Swimming is an awesome way to lose weight and increase muscle. Swimming laps by using the freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, or butterfly stroke all help to strengthen the arms and shoulders.
Here are some other ways to get rid of those unwanted flabby underarms and achieve the tight, toned arms you’ve always wanted.
Photo by Tommy Wong
Good old fashioned pool workouts with no equipment is a great way to get the arms you’ve always wanted.
Simply swim from one end of the pool to the other, using just your arms. Give your legs a rest and really focus on using your arms to pull your body through the water. Over time, your arms will be tighter and fitter.
Another trick is going to the deep end and hanging onto the edge of the pool. Extend your body, and use your fingers while kicking to move your body parallel to the side of the pool. Hold each pose for 30 seconds, feeling the muscles in your arms contract.
Many gyms and public pools offer classes such as water aerobics or water yoga. These classes incorporate foam water weights, pool noodles, and other types of equipment to strengthen and tone the muscles.
A class is also a good idea if you have a hard time getting motivated to workout alone or need the extra discipline to stick to a routine.
Water workouts incorporate other fitness elements such as a warm-up and cool-down. This is a great habit to develop, even in the pool. Many water classes use variations of kickboxing which is a great arm workout. Stand in a semi-squatted position. Use your arms to punch and jab through the water. Jab with the right arm for one minute, then follow with the left arm for one minute.
You can switch it up by crossing the jab over your body or jabbing to the side. You can also do uppercuts and hooks that stop at water level.
What arm exercises have you found effective in the pool?
Share in the comments below!