Try the following five shallow-water exercises
to condition the core. The water depth should be
between the chest and the belly button while your feet
are flat on the pool floor. These exercises require the
use of an approximately 8-inch playground ball. They
can be performed using repetitions (16-32 repetitions
each) or time (one minute each) or as interval train-
ing (vigorous exercise for 30-60 seconds) between
each ball exercise. If you choose to use these exercises
in interval training, the duration of each ball exercise
portion should be about three times as long as each
cardio portion.
Before completing each exercise, follow these steps
to align your body:
• Stand on the pool floor with your feet hip distance
apart or wider, being careful not to hyperextend
your knees. Draw your navel to the spine, and hold
the contraction throughout the exercises to keep
your core engaged.
• Place your hands on top of the ball, and press the
ball down toward the pool floor. Keep the ball close
to your hips and the tops of your thighs.
• Stabilize your shoulders by rolling them back and
down and retracting the shoulder blades (squeeze
the shoulder blades together).
TRICEP PRESS
1. Keeping the elbows
tight beside the
body, inhale as you
bend your elbows to
a 90-degree angle,
resisting the upward
force of the ball.
Your palms should
be on top of the ball,
toward the pool floor.
2. Exhale as you extend your elbows, pressing the ball
back toward the hips and tops of the thighs.
OBLIQUE TWIST (Short Lever or Long Lever)
1. Keeping the elbows
tight beside the body,
bend your elbows to
a 90-degree angle,
resisting the upward
force of the ball.
Your palms should
be on top of the
ball, toward the
pool floor.
2. Square your hips forward, and plant your feet on the
pool floor. Inhale twist from the belly-button area to
the left (around 10 o’clock), exhale and hold. Inhale
twist from the belly-button area to the right (around
2 o’clock), exhale and hold.
Tip: To make this a long-lever twist, extend the arms,
keeping the ball submerged, and twist.
LATISSIMUS DORSI
1. Straighten your
arms, and press the
ball to the tops of
your thighs.
2. Inhale as you lift
your arms straight
out in front of you,
only high enough
that you can keep
the ball under water.
3. Exhale as you press down on the ball to return it to
the tops of your thighs.
ADDUCTORS SQUEEZE
1. Place the ball between
your legs just above the
knees.
2. Stand tall, and squeeze
the ball with the inner
thigh muscles (adduc-
tors). This is a quick
action.
RECTUS ABDOMINAL
CRUNCH
1. With extended arms,
allow the ball to come
about 6-12 inches in
front of your body.
2. Exhale as you draw the
base of the rib cage to
the top of the hip bones
for a crunch. Inhale as
you extend to stand, releasing the crunch. Resist the
pressure of the ball throughout the movement.
It is important to participate in exercise programs
that are diverse and designed to focus on muscle move-
ment, muscular strength, endurance and functional
movements. Before beginning any exercise program
or changing your physical activity patterns, you should
always consult with your physician.
AD
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