pool-related stories
Underwater Pogo Stick - Splash Around to Get Fit
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| The Only Underwater Pogo Stick Photo: hammacher.com |
The handles are rubber, and the footrest is also nonstick, so you should be able to work hard without losing your grip. And while I love swimming laps, I have to say that this looks like a heck of a lot of fun. It's the type of tool that would help you burn calories without feeling like you're actually working. And the price is right -- just $59.95 at Hammacher Schlemmer.
The only caveat -- chances are you won't be able to use this at your gym's pool. But you can probably find some pool-owning pals who'll let you splash around. You know, as long as you let them have a turn, too!
Workout in the Water
Lots of people get fit to look good in their swimsuits. But why not get in your swimsuit to get fit? CafeMom has a great post with some water workout suggestions such as:Tick-tock hop. Jump from side to side with your feet together.
Squat jump. Extend your arms to shoulder height, then squat down; jump as high as possible while raising your arms overhead.
Bicycle. Lean back against the side of the pool with your arms resting on the edge for balance. Raise your legs and pedal at the surface.
Want some more ways to get fit at the pool? Check out these poolside workout tips.
Get Fit at the Pool
Summer may not officially be here yet, but it certainly feels like it. Long, sunny days can motivate you to visit a local park, work in the garden or invite family and friends over for a cookout. But don't let the change in season change your fitness schedule.
You might think people get more exercise during summer, but that's not always the case. For some, summer is a fitness slow down. "Everybody wants to be out in the weather and they don't want to be inside like they were all winter," explains Benji Radach, corporate trainer for L.A. Boxing. Even if your gym routine has gone to the wayside, summer opens up a whole new world of fitness opportunities.
While it's important to maintain a consistent exercise routine, you can also slip some additional fitness moves in while enjoying favorite summer activities. Try these poolside exercise tips from the fitness gurus at L.A. Boxing:
Julia Roberts Got Fit in the Pool
Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment
Julia Roberts hopped in the pool for the workouts that got her in shape for the movie "Duplicity," and while swimming is definitely great for fitness, it wasn't laps she cranked out. Instead, her trainer had her running, cross-country skiing and pumping out arm exercises while in deep water. FitSugar knows how you can get fit in the pool, and Fitz has a calorie-torching pool workout that toned and trimmed my body last summer. This year, I'm headed back for more.
Track Your Swim With the Finis Lap Track
I love swimming laps -- I might not be able to run long distances (at least, not at a respectable pace), but swimming? Swimming, I can do forever. In fact, I often swim long enough that I completely lose track of how many laps I've done.
Obviously, other people have this problem, because there is a solution -- the Finis Lap Track. This device can attach to the side of the pool in a variety of ways (suction cups or a weight bag and hanging arm -- see the site for a picture), and performs several functions.First and foremost, it counts your laps, and the whole thing is a button, so you don't have to try to find any small buttons to push -- just bop the entire thing. It can also keep track of split times and calories burned. And, you can opt to count up, or, if you have a set number you want to reach, you can count down to zero.
Pregnant? Try Water Aerobics - It May Ease Labor
There's no need to spend your pregnancy lounging on the couch. Unless you have a high-risk condition and/or your doctor advises against exercise, being active during pregnancy can have many benefits. One recent study, for example, shows that doing water aerobics during pregnancy can make labor bearable. Half of the women in the study attended three 50-minute water aerobics sessions each week, the other half did not. Researchers followed up with the women after they delivered their babies and found that, while the duration and type of delivery didn't vary, women who didn't participate in water aerobics requested anesthetic more frequently than the women who were active during pregnancy.
So, is water aerobics the magic solution that makes labor more bearable? I don't think there's enough information from this study to suggest that. But water aerobics is a gentle, effective exercise and is a good choice for pregnant women. The American Pregnancy Association has more suggestions for exercise. Before beginning any exercise routine while you're pregnant, it's important to check with your OB/GYN.
Fly healthfully with these 6 exercises
If you frequently travel by plane, you're putting your body at greater risk of a silent killer. Those long periods of inactivity -- legs scrunched up behind the seat in front of you and your arms held tightly to your body because the person next to you is stubbornly refusing to give up even a quarter inch of the arm rest -- aren't exactly healthful for your body. Frequent fliers run the risk of a condition called Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). In fact, the condition has two travel-related nicknames: Traveler's Thrombosis and Economy-Class Syndrome. DVT is a condition where a blood pools and forms a clot in the calf, thigh, or less commonly in the arm. If you travel a lot or are planning a long flight, keep these DVT prevention tips in mind:
- Get up and move. Don't need a bathroom break? Visit the loo anyway and march in place for a few minutes. Even a quick stroll up and down the aisle will do.
