Swimming in itself is one of the best all-around exercises for body and mind. Not only does it work every part of the body, but it also builds muscle strength, boosts endurance, improves cardiovascular fitness and even reduces stress. But swimming is just one of the many exercises you can do in your swim spa.
Working against the current produced by an Endless Pool can deliver the same results as exercising with weights, making it perfect for strengthening and toning shoulders and arms. You can turn down or crank up the current to provide greater resistance, which creates the same effect as lifting more weight.
Here are some of the best pool exercises for arms and shoulders that you can do in your swim spa…
Bicep curls and tricep extensions
Bicep curls and tricep extensions are a great way to target and tone isolated muscle groups that often get overshadowed by bigger muscles. Strengthening the biceps and triceps helps to stabilise the shoulder and elbow joints and provides a greater range of motion and flexibility.
As well as toning the muscles, this can also boost performance in sports that require arm movement and upper body strength such as swimming, tennis and basketball. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are two of the simplest but also most effective arm workouts in the pool. All you’ll need are pair of hand paddles to perform this exercise at home.
Overhead shoulder press
One of the most effective pool shoulder exercises is the overhead shoulder press. It targets a lot of different muscle groups, increases the stability of your core and builds your upper body strength. Much of the work is done by the front and side deltoids, but the rear deltoids, upper pectoral muscles, triceps and traps also get a good workout.
All you need to perform the overhead shoulder press are resistance bands, which can be easily fitted to your Endless Pool. The demand on the working muscles can be increased very simply by turning up or standing closer to the current produced by your Endless Pool.
Additional shoulder and arm workouts in the pool
This is just a small sample of the pool shoulder and arm exercises you can do with your hand paddles on:
- Tricep press down: With your elbows by your side, bring your forearms to 90 degrees and press them down to full extension.
- Tricep straight arm extension: Start with your arms by your side. Then bring your arms up so they are at the surface of the water and press down and push all that water behind you.
- Bicep straight-arm flexion: Start with your arms parallel to the surface of the water. Then bring your entire arm down so your hands are near your hips and force them back up through the water.
- Rowing: If you’re really serious about your pool shoulder exercises then you can enhance your Endless Pool experience with an optional row bar and resistance accessories kit.
As with any resistance training exercises, we recommend you take a rest day between shoulder and arm workouts in the pool. Performing the exercises two or three times a week will help you achieve the best results. Read our other training guides for workouts that focus on different parts of the body and take a look at our full video playlist.
