Change up your workout with these pool exercises for weight loss

Ryan Newhouse - health writer, MyNetDiary

If you are looking for ways to burn calories and beat the heat, we’ve got you covered with these pool exercises for weight loss.

3 benefits of adding pool exercises for weight loss to your workout routine

Pool workouts aren't just for rehab after injuries or for the Silver Sneakers Club. Anyone can get an excellent fat-burning, cardio workout in just 30 minutes in the pool. Here are three benefits of water workouts to consider.

1. Burn more calories than walking

Did you know you burn three times the calories during water workouts than walking? Simply treading water in a pool burns 11 calories per minute; that's the same as running six miles per hour! The key is in resistance. Water provides continuous resistance, engaging more muscles through a more extensive range of motion. Results include total toning and increased cardio benefits over traditional workouts.

2. Accessible to all fitness levels

Water workouts accommodate people of all abilities. Whether you are just getting started in an exercise routine or breaking through endurance plateaus, it's easy to tailor a water workout to any fitness level.

3. Less stress on the body

Pool exercises help build strength without pressure on joints and muscles. Work out in the water safely to treat or prevent injury.

Our favorite pool exercises for weight loss

Tread water in the deep end - Treading water burns calories, but treading hard in intervals burns even more. In deep water, tread as hard as possible for 30 seconds and then float on your back for 30 seconds. Do 30 sets of hard treading and burn nearly 300 calories. Click here for the basics of treading water. After you feel comfortable treading water, take it up a notch and work out in deep water.

Deck dips - Standing in chest-deep water at the side of the pool, place palms flat on the pool deck and lift your body up, so your arms are straight. Now lower and repeat, adding another lift. Pause and repeat until you finish with ten straight lifts. Click here for a video on deck dips.

Aqua kickboarding circuit - This two-minute video highlights several different pool exercises for weight loss. You’ll need waist-deep water and a kickboard. Repeat the video twice.

Water taxi - Here’s another exercise that utilizes a kickboard for resistance. Sit on a kickboard with arms at your side and feet dangling, flex and extend alternating legs while moving arms front to back. Use this motion to propel yourself around the pool in one-minute intervals, resting for 30 seconds between sets. Repeat three times. Here’s a demonstration of the water taxi exercise.

Laps - Yes, swimming in a pool is still a great cardio workout. A 150-pound woman burns, on average, 270 calories per hour swimming laps at a moderate pace. Consider adding laps as a warm-up or cool-down for extra calorie burn.

It doesn't matter your age or ability, pool exercises rev up your heart and offer weight-loss benefits while you get the immediate result of cooling off!

Note: Always use extreme caution when exercising in water. It's always best to have a workout partner in the water with you.