Almost everyone hates getting into a cold pool. Instead of standing on your tippy toes and huddling your arms around you (like I do), it is best to just rip off the Band-Aid, sink your shoulders and start moving. The Cold Water Warm-Up features 10-minutes of big moves that can be used as an extended warm-up or for other water fitness activity.
Water temperature is an important consideration for pool workouts. Exercising in water that is too cold is not only uncomfortable, it can pose the risk of injury due to muscles and tendons that are not sufficiently warmed up. The Aquatic Exercise Association (AEA) recommends a water temperature of 83 -86 degrees Fahrenheit (28.3 -30 degrees Celsius). For arthritis or select mind & body formats, such as yoga, a temperature of 86 -90 degrees Fahrenheit might be preferred. In most cases, regular exercise is not advised in water below 78 degrees or above 90 degrees.
Sometimes you don’t have a lot of choice in picking your perfect water temperature. However, it is advised that you make adjustments to your workout if temperatures are above or below what is recommended. If the water temperate is below 83 degrees, consider doing a longer warm-up with more vigorous moves, such as the one depicted in the Cold Water Warm-up. Also, make sure the main exercise activity is more vigorous in nature. Yoga would be a poor choice for a chilly pool. In a chilly pool, you should also consider doing active stretching rather than static stretching at the end of the workout. Utilize the video, Flexibility in Motion, which features a 20-minute active stretching routine.
Despite the fact that this video is labeled as a warm-up, that is not the only use. This short routine can be kept in your downloads when you want an extra 10 minutes of high energy cardio combined with a 50-minute workout in order to get in an hour of exercise. Stay tuned! Big changes are coming to the Poolfit website and the Workouts section of the app. In addition to an all new look, there will also be enhanced search options by duration, intensity, instructor and more.