6 Water Workouts to Try This Summer

    

 Summer is the perfect season to embrace the outdoors and stay active. It’s also an ideal time to dive into pools, rivers, oceans, ponds, or any other available body of water.

Swimming and paddling are not only refreshing but also provide excellent low-impact fitness opportunities. The buoyancy of water reduces the impact of gravity, while its resistance helps you work out hard without putting stress on your bones and joints.

This summer, why not try some water-based activities? Here are a few of our favorite water workouts from recent years.

1. Turn lap swimming into a workout.

While it's great to get into the water and swim until you're tired, there are significant benefits to enhancing your routine if you have regular access to a lap pool. Consider stepping up your swimming game for even greater rewards.

2. Paddle a kayak.

Kayaking offers an excellent core and upper body workout while allowing you to explore hidden natural wonders that are often inaccessible by foot.

To kayak effectively without overworking your arms, you need to engage your legs and core with each paddle stroke. It requires practice, and dedicated kayakers spend years perfecting their technique. In this article, we provide you with the essential basics to get started.

3. Try a pool exercise routine.

Not everyone enjoys swimming laps—some find it boring, others too tiring, and some simply struggle to stay afloat. If that sounds like you, or if you're looking for a great low-impact workout, consider pool exercises. These routines range from gentle exercises for older adults and those recovering from injuries to intense workouts that can challenge even the fittest athletes.

In this article, we provide resources for finding classes and share a workout you can try during your next visit to the pool.

4. Stand up on a paddleboard.

Stand-up paddling (or SUPing) has surged in popularity over the past couple of decades. What started as a novel use for old surfboards has evolved into a sport of its own. Paddleboarding offers a unique perspective above the water’s surface, allowing you to explore lakes and rivers while enjoying a fantastic workout. Unlike kayaking, where you remain seated, SUPing requires constant engagement of your legs for balance and maneuvering.

It takes some practice to master the technique, so be prepared to take a few falls into the water. This guide will help you get started with stand-up paddling.

5. Get outside and swim.

For experienced swimmers seeking variety or those who dislike the taste of chlorine, open water swimming is a great option. Whether you choose a lake, a gentle river, or the ocean, swimming in natural bodies of water provides a range of new experiences and challenges.

In this article, we offer tips to help you venture beyond the confines of buoyed lanes and enjoy the freedom of open water swimming.

6. Go surfing — in town.

Living in a big city doesn’t mean you can’t spend a summer day catching waves. While famous surf spots are often found in places like Maui or Southern California, many urban areas, including New York and Boston, also offer great opportunities to learn the sport. The waves in these areas are typically small and forgiving, and some spots are even accessible by public transit.

Exercising in Nature Reduces Depression, Improves Health

 Getting active in places like parks and beaches could stop about 13,000 diseases a year in England, saving over £100 million in healthcare. This research shows how being in nature can slash the risk of stuff like heart problems, diabetes, and cancer.

By crunching big data and using solid science, this study argues for keeping natural spots open and nice for everyone's health. It shouts out how we've been sleeping on the power of outdoor fun to keep diseases at bay and pushes for more cash to keep our green spaces thriving.

Quick Facts:

Disease Buster: Being active outdoors could stop 12,763 diseases a year in England.

Cash Saver: This means we could save about £108.7 million in healthcare each year, just by hitting the great outdoors.

Global Health Tip: The World Health Organization says we should get 150 to 300 minutes of moderate exercise each week, but lots of folks aren't hitting that mark. This study says we need more ways to get moving, like hanging out in nature.

Research from the University of Exeter reveals that engaging in physical activity in natural settings prevents nearly 13,000 cases of non-communicable diseases annually in England, and it saves over £100 million in treatment costs.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that non-communicable diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease, are responsible for 74 percent of global deaths. These diseases, also called chronic diseases, are not transmitted from person to person, and their death toll is on the rise in most nations.

Not getting enough physical activity is linked to various non-communicable diseases, such as heart problems, diabetes, cancer, and mental health issues.

In the WHO's Global Status Report on Physical Activity 2022, it's projected that if physical activity levels stay the same, there will be 500 million new cases of these diseases worldwide between 2020 and 2030, costing over £21 billion annually for treatment.

Natural settings, like beaches, countryside, and city parks, encourage people to be active, as highlighted in a recent study from the University of Exeter. Using data from a survey of the English population, researchers estimated how many cases of six non-communicable diseases could be prevented through outdoor physical activity.

Dr. James Grellier from the University of Exeter Medical School, discussing the study published in Environment International, stated, "We believe this is the first time an assessment like this has been done nationally, and we've likely underestimated the true value of outdoor physical activity in preventing diseases. While we focused on six common diseases, there are others that can also be prevented, including less common cancers and mental health conditions. It's worth noting that our estimates reflect yearly costs. Since chronic diseases can last for years, the overall impact of physical activity in preventing each case is likely much higher."

Boosting physical activity levels among the population is a key goal for global public health organizations. According to the WHO, adults aged 18 to 64 should aim for 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week (or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity) to stay healthy. However, nearly 28 percent of adults worldwide fall short of these recommendations.

In England, a study by researchers from Exeter found that in 2019, 22 million adults aged 16 and above visited natural spaces at least once a week. Based on the physical activity reported during these visits, it's estimated that this prevented around 12,763 cases of non-communicable diseases, saving approximately £108.7 million in healthcare costs annually.

Data from the Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment survey were used to gauge the weekly amount of nature-based recreational physical activity among adults in England in 2019.

“We believe that our study should motivate decision-makers seeking to increase physical activity in the local population to invest in natural spaces, such as parks, to make it easier for people to be physically active.”

The researchers employed epidemiological dose–response data to determine the number of incident cases prevented for six non-communicable diseases through physical activity in natural environments. They then calculated associated savings using healthcare, informal care, and productivity loss costs. Notably, the healthcare cost of physical inactivity in England in 2019 is estimated to be around £1 billion.

Dr. James Grellier from the University of Exeter Medical School emphasized the accessibility and informality of nature-based physical activity, stating, “For those who may not have access, desire, or confidence for organized sports or fitness activities, engaging in physical activity in natural settings is a more widely available option. Our study should encourage decision-makers to invest in natural spaces like parks to facilitate physical activity among the local population.”