A World Champion Shows You 10 Pool Workouts That Burn Fat While Having Fun

Losing weight over fifty can be challenging. As our bodies change, we need to modify movements to get maximum results and, at the same time, prevent injury. Weight loss can be a boring numbers game: calories in and calories out. However, calorie-burning workouts that are safe, fun, and effective support overall mind, body, and spirit wellness. Creativity coupled with science-based intentional movements is a winning strategy. No better way to get a safe, fun, and effective workout than in the water. Getting results while having fun elevates the human spirit. A joyful spirit is the high-octane fuel that drives physical health.

These Workouts Are Fun and Effective

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I designed a one-hour, multi-sport workout for the water. Have fun pretending to be a downhill mogul skier, an NFL cornerback, an Olympic track runner, a speed skater, a FIFA soccer star, a martial arts master, and more. This choreography is designed to entertain while helping participants achieve maximum health benefits. My blend of sports drills will increase cardio-respiratory endurance, muscular strength, and range of motion.

Science supports that sustaining 30 to 60 minutes of uninterrupted movement in the “aerobic” heart rate zone (70%-85% of max. heart rate) burns calories from fuel sources beyond glucose and releases hormones that regulate mood swings and support brain performance.

You can enjoy the excitement of high-impact sports movements with the forgiveness of weightlessness in the water while burning fat and glucose. Grab your favorite companion and have fun getting fit. Keep in mind all movement is good movement. If you struggle to follow any instructions, just revert to jogging in place with arm motions and your favorite swimming strokes.

Running

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Warm up with Cross Country & Track drills: 10 minutes

1. Jog in place and lift knees high: Engage your core and hip flexors to elevate your knees as high as possible. Alternate arm swings in unison with leg motion. (2 minutes).
2. High knee pulls: Walk across the shallow end of the pool, lifting each knee high and hugging the knee with your arms to increase your range of motion. (2 minutes).
3. Straight leg walks: Walk across the shallow end with toes pointed, and extend the leg straight out front with each step. This challenges the core, hips, and quadriceps. (2 minutes).
4. Jog in place with hamstring heel kicks: Engage the hamstrings by pulling the heels to the glutes. Alternate arm motions in unison with heel kicks. (2 minutes).
5. Jog in place: High knee lifts (count to four) followed by heel hamstring kicks (count to four). Repeat for 2 minutes.

Swimming

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Simple Swimming Strokes: 5 minutes. Swimming laps is an excellent way to get sustained minutes in your target heart zone. Keep things fun and interesting by alternating your favorite strokes. Focus on lengthening and strengthening. Refine your form with each lap. Engage the core, reach long, pull strong, and don’t forget to kick with authority. 1-minute freestyle, 1-minute breaststroke, 1-minute side stroke (left), 1-minute side stroke (Right), 1 minute (your favorite stroke on this list or not on this list)

Soccer and Speed Skating

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Soccer (inner thigh)/ Ice Skater (Outer Thigh) Set: 5 minutes

• FIFA Soccer Player Passing kick, 2 minutes: Engage the inner thigh and quad by imagining passing a ball with the instep of your foot to a teammate across the field. Perform Ten right foot passes, exaggerating the outward to inward motion. Repeat this motion with the left foot. Alternate right and left foot kicks until 2 minutes are complete.
• Speed Skater Laps, 2 minutes: Engage the outer thigh and glutes by sweeping each leg diagonally behind and slightly outward. Alternate straight leg sweeping motions with arms.
• Jog In Place for heart rate recovery, 1 minute.

Snow Skiing: Cross Country and Down Hill

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Snow Skier Set, 5 minutes: Bomb the moguls of a double black diamond and cruise the scenic mountain trails.

• Downhill Ski Slope with Moguls, 2 minutes: Squat down and power up with feet and legs parallel in a seated position. Land each jump and squat, alternating a slight left twist followed by a right twist (like a skier traversing down the mountain). Keep fists closed as if gripping ski poles and arms out in front of you. With each squat, bend the arms to lift your ski poles up. With each jump, straighten the arms and press down to plant the ski poles. Pressing the arms down and up in unison with each jump targets the biceps and triceps.
• Cross Country Mountain Trail, 2 minutes: Standing with feet shoulder-width apart and arms out front holding the ski poles, press the left leg back and, at the same time, the right arm back. Return the arm and leg to the starting position and then press the opposite arm and leg. This motion sends you down the trail. Pick up speed and rhythm to get your heart pumping in the zone.
• Jog In Place for heart rate recovery, 1 minute.

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American Football

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National Football League (NFL) Warm-ups, 10 minutes. Hurray! It’s football season and holiday time. These football-focused drills capture the spirit of the season and help burn the extra holiday calories.

• Jumping Jacks, 2 minutes: In the shallow end, stand tall with your abdominal muscles pulled to your spine. With a nice posture, jump into a spread leg position and at the same time, swing your arms wide and above your head. Your arms should look like a ‘V’ next to your ears. Bring your legs back together and arms to the starting position. Repeat this motion for 2 minutes. Add extra resistance by cupping the water with your hands facing up on the upswing and down on the downswing.
• Arm Circles with Sideways Crabwalk, 2 minutes: Squat with knees pointing wide. Shuffle sideways across the shallow side of the pool while making large overhead arm circles rotating clockwise. When you get to the side of the pool, reverse the direction toward the opposite side of the shallow end and rotate the arm circles counterclockwise. Continue for 2 minutes.
• Arm Crossovers with Forward Squat Walk and Reverse Squat Back Pedal, 2 minutes: In the shallow side of the pool, bend your knees so the water is right above your shoulders. Swing both arms in front of you, crossing them at the elbows, then reverse the direction and swing your arms behind you as far as possible to increase your range of motion. To elevate your heart rate while performing arm crossovers, walk forward in the squatted position to the other side of the shallow end of the pool, then back pedal in the squatted position. Go back and forth to complete 2 minutes.
• Leg Swings Front to Back, 2 minutes: Holding on to the pool edge with one hand, swing your leg front and back as high and fast as possible, engaging the abs, hip flexor, and glut. Repeat on both sides for one minute each.
• Leg Swings side to side, 2 minutes: Holding on to the pool edge with both hands, swing your leg left to right as high and fast as possible on both sides one minute each.

