Fitness Trend: Water Workouts

Water provides great resistance for a workout, and the newest fitness trends involving water are increasing that resistance even more through spin bikes, kettle bells, and stand-up paddle (SUP) boards. You can even add hand paddles to your workout to increase the resistance of your reps.

Water is a great training tool, and studies show that exercisers who trained in water improved their ab strength more than those who used resistance up on land (European Journal of Applied Physiology). One of my favorite water exercises is stand-up paddle boarding. The newest SUP trend involves resistance bands tethering together boards in a pool, while users do planks and squats, shifting their weight to work out those rarely-used muscles.

For those who hate cycling because of the stress on their joints, why not try it underwater? Aqua cycling is a submerged version of a spin class, where bikes are in waist-high water. You can get all that cardio without the soreness later, and you get a natural massage from the water while you pedal.

There are even new devices to track your water workout, such as the Misfit Shine 2 Swimmer's Edition tracker band. It can monitor your laps, distance, and time in the pool. And it's important to have the right shoes to keep your feet in the aqua bikes, such as BodyGlove's Dynamo Rapid water shoes. Search for water-based classes near you, and let me know in the comments if you like these kinds of workouts.