Aquasize To A Flatter Stomach!

Swimming is great exercise however and whenever you do it. But as well as using the water for fun and relaxation you can use your time in the pool to help you in that search for a flatter stomach. 

More so than air, water provides great natural resistance. Moving through it takes effort and can exercise your muscles more fully but more safely than many other types of exercise. It offers a low-impact way of exercising making it better for your joints and the exercise of choice for many age groups.

Try this exercise the next time you are in the pool and see what we mean. Remember to

consult a medical professional before starting any new exercise routine, and make sure that you do warm up properly.

The Dig and Jump

This involves two movements, one targeted at your lower body and the other at the upper.

Begin by standing in water of a depth above your navel and your chest. Then place your feet at least shoulder width apart and jump so that your knees come to the pool's surface then force them back down again and repeat the moves (picture a frog jumping while you are doing it and you'll get the idea). This is great for exercising the lower body and this includes the abdominal muscles.

The second part is to work the upper body. To start make a separate scoop with each hand.

Place your hands low in the water then bring them to the surface and out to one side. Start by doing one hand first for three minutes then the other. Work alternate sides to maintain a

balanced workout. Once you are comfortable with it do both hands at the same time to exercise the entire stomach region at once.

Set realistic targets as you work towards your health and fitness goals. Don't over exert yourself leading to injury. Start slow, know your limitations and build on them incrementally. As you increase endurance and strength you can vary the speed and length of the workout, and even add water gloves to increase resistance. It is important however not to compromise on the style of movement in order to increase reps or speed. It's better to do something well rather than quickly.

A few additional tips for exercising your midriff

• First, a balanced diet is essential to any fitness regime. It's no use working hard only to undo all of the great work with a poor diet.

• Secondly, stay hydrated not only when exercising but in your general daily life. A good rule of thumb is to take your body weight in pounds, divide it by 2 and aim to drink that number of Ounces of water per day. This will maintain a healthy balance.

• Third, get enough rest. Get plenty of sleep but also the right kind of sleep. Sleeping on your stomach for example may make it difficult to do certain types of stomach exercise. Try to sleep in a number of positions.

Also, it may sound strange to say so but take adequate rest from

exercise. Be sure to schedule in rest days to any training schedule. Your body needs to

recover so your muscles can rebuild.

By following this you will already be on the way to a toned, flat stomach.