Love to swim? A leisure lap in the pool burns up to 500 calories, swimming provides a number of additional perks too. It’s an amazing cardio workout that helps to improve heart strength, increases endurance, flexibility and toning. If you are trying to enhance your swimming technique outside the pool, try adding a few of the workouts below that can be performed at home on the days you can’t make it to the pool.
Hindu Push Ups: Start in push up position with your legs a little wider than your hips. Dip down swooping low to the ground and then arch your back. Raise your hips up and come back to starting position to complete one rep. Work your way up to 15-20 reps.
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KO-Fr_U9HoI
Side Plank Rotations: Start out in traditional plank position. Slowly twist your body to one side until you’re in a side plank position extend your arm upward, then with controlled movement return back to starting position to complete one rep. Do this for 15-20 on each side.
Flutter Kicks: Start by laying supine on the floor. Keep your arms straight by your side and keep your legs straight. While engaging your stomach, slowly bring your legs off the floor and flutter your legs as though you were swimming. Make sure the small of your back is pressed firmly on the floor. Perform this action for as long as you can, rest for 30 seconds and repeat for 3 reps.
Reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEG9uXjx4vQ
Goblet Squats: This move can be performed with a dumbbell or ideally a kettlebell. Make sure to select a weight you’re comfortable with but challenge you at the same time. With your legs a little wider than a traditional squat begin performing a deep squat and pause as the bottom. Go as low as you can while holding the weight at chest level. Rise back up while driving through knees, make sure to keep your back straight and look straight ahead. Do this for 15-20 reps.
Reference: http://www.bodybuilding.com/exercises/detail/view/name/goblet-squat
Nadia Murdock is nationally recognized fitness coach, published author and regular on-air fitness expert. She is living proof that her “train your mind, change your body” method works. After changing her own life via her own weight loss journey to a healthier lifestyle she became dedicated to sharing that power with others through her company Nadia Murdock Fit. Nadia has a B.A. in Psychology and taps into the strength and power of the mind when advising others in achieving their fitness goals. She also enjoys all forms of fitness from Kickboxing to Zumba and never goes a day without breaking a sweat.
You can find Nadia on Facebook, Twitter: @NadiaMurdockFit and at www.nadiamurdockfit.com.