Water Exercises for a Flat Stomach
One of the great ways to exercise is to do it in the water at your local swimming pool. Water exercises are a great way to exercise as the water provides resistance. Although water gives more resistance than air it is also very low impact so there is much less strain on the joints which is perfect if you have any joint problems or are getting older. Try out some of the exercises below for a great workout but remember, even though it’s in the water, you still need to warm up properly before you start.
Water Exercise - Jump and Dig
This exercise consists of two movements which work both the upper and lower body. The first works on the obliques, the second on the abdominal muscles. To work on the upper body place your hands below the water’s surface and scoop up the water to one side with one hand. repeat for about three minutes then swap hands. Once you have practised this try doing the exercise with both hands at the same time. This will work on the upper body. For the second exercise, while standing in water that about chest height place your feet so they are wide apart and jump in the water, bringing the knees up to the water surface then down again. This exercise works on the abdominal muscles.
Once you have mastered these two exercises you can make them harder by increasing the speed or even wearing water gloves to increase the resistance. Try not to go too fast however and decrease the effectiveness by not doing the exercise correctly! It is better to do it more slowly and correctly than to pack in more reps but lose the proper form. Set goals and slowly work towards them, don’t try to do too much at once and cause an injury. Even though it feels more gentle in the water you can still strain muscles by doing too much, too soon.
General Fitness Guidelines
As in all forms of exercise, it is no good working out if you do not eat and drink properly. Make sure you drink enough plain water every day and eat a good healthy diet. Do not exercise the same set of muscles every day. Muscles need at least a day to recover so alternate the muscle groups you are working so schedule days off so that your muscles can rest and start to rebuild.