Dive into summer: Five water workouts to boost your fitness

Paddle, float, or swim—water workouts are the ultimate way to stay active this summer. Photo / 123rf

Beach and pool season is here. Why not get a little exercise while you’re in the sun?

Summer is a great time to get outside and be active. It’s also a good time for jumping into pools, rivers, oceans, ponds or whatever body of water you can find.

Swimming and paddling aren’t just refreshing – they can offer low-impact ways to get fit. The pull of gravity doesn’t feel as strong underwater, and water provides a lot of resistance. That lets you work hard without jolting your bones and joints.

So this summer, consider picking up a paddle or strapping on some goggles. Here are a few of our favourite water workouts from recent years.

1. Make lap swimming a workout

Swimming offers a low-impact way to get fit. Photo / New York Times

There’s nothing wrong with getting into the water and simply swimming until you get tired. But if you have regular access to a lap pool, there are real benefits to taking your swimming game up a notch.

The best way to begin is with some swim-training fundamentals, like how to get more from your stroke and the importance of intervals.

In this article, we break down the basic nomenclature (what’s the difference between a 1x200 and a 4x50 anyway?) and suggest a few simple workouts to get started.

Read the full story: How to make swimming your summer workout

2. Paddle a kayak

Kayaking is a great workout for your core and upper body. Photo / New York Times

Kayaking is one of the best core and upper-body workouts you can do on the water. What’s more, it can take you in and around countless hidden natural wonders that you would never find without a boat.

But to do it properly and not totally exhaust your arms, you have to engage your legs and trunk as you paddle. It takes some practice, and serious kayakers spend their lives mastering the forward stroke. In this article, we give you the basics.

Read the full story: Kayaking: An outdoor adventure and a full-body workout

3. Try a pool exercise routine

Pool exercises are a great low-impact workout. Photo / New York Times

Not everyone was cut out to swim laps. For some, it’s boring; for others, too tiring. Some of us simply sink.

If that sounds familiar, or if you are just seeking a great low-impact workout, it’s worth looking into pool exercises. Some are geared toward older adults and people recovering from injury, while others are hardcore enough to exhaust any athlete.

In this article, we look at a workout to try next time you wade into your local pool.

Read the full story: The full-body pool workout that doesn’t involve swimming

4. Stand up on a paddleboard

Stand-up paddleboarding (SUPing) engages both legs and core for balance and strength. Photo / 123rf

Stand-up paddling (or SUPing) has grown steadily in popularity over the past couple of decades. What was once an obscure way to use an old surfboard has become a sport in its own right.

Paddleboards give you a unique vantage above the water’s surface as you explore lakes and rivers. They also provide a great workout. Unlike kayaking, where you sit in your boat, stand-up paddling requires you to immediately engage your legs as you balance and try to move the board around.

It takes some practice to get the hang of it – so expect to fall in the water a few times.

This guide will help you get started.

Read the full story: Go for a float: A beginner’s guide to stand-up paddleboarding

5. Get outside and swim

Open-water swimmers often cite its meditative benefits and connection to nature. Photo / 123rf

If you are an experienced swimmer looking to mix up your routine – or if you just hate the taste of chlorine – consider a little open-water swimming. Whether in a lake, a gentle river or the ocean, swimming in natural bodies of water offers a whole suite of new experiences and challenges.

In this article, we share a few tips to break away from the buoyed lanes and strike out on your own.

Read the full story: (Add link to story ‘Dive into an open-water workout’, also in folder to load)Dive into an open-water workout

This article originally appeared in the New York Times.

Written by: Erik Vance

Photographs by: Zack Wittman, Bryan Bennett, Logan R. Cyrus

©2024 THE NEW YORK TIMES