- Ankle circles. Rotate your feet at the ankle both clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Obese people bring back simple pleasures through fitness
I'm training a woman right now who walked through my door several weeks ago nearing 300 pounds. I'll call her Crystal. At her morbidly obese weight, Crystal was desperate to lose about 150 pounds. One goal: To be able to sit on the floor with her kids.
Ever think your weight might spiral so completely out of control that you wouldn't be able to do something so simple? Neither did she. But it happens all the time. Here comes the great news.
Crystal found herself kickboxing with me on my heavy bag that first day. Since then, she's learned an arsenal of strikes and has been more mobile in the past three weeks than she has in the past few years. Could this be you?
Cherie Blair is slim and trim, thanks to swimming
Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment
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First Sarah Palin gushes about running, then Vladimir Putin is teaching people Judo -- it seems like a lot of major politicians are jumping on the fitness bandwagon and telling the world about it. Former first lady of Britain Cherie Blair is no exception -- she and her husband are showing off trim new figures these days. Not surprisingly, the weight loss is down to good old fashioned healthy eating and exercise. According to a source close to the couple, swimming is the exercise of choice. In fact, Mrs. Blair enjoys it so much, she recently splashed out on a $50,000+ pool -- you know, the kind that produces a counter current to create an effective workout.
Good for them. Though I must say, I'm awfully jealous -- how cool would it be to have one of those pools?
Fitz's Cool Tools: AquaLogix -- The New Wave in Total Body Fitness
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Places, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Celebrities and Entertainment, Healthy Products and Reviews, Cellulite, Obesity, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Forget the idea that training in the pool is a mamby-pamby workout. AquaLogix is throwing that idea out with the theory that one catches a cold from going out with wet hair! I've been testing out some amazing new fitness tools that can literally cater to both the elderly crowd in nursing homes and professional athletes. I'm on the uber-fit side, and these things kicked my ass! Excuse my language, but an hour in the pool using an advanced level set of Cardio Bells and Cardio Fins left my arms and legs trembling for an incredibly long time.
I'm sure many of you have used the traditional foam dumbbells in the water. They're awkward, right? I've been teaching fitness for 20 years, both in and out of the water, and I still look at the foam dumbbells with a question mark over my head! They drive me nuts, because they limit our mobility drastically. Up, down, up, down and that's it. Cardio Bells are the answer to that issue and many more. Their unique design allows the user to move in absolutely every direction, and the resistance they create is insane! I shared my new "cool tools" at the lap pool this week with dozens of fellow exercisers. Absolutely every last person from ages eight to 85 were both astonished at how much drag they created and how comfortable they are to use.
The other cool tools I received from AquaLogix were Cardio Fins. A brilliant innovation. Cardio Fins are soft Velcro bands that strap around the users wrists or ankles and create incredible drag. Using the advanced level Cardio Fins as I ran laps in the pool today made me feel as though I was climbing Mt. Everest. I love a challenge and the combination of the Cardio Fins and the Cardio Bells kept me struggling with gritted teeth.
Fit Gadgets: StretchCordz Short Belt
Four feet of heavy tubing is attached to a two-inch waist belt, allowing you to attach the tubing to a ladder and then swim to your heart's content without ever going anywhere. While initially I was concerned about the feeling -- would it be distracting? Would my feet hit the tubing? -- this review put my mind at ease.
The idea behind it is simple, and, according to a number of reviews, it's really effective for swimmers of all levels. It can be used in small backyard pools, hotel pools, or wherever else you want a good, long, continuous swim. And, at under $30, it's not a huge investment. Now, if only I had a pool in my backyard ...
Practice pool safety to avoid injury
Caution must be used when swimming. Simple measures and rules are the difference between a fun, summer activity and people getting hurt. In 2007, US medical professionals treated nearly 172,000 swimming-related injuries. Many of which could have been prevented. To prevent pool injuries, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers the following tips:
- Never swim alone or allow others to swim alone.
- Supervise children at all times.
- Don't swim if you feel tired, cold, or overheated.
