Be good to your legs. You are going to need them for a long time. Water Exercises for Hip & Knees with Irene Pluim Mentz is a 38-minute video that targets the lower body with the 4 S’s – strength, stability, stamina and stretching.
The structure of this water exercise routine is like her video, Water Exercises for Lower Back. Exercises are taught to stabilize the targeted muscle group and then strengthen them and stretch them. The cardio pace of the workout provides the endurance training for stamina.
Equipment Used
The equipment used is the Aqua-Ohm and a pool noodle. Instead of the Aqua-Ohm, you can go without equipment or substitute the HydroRevolution lower body ankle fins. The Aqua-Ohm is Irene’s own invention and can be purchased on the Aqua-Ohm website. The cost is $34.95, but you can take 10% off with the following code: FM10PF.
Pool Workout-at-a-Glance
This 38-minute pool workout includes a hip & knee warm-up, four exercise segments and a cool down. Three of the exercise segments are performed using the Aqua-Ohm, however the use of equipment can be skipped, or the HydroRevolution ankle fins can be substituted. The other exercise segment includes the use of noodles, as does the stretching segment. Watch the video below and then read more information provided by Irene regarding the workout.
Water Exercise for Hips & Knees Explained
By Irene Pluim-Mentz
As you may know from my other videos, I like to work on stability and stamina, as well as strength and stretching. I refer to this as the 4 S’s. So much of what we do in our daily lives is repetitive. We seldom take the time to train endurance for the activities that we need to perform. This can cause instability, which in turn can lead to pain and impairment of function. By performing similar movements grouped together, those which require the same muscles to be active, but in slightly different planes or lengths and positions, you can address that stamina and joint stability.
This video is not intended to treat actual ailments. Instead, it is designed to give you some safe options to improve your strength and mobility, as well as your stamina and joint stability. I usually do programs like this in one-one training where I can gauge fatigue better and adjust accordingly. When you are doing these exercises, if you feel discomfort other than a muscle fatigue or burn, please reassess your abilities before continuing.
Just a note on one of the exercises. As I watched this video, I realized that the video does not show the required hip extension in the leg swing. It looks like I stop short of getting into actual extension. However, that was not the case. When you perform the leg swings, you will feel those hip extensors (glutes) working and even start to burn a little.
Some tips for alignment. As you can see me do throughout the workout, I physically check my pelvis bones to ensure alignment. You want to keep your pelvis level in the horizontal plane as well as the vertical plane by engaging your abdominal muscles, quadratus lumborum and hip abductors. Try not to use your gluteal muscles as that will lock your hips into extension, making it almost impossible to swing your legs appropriately, possibly causing hyperextension of your low back.
Also, for your knee alignment, your kneecap should be facing forward, except in the crazy jog exercise in the warmup. The knees should be in line with your hip joint and toes, your heel should be vertically, in the sagittal plane, in line with your knee. When using both legs at the same time, be aware of that and prevent your knees from falling inwards and touching each other. There should be about a fist width between them.
I'm aware this is a lot to be mindful of, but that's why this is a gentle flow. Enjoy!
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Poolfit extends a big thanks to Irene for providing her wealth of knowledge to subscribers. As a reminder, she did include a video tutorial in her first Poolfit video, the Aqua-Ohm Workout. This tutorial video below provides education on how to properly use the Aqua-Ohm Drag Resistance.