Pool Exercises: Supported Core Warmup
This list of supported core warmup exercises for swimming pools is the second 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.
Supported Core Warmup Exercises:
Flutter Kick
Our first supported core warmup exercise is the simple and functional flutter kick! Face the side of the pool and rest both hands on the edge. Allow your body to float in the water with your legs extended behind you. Maintain gentle pressure on your hands as you kick your legs behind you in an alternating scissor motion.
Adjust the tempo of your kick to maintain a slightly elevated heart beat. Continue until you feel suitably warm, about 15-30 seconds.
Knee Tucks
Place your back against the side of the pool. Lay your arms out along the edge to hold your head and shoulders out of the water. You can start with your feet on the floor of the pool or legs extended long beneath you in the water.
Keeping your shoulders relaxed, your neck long and your legs together, bend your knees and lift them straight up to your chest. Maintain a slow, controlled release back to your starting position. Repeat 10-15 times.
Try to keep your lower back flush against the wall of the pool both throughout this exercise. This can help you lift your legs with your abdominal muscles instead of your hip flexors.
Transverse Knee Tucks
Start with your back against the side of the pool and lay your arms out along the sides. Swivel your hips to the right and simultaneously lift your knees up to the right side of your body. Maintain a slow, controlled release back to your starting position, then reverse the move to the other side.
As before, keep your shoulders relaxed and extend your neck long from your shoulders as you lift. Make sure your entire back is in contact with the wall before you reverse the movement. Repeat 5-10 times on each side.
Windshield Wipers
Place your back against the side of the pool and lay your arms out along the edge to hold your head and shoulders out of the water. You can start with your feet on the floor or legs extended long beneath you in the water.
Squeeze your legs together and keep them straight. Use your stomach muscles to lift your legs upward toward the right side of your body. Use your feet to draw a large arc as high as you can from your right shoulder to your left. Continue the arc all the way down until your legs are straight underneath you. Then reverse the motion to send your legs all the way back like a windshield wiper.
Repeat this exercise until you’ve made 5-10 circles on each side. Check out the “hanging windshield” section of this blog post for a visual example of how to do this exercise.
Beats
Facing the side of the pool, hold on to the edge and let your legs dangle in the water. Keep your legs straight, feet flexed and toes pointed outward. Bring your feet out to each side in a wide second position.
Close your legs sharply inward toward the center line of your body. Keep your hips square with the wall and cross the right leg in front of the left. Then without pausing open your legs slightly and re-cross them with the left foot in front. Finally, open your legs again to the starting position. To reverse, repeat this cross-cross-open pattern, this time crossing the left leg in front first. Check out this video for an example of this exercise.
For best results, cross the legs just enough that the heel of the front foot touches the toe of the back foot (fifth position). Try to keep your hips still and shoulders relaxed throughout the exercise.
That’s all for our supported core warmup in the pool – if you missed it, check out our standing core warmup for the pool.
If you enjoy our posts and want more personalized dance training, check out our 2019 – 2020 class listings!