Water Exercises To Build Up your Muscle Strength

By Christian Lawrence


Water; so smooth and refreshing... no wonder it is referred to as the fountain of life. I totally concur. I recall sometime ago once I wrote on a similar topic, I said something about never having seen a fat swimmer (and I mean professional swimmers; I am aware we come across all kinds of in the local pools nowadays). Same goes for a swimmer with persistent back pain (yeah right! Pretty ironic, isn't it?). Greater part of lower-back pain issues are caused by strained muscles or ligaments, and though often painful, usually resolves on its own. Structural problems in the spine, for example herniated discs, sometimes require surgical intervention. Swimming offers a non-weight bearing environment in order to exercise the big muscles in the back as well as smaller muscle groups which help support them. Proper stroke technique prevents swimming-related injuries, and stroke drills and kicks help relieve tense muscles. This lower back exercise also has low-impact consequences involved since it does not put any direct stress, twisting or rough contact lying on your back as other sports may do. While limiting pressure and further pain around the back, swimming exercises may also assist to strengthen an inadequate back.

Exercising in water is really a safe approach to workout without putting stress on your joints. The buoyancy produced from in a pool of water about your neck will support 90 percent of the body weight, according to Spine-Health, a web-based resource for back and neck pain. This can take pressure away from the lumbar spine of one's lower back. You're able to do stretching and strengthening exercises in a pool. Walk round the pool or swim for a couple minutes to warm up your muscles before exercising and walk around between stretches. For spine problems, swimming using a sidestroke or backstroke in your exercises are recommended to prevent causing lower back pain when you swim. You need to prevent back injury when executing this lower back exercise by making sure your positioning is correct. Engage your ab muscles when you swim in the front style, and keep the head in a straight line with your body, not cranked up to look toward the sky or ceiling.

Being a swimmer (pro or not; so long as you are in water, you are a swimmer), so as a swimmer, strength training is essential and your focus ought to be on developing strong muscles with higher endurance capabilities. You need to aim for higher repetitions (perhaps 15 or maybe more), with low or moderate weights. Train this way for 2 sets and after that train heavier on your own last set, with six to 10 repetitions, to increasingly gain strength. Certain parts of the body that relates together with the lower back and they are impacted by swimming are;

The Biceps and Triceps

While in the pool, you will be working your biceps and triceps as you pull the water using your arms, forcefully working against the resistance in the water. Experts recommend completing standing bicep hammer curls and seated dumbbell curls to primarily target the biceps. Complete your curls with your elbows tight on your sides and take control of your weight slowly up and down. Triceps overhead extensions and dips target train the backs of the arms. Triceps dips should be completed using a bench with straight legs or knees bent for an easier approach.

The Lower Body

The glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings are all engaged in swimming. Whether you're freestyle kicking or using a breaststroke kick, your lower body actively works up against the resistance of the water. The seated hamstring curl machine will concentrate on the backs of the thighs to build strength and complete the leg extension to target train your quadriceps. Squats will actively engage virtually all of the muscles of the lower body to build strength. Squats can be performed either with or without weights.

The Core Back

Core strength is important in swimmers. Target train your core with yoga moves. YogaJournal.com suggests doing plank pose or boat pose to interact with the whole midsection to build up strength. Plank pose resembles holding the very top of a pushup. Draw your navel in and engage the core keeping the body in a single line. Boat pose begins when you take a seat and extend your legs out 45 degrees in front of you. Holding this static move, place the hands over the floor and out over your sides. Make an effort to hold both poses for 30 seconds, completing each exercise thrice.

So having known these, I suppose you'll need exercises that will assist you effectively address the issues you've with these lower body parts, here goes;

The Backstroke

To try and do the backstroke, move backward through the pool gliding lying on your back, propelling your body by producing large, circular backward motions with the arms. Commence with your right arm, bringing it up and back to enter into the water next to the head then follow in the same way together with your left arm. Kick your feet lightly using your knees slightly bent to keep your body moving forward in a straight line.

The Sidestroke

Work your lower back gently with a sidestroke. Get in a relaxed position in the water on either side of your body with your lower arm extended underneath the head and your upper arm alongside your upper thigh. Draw the knees in toward the body and move your lower hand in toward your shoulder and your higher hand in toward your chin. Propel your whole body in the water by kicking your legs out and digging in the water with your upper hand.

The Dolphin Kick

Turn on to your back and perform dolphin kicks, pulling and pushing while using the core muscles in your abdomen. Work with an undulating hip motion to flex and contract back muscles. Repeat with and without swim fins. Perform the similar exercise while you're on one side. Only do the Dolphin kick sets if your lower back is healthy and pain free.

The Aquatic March

Another water exercise that targets the lower back involves marching in position. Always keep your spine straight. Begin with the feet firmly on the floor and shoulder-width apart. When marching in position, lift one leg up at a 90-degree angle. Lower it back in the ground and lift the other leg. Alternate the legs for 20 seconds. When returning your foot to the floor on the pool, avoid pounding or slapping it down.

The Water Pull

Swimming will work out the big muscles in the chest, back, and also the legs. Overuse or weakness of muscles used to rotate the body in freestyle brings about lower back pain. Pulling freestyle means swimming with your legs isolated trailing behind. It changes the swimmer's position in the water somewhat, and eliminates any painful movements associated with the flutter kick. By using a pull buoy keeps legs from sinking and helps keeps the entire body elevated in the water. Keep a streamlined position and also your head steady. Take very long strokes, counting the strokes per length. Pull four laps of a 50m pool, or eight laps of a 25 m pool. Reduce the number of strokes per length while focusing on elongating the body and stretching out the muscles within your lower back.

Vertical Exercises

Vertical kicking forces the swimmer to maintain balance within the water and to use leg and supporting abdominals to hold upright. Perform flutter or freestyle kick, keeping your arms out of the water in an 'I surrender' position. Kick for just one minute. Then, keep legs still and scull together with your hands to help keep on top of the water. Sculling means making continuous circular movements using the hands, palms face down on water. Bring your knees up and extend the feet in order for the legs are perpendicular to your torso. Retain the position for a moment then continue. Repeat for one minute.

The Knee-to-Chest

A knee-to-chest exercise involves stretching and strengthening the muscles in the hips, legs and lower back. Doing the movements involved underwater reduces tension and provides slight resistance, which can be beneficial to reducing low back pain while toning muscles. Begin with standing on your left leg. Raise your right leg off the ground, bending your knee. Holding on to the side of the pool, slowly straighten your right leg. Hold this position for Ten seconds and return your foot towards the floor. Repeat using the left leg.

The Front-to-Back Leg Swing

Another beneficial workout is the front-to-back leg swing. This exercise stretches the low back and also involves your hips, knees and thighs. Stand with your left side facing the side of the pool. Keep your legs shoulder-width apart. Holding on to the edge, slowly extend your left leg straight out. Continue to keep your toes facing upwards and hold this position for five seconds, and then slowly swing your leg straight back behind you. Pause for five seconds. Repeat Ten times, and then go on to right side.

On the final note, if you have any indications of fatigue while you are doing any one of these aquatic lower back exercises; stop and seek medical assistance immediately. For precision, a few of the indications of fatigue include trouble breathing, dizziness, feeling flush, nausea, weakness, irregular heartbeat, chest pains, confusion and disorientation. Begin your exercise session slowly. Take frequent breaks every Fifteen minutes in order to avoid injury and also to give your muscle tissue time for it to recover.




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1 comments:

Unknown said...

Of course these water exercises are beneficial for everyone. They can increase their body muscles strength easily through this workout.back and neck pain bergen county , low back pain bergen county

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