Improve Posture with Water Exercise: By Sharlie Peterson

Improve Posture with Water Exercise

By: Sharlie Peterson

The following exercises should be performed in shallow water that comes up to chest for best range of motion, unless otherwise noted.

1. High Knee Jogging: With back straight and shoulders back, bring knee up to the belly button and then come down flat on the foot. Pump arms up and down at the sides of the body to help with speed.  

2. Ab Wall Sit: Suspended in a seated position facing the wall, the legs should be straight out in front of the body with the feet flat against the pool wall. The back is straight and shoulders back as you use the arms to breaststroke in order to stay in place. The core is engaged and the palms are cupped to pull water away from the body. This move can be performed in shallow or deep water.

3. High Knee Kicks Forward: When kicking forward, the upper body should always be straight and never hunched over. Chest out and shoulders back. Point the toes upward when kicking and aim to get the foot either halfway out of the water or just below the surface to get the full impact of the leg’s stretch. Reach the opposite arm to the opposite foot either in a basic reach or in a punch.

4. Twists: With the legs and feet together and knees slightly bent, twist the lower body to one side as the upper body twists the opposite way. Keep arms up to chest height and strong, not flailing, and the abdominal muscles engaged. Land on the full foot.

5. Side Kicks: Standing firmly on the right leg, the left leg kicks out to the left side of the body from the knee. The foot itself is facing forward and not upward. As you kick out, the upper body leans slightly to the right for balance and extended flexibility. The right arm is held up guarding the face in “boxer’s pose,” and the other arm can punch to the left side as the left leg kick out.