Transforming Treading Water into a Productive Exercise Routine
Treading water, a skill often associated with lifeguards and poolside fun, is more than just a way to stay afloat. It's a full-body exercise that engages arms, legs, and core, offering a unique workout with numerous benefits.
According to Brett, author of an article published on Art of Manliness, treading water is an effective full-body workout that can boost your physical fitness and potentially save someone's life.
The Basics of Treading Water
To tread water, you need to maintain an upright position and generate forward propulsion. This forces your stabilizers and coordination to work, making it a challenging yet rewarding exercise.
To increase the difficulty, you can hold a weight like a dumbbell or brick at chest or overhead level while treading water. This mimics classic lifeguard or military pool drills and further taxes your muscles.
Making Treading Water a Workout
Treading water can be tiring, so it's important to ease into the workout and build your capacity over time. Start by maintaining an upright position and focusing on strong, intentional movements instead of lazy flapping to conserve energy.
To make treading water more effective, structure your sessions like a gym workout with time-based intervals. This can help you push through discomfort and build mental toughness, a valuable asset both in and out of the pool.
Advanced Treading Water Techniques
As you become more comfortable with treading water, you can try more advanced techniques. For example, going hands-free by crossing arms over chest or raising them overhead while kicking increases the difficulty.
You can also perform water-based "strength" moves such as water pushdowns, flutter kick sprints, and bicycle kicks. These controlled movements target different muscle groups, providing a well-rounded workout.
Treading Water in the Deep End
Remember, treading only works when you're off the ground, so the deep end of the pool is recommended. This adds an extra challenge and helps you reap the full benefits of this full-body workout.
Treading water taxes both aerobic capacity and muscular endurance, making it a great workout for those looking to improve their fitness. Plus, it's easy on the joints, making it a good option for those dealing with injuries or in recovery.
A Sample Treading Water Workout
Here's a sample 20-minute treading water workout:
- Warm-up: Easy treading for 2 minutes
- Hard treading: Faster, more forceful movements for 1 minute
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Hands-free treading: Go hands-free by crossing arms over chest or raising them overhead while kicking for 1 minute
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Treading while holding weight: Hold a weight at chest level for 1 minute
- Rest: 30 seconds
- Intervals: Alternate between hard treading and hands-free treading for 3 sets of 1 minute each, with 30 seconds of rest between each set
- Pushdowns and flutter kicks: Perform 3 sets of 10 water pushdowns and 10 flutter kick sprints, with 30 seconds of rest between each set
- Distance tread: Tread as far as you can in 2 minutes
- Hands-free or overhead hold challenge: Go hands-free or hold a weight overhead for as long as possible
- Cool down: Easy treading for 2 minutes
Conclusion
Treading water is more than just a poolside skill. It's a full-body workout that engages arms, legs, and core, and it's easy on the joints. By structuring your treading water sessions like a gym workout and pushing through discomfort, you can build practical fitness that could potentially save someone's life. So, next time you're at the pool, give treading water a try and discover the hidden workout within.
