Pool Exercises: Standing Core Warmup

This list of standing core warmup exercises for swimming pools is the first in our series of swimming pool fun and activity. For more articles on this same topic, click here.
If you’ve already read other posts in this series, skip directly to the exercises!
For summer fun and dance practice at the same time, nothing beats ballet in the pool. The workout below is a great form of exercise which adds resistance to your movements and helps you train alignment and balance. Just make sure to use sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your eyes and skin! To continue your dance education, check out our 2019 – 2020 class schedule.
These exercises can be done both in and out of the water, and you can either do them on their own or use them as warm-ups for more underwater dance practice. They also serve as an effective full-body exercise set to warm up before a stretching session.
Standing Core Warmup Exercises:
Standing Twist
The first of our standing core warmup group is the standing twist. Start with your feet hip width apart, toes forward. Engage your core and relax your shoulders, with arms extended in front of you in first position.
With your feet planted and your hips facing forward, rotate your body slowly to one side. Keep your shoulders and arms relaxed as you rotate as far as you can. Don’t forget to breathe! Pause at the furthest extension.
Slowly rotate back to center. Re-engage your core and make sure your shoulders are relaxed, then reverse your rotation to the other side. Continue until you’ve done a total of ten reps for each side.
March With Twist
Start with your feet hip width apart, toes forward and knees slightly bent. Keep your core engaged and shoulders relaxed, with hands overhead.
Lift one knee high in front of you, and bring the opposite elbow across your body to touch knee to elbow. Try to lift the knee with your core, and activate the obliques to rotate your upper body like you did in the standing twist.
Return to your starting position. Take a moment to make sure your shoulders are relaxed and stacked over your hips, and your hips are stacked over your feet. After you’ve adjusted your posture, reverse the movement. Continue until you’ve done ten reps on each side.
Standing Side Crunch
Start with your feet a little wider than hip width apart, arms out to the side and elbows bent to make a goalpost shape.
Lift one knee to retiré, and keep upper arms perpendicular to your body as you bend your torso in a side crunch to bring the elbow to the knee. As you move, keep your shoulders down and relaxed and your core engaged.
Return to your starting position, and take a moment to re-establish your posture. Repeat this movement a total of ten times, then switch to the other side.
Underwater Skaters
Start with your feet together, knees slightly bent and torso bent forward. Keep the back flat and core engaged, with shoulders relaxed and arms held loosely at your sides.
Leap sideways, keeping your body low and your hips facing forward. Cross your free leg behind you and let it hover without tapping it on the ground. Allow your arms to swing in opposition to your movements to maintain your balance. Reverse to the other side, for a total of ten skaters per side.
Check out this video for a visual example of this exercise.
This standing core warmup is a great way to prepare your body for dance practice, both in the pool and on dry land. You can also do these exercises on their own for a gentle pool workout. If you want more standing core exercises, check out this post over at Greatist.
If you enjoy our posts and want more personalized dance training, check out our 2019 – 2020 class listings!