[blueridgegirl]

Hello friends,

I have access to an outdoor swimming pool, which is great. But it's pretty small and shallow. Laps aren't really a possibility as I can go from one end to another in about 5 strokes, and it is too shallow for water running - I think it's 4 feet at its deepest. I usually run and dance for my workouts, but was hoping to do something in the pool on hot summer days (with SPF 100 on, of course).

My mother does water aerobics type classes and I've been to some of those with her, but not recently. Any suggestions about what I could do to get a decent workout in this small, shallow pool? Thanks!

[Ilene]

My first thought was to bring some music outside and dance in the pool ... Unless there's a crowd around and they may think your a little

[blueridgegirl]

thanks, Ilene. Your use of images made me smile.

[Ilene]

Sorry I can't be of more help though ...

[ANewCreation]

Try googling shallow water aerobics for some ideas.

They make special weights for the pool that you could use. You can also work with a 'noodle'. These are all made with a styrofoam type material but when they are under water they really force the muscle to work against the water. Hope that makes sense!

If you can float on your back you can do crunches and sit ups. You can jog in the water and having to switch directions will help keep up that heartrate.

Hope you find something that works for you. Enjoy!

[zoritsa]

I have a small pool and use my arms and legs to stay afloat without touching the bottom anywhere from 15-30 minutes straight.When my youngest is in the pool,he likes making a whirl pool and then once we've gotten it going pretty fast,we walk in the other direction.

[saef]

Do a Google search for "water yoga" & see what you come up with.

I take swimming classes at a local community college. The class in the pool that starts the day, before swimming commences, is billed as water aerobics but is actually a form of aquatic yoga. My swimming class is two hours after it, but once I had to come early & got to watch it & was very intrigued by it. The participants did not require a lot of space & kept to the shallow end of the pool.

[PammyFl]

I have a small pool and just swim back and forth even though it only takes 2 minutes to get to the other side but if you do it enough you will get your heart rate up. I just switch it up swimming backwards or forward. A lot of times I swim with kids and we will make a whirlpool in one direction and then turn around and walk against it.. its fun and tiring lol

[StraitLover]

Here are some moves from my water aerobics class you could do:

jumping jacks (arms stay in the water)
frog jumps (legs come up like a frog and you push down w/ your hands)
cross country skiing
mogul skiing (jump side to side and back to front lifting your knees)
Pendulum (swing arms and legs side to side in the same direction)
sailor jig (like a pendulum but arms and legs move in opposite directions)
jump and twist (just like it sounds, jump up and twist side to side)

You can do the first 3 stading in place or moving across the pool. Jogging is also great and way easier on the knees in the pool. I can't jog on land but it's no problem in the pool.

As someone else said the noodles and foam weights are great. I saw a nice set of water weights at TJMaxx last week.

[astrophe]

Google water aerobics routines or workouts. There's lots.

Also on you tube like this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOf68_WJckM

HTH!
A.