical and convenient are the crawl and breaststroke . As mentioned above, crawl is a little simpler, but energy-consuming, breaststroke is more complex, but less expensive.

Which of these two methods to choose as the main one is up to everyone to decide for themselves. It is recommended to master both of them, and then choose the one that you like best or that will work better.

For clarity, you can also watch all four swimming methods again in this video (only in this video the swimmer swims very aggressively - as for a sprint, without sliding between strokes):

Further reading: If you have decided which style is most interesting to you, I recommend that you follow one of the links and read about it in more detail:

• crawl;
• breaststroke;
• butterfly;
• backstroke.

If you have any questions or can add anything, please write in the comments!

Aqua programs and swimming: what to choose for weight loss

The answer to this question depends on what kind of activities you prefer. Because both swimming and water training are effective for weight loss. “The most energy-consuming swimming strokes are crawl and butterfly: you can burn about 600 kcal in an hour. In addition to standard swimming, there are several types of training in the water, such as water aerobics or board training, aqua pilates and even boxing. If running on land, for all its effectiveness in the fight against excess weight, has a huge number of contraindications, then running in water (aquajogging) is much safer and more intense. All these well-designed programs under the supervision of a trainer help you burn even more calories than during regular swimming and do not feel the load as much as on land,” says Stepan Proshin, trainer at the Fitness Studio 29 personal training studio.

Using "helpers"

For better results during training, special devices are used.

To increase muscle mass in the arms and “tighten” the skin on them, “noodles” are used. This is the name given to special flexible sticks that resemble boiled noodles. Water dumbbells do a good job of this.

To “pump up” your legs, they use a step platform and a special swimming board.

To lose weight in the abdomen and sides, use a belt. The device is often “prescribed” to people who are still unsteady on the surface of the water. In this case, it acts as a safety net. However, its main function is to fix the hip area so that the load on these parts of the body increases.

Efficiency of weight loss

The positive qualities of water gymnastics listed above prove its optimal effect on the body. But is it possible to lose weight by doing aquafitness, and how many sessions will it take?

The effectiveness of water aerobics for weight loss depends on several factors that must be taken into account:

1. Water gymnastics has a slow and low-intensity effect.
2. The effect is achieved only in conjunction with the use of a balanced diet, which involves reducing high-calorie foods.
3. To increase the speed of achieving results in classes, special devices are used.

Note!

To lose weight by losing weight, you need to consume fewer calories and spend more.

The low intensity of aqua fitness allows you to prolong your workouts, so the results will be more sustainable than with short and extremely intense workouts.

After exercise, reduce hunger by eating low-calorie yogurt, fruit, or other low-fat foods. To stay active and help your bones and joints stay strong, include lean meat and fish, whole grains and dairy products in your diet. You should not go hungry, as rapid weight loss will negatively affect your well-being, and the lost kilograms will return again at the slightest violation of the strict diet. Healthy weight loss should be gradual.

It is impossible to answer clearly how many calories are burned in water aerobics. These indicators depend on 3 parameters:

• Weight of the exercising person;
• Intensity of classes;
• Duration of training.

The table shows approximate calculations of calorie loss for half an hour of exercise.