Aqua Jog Your Way to Fit This Summer

Are you ready to get out of the hot, steamy gym and enjoy some fresh air? This summer, grab a friend, turn up the tunes, and incorporate aqua jogging or treading water into your workout routine.

Exercising in the pool can burn 235-590 calories per hour depending on your intensity. That is a great burn! According to the Arthritis Foundation, “water provides 12 times the resistance of air, so you can strengthen and tone your muscles while jogging in the water. Aquatic jogging is especially beneficial for those who have joint pain, who are recovering from an injury or who are pregnant.”

You can tread water or choose to wear an aqua jogging belt. The set usually comes with a belt to keep you afloat, and arm and foot weights. Take these suggestions from livestrong.com and “jog one of two ways: pushing through the water just as you would as if jogging on land, or swinging your arms and legs pendulum-style with your arms and legs extended straight in the water. Just as you run on land, move your arms and legs in concert, moving them at a speed similar in speed to the speed you would use on land.”

When I exercise in the pool, it hardly feels like a chore. I love being outside, and can even do it while I watch my kids swim, making it a family activity. Sometimes I ask friends to join me, thus turning my workout into a social time as well. Trust me, when you are talking the time flies!

Most neighborhoods have pools that you can join for the summer for a nominal fee. Gyms may also have pools, and I bet if a friend does, they will LOVE the idea of you coming over to exercise with them.

I look forward to the weather turning warmer every year so that I can begin treading water and incorporating a seasonal workout into my routine. Just don’t forget that you need to apply sunscreen and/or wear a sunhat while you aqua jog outside. If you enjoy it, continue throughout the year at an indoor pool. 

You can even workout with music from your iPhone with this LifeProof iPhone 4/4S Case.  Turn on the tunes during your workouts.  Click here for motivational workout music!

You will need proper equipment. These are cool Speedo Women’s Surfwalker Pro Water Shoes and an effective Speedo Aqua Fitness Jog Belt. Watch this quick “how to” video on aqua jogging.

[yframe url='http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N86Y6iuF0rk']

The Aqua Jogger Active is an awesome way to achieve a total body workout using light resistance. Written by Ali Katz of Daughter-In-Law Diaries, a site that focuses on the daughter-in-law/mother-in-law relationship. Ask advice anonymously from certified therapists, find menus to impress the in-laws, fun topics to talk about, or vent safely and anonymously!