- Never dive in shallow water. (Inspect pools before diving, so you're well aware of the depth.)
- Only one person at a time on the diving board.
- Don't run on the diving board.
- Dive off the end of the board, and don't bounce more than once.
- Always make room for the next diver by swimming away from the board after hitting the water.
Vital Tools for Aqua Fitness Training
Healthy Habits, Healthy Places, Stress Reduction, Womens Health, Cellulite, Obesity, Fashion and Beauty, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Men's Health
I've been drenched this summer. About a million hours so far racing around water parks, pounding out cannonball after cannonball with my children and running laps in pools with clients striving to become more fit. I just thought I'd give credit to the one thing that's allowing me to get through it all and keep coming back for more: my pool shoes.
I tell you, they're ugly, fugly, and completely unflattering with my brown polka dotted bikini. They are, in fact, the only thing keeping me from tapping out of summer fun though. I realized this yesterday as I went to work at my client's lap pool and forgot them. Oh man! Every step I took was more excruciating than the last. It was dreadful. I also had a rotten experience a bit back when I hit Disney's Typhoon Lagoon without my fancy footwear. Between the heat, the concrete, and the sand ... my feet took quite a beating.
So! If you too, are working out in the water this summer and want to take it up a notch ... protect those tootsies and get yourself some pool shoes. They're one of the most functional fitness tools I've used all summer!
Ask Fitz! Your Fitness Questions Answered -- Get Ripped Quick
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Places, Healthy Relationships, Stress Reduction, Vegetarian, Womens Health, Healthy Recipes, Healthy Kids, Ask Fitz!, Cellulite, Obesity, Healthy Events, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Motivation, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
Have fitness questions? Fitz has your answer. Our ThatsFit.com fitness expert -- and now your own virtual personal trainer -- will help you get fit, increase your overall health and do it in a fun way. Drop your questions here in the Comments section below and we'll choose one per week to publish on That's Fit! Learn more about Fitz here.
Q. Hey Fitz. I blew it! I am going on vacation with a bunch of my college buddies and some hot girls in four weeks. I've totally slacked off on my workouts since school ended and now I'd like to get ripped again before we head to Mexico. What can I do at my gym to shred a bit of fat and get buff quick before the trip? I know I'm a dork for slacking, but I also know you can help me improve. I'm willing to do the work! Jason
A. Familiar story Jason! You're not the only one who's taken some time off from their fitness training only to have it blow up in your face. You're also not the first person to try and undo the damage quickly. Four weeks is a pretty decent amount of time, so if you are really clean with your eating habits and start training intensely ... I think it would be safe to take off at least 10 pounds before you see Mexico, and all of those hot girls see you!
13 calorie-torching pool exercises
Anyone tried Fitz's Calorie Torching Pool Workout yet? I have. Just printed off her routine, took it to my neighborhood pool, along with a towel, kick-board, and goggles, and in the pool I jumped. It was awesome, although I was a bit worried at first. I'm not a frequent swimmer, you see, which makes me think I'm not a strong swimmer. I've also been out of the hard-core exercise loop for more than six weeks due to recovery from a tummy tuck surgery. I was sure, therefore, that I would be gasping for air after tackling Fitz's 13 pool tasks. Not the case. I did pretty well.It took a few laps for me to regain my ability to breathe properly. It took a bit for me to catch my breath in between sets and since this was my first time trying this routine, it took a while before I got the grasp of each specific exercise. But now, I've got it. And I can't wait to go back. Here's why: I felt every muscle in body at work while in the pool, and I felt no tugging, pulling, straining, or impact on any part of my body. I was huffing, puffing, and I know my heart is the happy recipient of a solid workout. And I know this a fitness activity I'll be adding to my schedule. You should too. Here it is. Give a try. Let us know what you think.
Fitz's Calorie Torching Pool Workout
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4 laps Freestyle swimming
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4 laps running
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20 Dips. Put your hands on the edge of the wall while your body is facing the center of the pool. With bent elbows, lift your body out of the water onto straight arms.
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50 jumping jacks
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4 laps Freestyle swimming
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20 Pool Push-ups. Put your hands on the ledge of the pool with feet behind you. Bring your chest towards the ledge and then push away.
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2 laps Bunny Jumps (jump across the pool like a bunny)
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4 laps using kick-board
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20 Dips
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4 laps running backward
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50 jumping jacks
- 4 laps using kick-board
- 20 Pool Push-ups