Basketball

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National Basketball League (NBA) Drills: 5 minutes

Pretend to dribble while running for 2 minutes. Pretend you are holding a ball and forcibly press the water down with a cupped hand to increase resistance. Run and dribble from one end of the shallow side to the other (the dribbling arm should be completely submerged for added resistance. Switch dribbling hands when changing directions. In the final minute, pretend to dribble a ball in each hand. Have fun imitating the baller moves of your favorite players. Running in place is an alternative option if cutting across the pool isn’t viable.

Jump shots, 3-pointers, and free throws, 3 minutes: Practice your jump-shot and vertical leap from the shallow end. Run 3-5 steps, plant your feet, squat, and jump as high as possible while attempting to dunk the ball over your head in the net. Do five leading with your dominant and 5 with the opposite hand. Continue for 2 minutes. Finish the 3rd minute with two-handed free throws and half-court 3-pointers. Squat into a deep knee bend, jump as high as possible, and throw the ball with both hands over your head.

Martial Arts

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Taekwondo Kick and punch combos: 5 minutes

Front Kicks,1 minute: Engaging the core, keep the left standing leg strong and stable. Raise the right knee high to the waist, pull the toes up and back, quickly pivot the hip, and extend the ball of the foot to strike the target. Practice 5 times on each side. Then alternate right and left, and you cross the shallow end of the pool.

Front Fist Punch,1 Minute: Make two strong fists, bend the elbows, and place them near the ribs. Your thumbs should be facing up. Begin by engaging the abs and drawing power from the shoulder. Extend your arm, rotate your fist so the thumb points inward, and lean your body into the punch. Cross the pool by stepping forward with the left foot to throw a right-arm punch. The left arm stays near your face as a block. Now, step with the right foot to throw a left-hand punch, keeping the right fist near your face for protection. Repeat this pattern for 1 minute.

Jumping Front kick,1 minute: To add a little more movement and excitement we will throw a jump kick by lifting the left foot, then hop from the right foot. Throw the right front kick just before landing back on the left. Cross the shallow side of the pool with a rhythm of lift (left leg), hop & kick (right leg)/ take a step, and repeat to cross the shallow side of the pool. Reverse the standing and kicking foot as you reverse directions across the pool.

Jumping front kick with front fist punch,1 minute: Left leg is raised for momentum. Hop on the right leg and throw a strong right front kick. Land the kick in a lunge position and throw a left-hand forward fist punch. The flow is smooth and empowering: left leg lift, right leg hop, kick, lunge, left arm punch. Repeat ten times and reverse sides for ten reps.

Donkey kicks, 1 minute: Stand strong with fists tight, look over your right shoulder, lift the right knee high, and thrust your leg backward, intending to hit your target with the heel of your foot. Using your core for stability and control, bring your leg back, keeping the knee raised, and carefully place it next to the standing leg in the original forward position. Repeat on both sides for a minute.

Water Polo

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5-minute treading challenge (a floatation belt is very helpful to support these exercises.)

• In the deep end, tread water in a relaxing way while waving arms gently inward and outward for one minute.
• While treading water, raise one hand over your head as if you are making a ball pass to a teammate. Alternate raised hands for one minute (30 minutes each hand)
• While treading water, raise both hands overhead for 30- to 60 seconds for the final push of the workout.
• Revert to relaxing treading for two minutes or hold on to the edge of the pool and continue kicking.

Swimming

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Simple Swimming Strokes, 5 minutes:

Swimming laps is an excellent way to get sustained minutes in your target heart zone. Keep things fun and interesting by alternating your favorite strokes. Focus on lengthening and strengthening. Refine your form with each lap. Engage the core, reach long, pull strong, and don’t forget to kick with authority.

• 1-minute freestyle, 1-minute breaststroke, 1-minute side stroke (left), 1-minute side stroke (Right), 1 minute (your favorite stroke on this list or not on this list)
• Cool Down with stairs strengtheners and stretches, 5 minutes (60 minutes completed)
• Place your palms on one of the top steps as you exit the shallow end of the pool. With your face looking up to the sky, your fingers pointed toward the deep end, and feet pointing straight out in front of you, bend and press your elbows, igniting your triceps with triceps dips. (1 minute)
• In the same position, raise and lower your legs to ignite the abs with leg lifts. (1 minute)
• Flip over on your stomach and ignite the chest with chest presses. (1 minute)
• Sit on the steps, extend your left leg, and reach your toes with your right hand for a nice stretch. Repeat on the other side. (2 minutes).

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Final Notes

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1. Always remember joyful movement is quality movement. If you pick one sports theme at a time, it will become a quality workout. This is a concentrated choreography. It may seem like too much for some, but I wanted to make the workout creative and interesting. This is a full plate that you can work on a bite at a time.
2. There are many wonderful accessories that can enhance marine exercise. This could be a follow-up article.
3. There are ways to protect your hair from the damage of chlorine and excessive water and sun exposure. Healthy hair is important, too.

And if you enjoyed this article, take advantage of these 31 Fitness Tips Every Beginner Needs to Look Sexy, According to Coaches.

Christy Swaid is a Founder & Health Coach of Checkered Flag Living & Heal, World Champion Woman Athlete, Nutrition and Fitness Expert, and Child Development and Behavior Psychology Specialist