Cappy's Water Exercises

for people who don't do aerobics

BEFORE YOU START:

1) Please print the exercises out and discuss each one with your doctor or health care provider.

2) Find a supervised swimming pool with a clearly defined shallow end. Waist deep water is ideal.

3) Ask the pool supervisor if it is possible to use the following equipment in the pool:

Water Ski vest

Clean tennis shoes

Clean plastic jugs of various sizes

Kick boards

Pool Noodles

4) Visit the pool at the time(s) you will use it - Check on crowds and supervision - will you be comfortable?

ARE YOU READY? LETS GO!!

WARM UPS: Done in waist-deep water

1) Walk forward and backward across pool. Make sure that your total foot touches the bottom. Run, skip, hop and even gallop, but land on your toes first.

2) Pretend you are a ballet dancer. Stand away from the wall with your heels together and toes sticking out to make a V with your feet. Rise up on your toes, then stand flat, then squat down - keep your heels on the bottom and your bottom under you. Repeat, but have your legs apart. Repeat again with one leg in front of the other.

3) Extend your arms over head and stretch. Keeping your feet flat on the bottom, lean to one side and feel the stretch on the other side, then lean to the other side..

4) Stand with your legs about 3 feet apart. Keeping your heels on the bottom and your back straight with your buttocks tucked in bend your knees. Shift your body from side to side. Feel the stretch? If not, you are leaning forward and not staying in the sitting down position.

SHOULDER AND ARM EXERCISES: Done in waist- deep water

1) Extend your arms out in front of you, keeping them under water. Put the back of your hands together, and slowly move your arms around behind you. Turn your thumbs up, and bring your arms back to the starting position.

2) Extend one arm in front of you, palm down, and keep the other arm down by your side, palm facing front. Slowly, keeping your arms straight, exchange their positions. Repeat, but always remember that the pressure of the water should be on your palms. (You have to keep turning your hands over)

3) In water not quite shoulder deep, hold onto a water jug with each hand. Extend your arms out to the side at the surface. Keeping your arms straight, push the jugs under water and hold them there for a slow count of 5. Then let the jugs come to the surface slowly. If this is, or seems, impossible, or if it hurts, put some water in the jugs or use smaller plastic bottles.

WAIST, ABDOMINAL, AND HIP EXERCISES : Can be done in waist-deep, chest deep or deep water

Please remember to be aware of avoiding any strain on your back. At the first sign of discomfort stop.

1) Pendulum:

a) Stand with your back to the wall. Hang on with arms extended to side

b) Keep legs straight, heels, buttocks, and shoulders touching the wall.

c) Swing both legs to right side as far as possible (they won't go far) then down, then to the left side, then down

2) Scissors

a) Hold on to the side of the pool so that you are on your side

b) Keep your legs straight and parallel to the surface

c) Move legs in opposite directions (towards the shallow and deep end)

3) Paper Cutter

a) Hold onto the side of the pool so that you are on your side

b) Keeping your legs straight, raise your top leg out of the water then lower it

c) Repeat on the other side

4) Roll-Ups

a) Hold onto the wall with both hands

b) Extend your legs out behind you as close to the surface as possible

c) Slowly bend your knees and bring them up to your chest

d) Return to the starting position

THIGHS, CALVES AND FEET : Done in shallow water

1) Feet: No pool shoes

a) Sit on the steps, or on the pool deck with your feet over the edge

b) Rotate your ankles, one at a time, first to the right then to the left

c) Wiggle your toes and try to spread them apart without using your hands

d) Flex your feet, then point your toes ( your feet point to the ceiling then towards the water )

2) Ankles and Achilles tendon: ( Back of leg just above the heel)

a) Stand facing the wall with arms straight and palms against the wall. Keep your back straight and heels on pool bottom. Bend your elbows and bring your chest towards the wall. ( it's like doing push-ups against the wall) Feel the pull in the back of your legs?

b) Stand on the bottom step facing the deck as if you were leaving the pool. Hold onto the rail and let your heel hang off the step. Gently bounce up and down on the balls of your feet and feel the pull along the back of your legs.

3) Thighs

a) Remember the "House Painter" (warm-ups)? Add a 4th step. Keep low, with knees bent, but raise your heels up off the bottom.

b) Put a cloth strap through the handles of 2 water jugs and tie the ends. Fill the jugs about 1/4 full and secure the tops. Stand with your side to the wall and put your foot that is the farthest from the wall into the loop that is made by the strap holding the jugs together. Since the jugs want to float, hold onto the side for support and step down onto the strap bringing the jugs under water. Let them come up slowly keeping your leg in the same position as if you were climbing stairs. Do this several times then turn around and use the other leg. ( If you can't get the jugs under water try putting more water in them or use only one jug.)

c) Put strap through handle of one jug . Stand with your side near wall and put the strap on your ankle away from the wall. Keeping your leg straight let the jug lift your leg up to the surface then push it back under the water.

FUN IN THE DEEP WATER

Before you start, get used to the life vest and play around in the shallow water. Try to sit on the bottom and discover different ways you can kick your feet and or move your hands so that you can get back to the side of the pool. One of the hardest things to do wearing a life vest is to stand up after you have been on your back. If you have trouble standing lie still for a minute then try sitting up. Don't try to put your feet down they will reach the bottom without your help.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

1) When bending your knees, always bend them in the direction your toes are pointing. If your knees don't go out over your toes you will feel pressure on either side of your knees and will do possible damage.

2) For each of your extremities (arms and legs) there are two sets of muscles - one that bends the other extends. Exercise them both.

3) Everyone has a "good side" and a "bad side", exercise them both

4) Move slowly and smoothly, and try to stay relaxed. If you feel as if you are falling, stop moving and stand up. Stay still for a second, and then resume exercising.

5) Start slowly, get a bit faster, and then ease off with slow stretching motions.

6) HAVE FUN! Remember, you burn more calories if you smile

PLEASE REMEMBER TO CHECK WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER BEFORE YOU START ANY KIND OF EXERCISE PROGRAM