Two Cans and a String July 2014 | Page 12

The RLE Group Newsletter May 2014 Volume 14, Issue 5 Climb the pool wall like Spiderman climbs buildings! This exercise helps you defy gravity in a way that just isn’t possible on land. It also provides a unique challenge to your core and back muscles. How to do it: While standing in water at the side of the pool, stabilize your upper body by sweeping your hands back and forth as you run your legs up the side of the pool and then back down to the floor. Do four Spiderman exercises, alternating the leading leg each time you reach the end of one jogging circuit. Planks are a proven core strengthener on land. But if you don’t have a strong upper body, it’s hard to hold it long enough to give abdominal muscles a good workout. All of that changes in a pool. Plus, planks boost your endurance. How to do it: Stand on the pool floor. Hold a noodle (it’s also called a “water log,” a long cylindrical piece of foam that floats) vertically in both hands. Press it straight down into the water and lean forward until your body is on an even incline. (Your head stays out of the water.) Try to keep yourself stable for 1-2 minutes. This exercise takes jogging to a new level. By creating several currents in the pool and then running through them, you’ll strengthen all your core stabilizing muscles. How to do it: Run in a zigzag pattern from one end of the pool to the other, then run straight through all the currents you’ve just created. Do these in three-minute intervals, alternating with something less cardiointensive, such as Pool Plank or One-Legged Balance (next exercise). http://www.lifescript.com/diet-fitness/articles/m/make_a_splash_8_pool_exercises_to_burn_fat_fast.aspx