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As much as I love crushing a great workout at home, sometimes I need to switch up my environment. Going from land-based to aqua-based training allows me to soak up valuable vitamin D, give my joints a break, and still build strength using resistance. While plenty of water aerobics and swim workouts will get your heart rate up, I use the swimming pool for another purpose: to sculpt a rock-solid midsection.
RELATED: 12 Low-Impact Pool Exercises
From unique water exercises that require no equipment to familiar movements adapted for the pool, you have plenty of options to challenge your core strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. As a certified personal trainer (CPT) with an affinity for the water, I put together a list of the best pool exercises for abs that includes step-by-step instructions so you know exactly what to do once you’re submerged.
If you’re used to relaxing in the shallow end, it’s time to dive into deeper waters and take your core workout routine to the next level.
8 Best Pool Exercises For Abs
- Treading water
- Flutter kicks
- Crunches (with pool noodle)
- Standing twist
- Pikes
- Dolphin kick
- High knee jog
- Pool plank (with noodle)
Treading Water
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors, deltoids, latissimus dorsi, trapezius, triceps
Benefits: Treading water is truly a full-body exercise that tests your cardiovascular and muscular endurance, core strength, and coordination. You engage your abdominal muscles to stabilize your body in the water and you continuously move your upper body and lower body to stay afloat.
How to do it:
- Stand in the deep end of the pool (or as deep as you can comfortably go) with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms out to your sides and begin making small, circular motions.
- Engage your core muscles and begin kicking so your feet aren’t touching the bottom of the pool.
- Continue treading water for the desired amount of time, making sure to maintain a consistent rhythm and breathing pattern.
Flutter Kicks
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, hip flexors
Benefits: A classic ab exercise that targets your lower abs, hip flexors, glutes, and quads, flutter kicks help build stability and strength in your midsection. The continuous kicking motion enhances your swimming technique while testing your cardiovascular fitness.
How to do it:
- Hold onto a kickboard or the edge of the pool with your arms fully extended.
- Extend your legs behind you, keeping them straight and close together.
- Begin kicking your legs up and down rapidly in a controlled motion.
- Continue for the desired length of time, focusing on keeping a neutral spine and engaging your core.
Crunches (with Pool Noodle)
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, hip flexors
Benefits: A beginner-friendly exercise that directly targets your abs, the water-based version uses a poodle noodle to prevent you from sinking. Emphasizing both the concentric and eccentric portions will allow you to maintain maximum time under tension.
How to do it:
- Place a pool noodle vertically underneath your back for support.
- Keep your arms by your sides and engage your core.
- Start with your legs fully extended and feet together, bringing your knees toward your chest.
- Squeeze your abs at the top of the movement, then extend your legs back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions or time.
Standing Twist
Muscles worked: Obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae
Benefits: This straightforward exercise effectively engages your obliques, which can help you achieve a slimmer-looking waistline and stronger lower back.
How to do it:
- Stand in chest-height water with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a water weight in each hand.
- Engage your core, then slowly twist your torso to the right.
- Squeeze your abdominal muscles, then turn to the left and repeat.
- Perform this continuous side-to-side movement for the desired amount of time or repetitions.
Pikes
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, hip flexors, deltoids
Benefits: Target your lower abs with an exercise that improves your overall core strength and stability. The buoyancy of the water may make it easier to lift your legs, but the resistance from the water still makes this movement challenging for your lower body and core.
How to do it:
- Float on your back with your arms extended out to your sides.
- Engage your core and lift both legs together toward the water’s surface to create a 90-degree angle.
- Hold the position for 1-2 seconds, then slowly lower your legs back down.
- Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.
Dolphin Kick
Muscles worked: Erector spinae, rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, glutes, hamstrings, quads, deltoids, rhomboids, trapezius
Benefits: This pool exercise for abs mimics a dolphin’s swimming motion, improving your flexibility and coordination while targeting your core, glutes, and lower-back muscles.
How to do it:
- Start in the shallow end of the pool, holding onto a kickboard with your arms fully extended and your face down toward the water.
- Keep your legs together and kick them up and down in a wave-like motion.
- Swim to the other side of the pool, then turn around and kick your way back to the shallow end.
- Repeat for the desired amount of time or repetitions.
High Knee Jog
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, calves, deltoids
Benefits: As much a cardio workout as an ab workout, this straightforward exercise will ramp up your heart rate and fire up your core muscles. Driving your knees as high as possible in deep water will quickly make you realize how much you miss running on land.
How to do it:
- Stand in the pool with your feet hip-width apart and the water at chest level.
- Quickly lift your right knee toward your chest as high as possible while keeping your left foot planted on the pool floor.
- Lower your right knee, then immediately lift your left knee toward your chest.
- Continue alternating sides, pumping your arms in sync with your legs to increase the intensity.
- Perform the exercise for the desired amount of time, aiming to maintain a consistent pace from start to finish.
RELATED: Jogging Vs Running
Pool Plank (with Noodle)
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, deltoids, rhomboids, trapezius, glutes
Benefits: With the help of a pool noodle, this modified plank utilizes the water’s buoyancy and resistance to target your core muscles. Although it isn’t as tough as the standard version on land, it still effectively engages your abdominal and lower-back muscles.
How to do it:
- Stand in the pool where the water is at chest level.
- Hold onto a pool noodle placed horizontally in front of you.
- Extend your legs behind you so that your body forms a straight line from head to toe.
- Tighten your abdominal muscles and maintain a neutral spine, holding the plank position for the desired amount of time.
RELATED: Plank Exercises
Sample Pool Ab Workout
There’s no reason to complicate things when it comes to core workouts. Focus on slow, controlled movements that engage your abdominal muscles and utilize the water’s resistance to your advantage.
Here’s a sample pool workout for abs that you can try if you need some aquatic inspiration. Perform each exercise for the recommended amount of sets before moving on to the next one. Keep rest time minimal—preferably 30 seconds or less between sets.
Exercise | Sets | Reps/Time | Rest |
---|---|---|---|
Tread water | 3 | 30 sec. | 30 sec. |
Crunches with Pool Noodle | 3 | 15-20 | 30 sec. |
Dolphin kick | 3 | 30 sec. | 30 sec. |
High knee jog | 3 | 30 sec. | 30 sec. |
Standing twist | 3 | 15-20 | 30 sec. |
Flutter kicks | 3 | 30 sec. | 30 sec. |
Pikes | 3 | 15-20 | 30 sec. |
Pool plank | 3 | 30 sec. | 30 sec. |
Tread water | 1 | 1 min. | N/A |
RELATED: Functional Core Exercises
Benefits of Pool Exercises for Abs
Why take your core workouts from the gym to the water? Let’s explore the benefits of pool exercises for abs so you can start planning your first aquatic training session.
Enhanced Resistance
While I’ll readily admit that some of the best ab exercises are better suited for land, others can be more challenging in the water. The added resistance from training in a pool forces your muscles to work harder—especially if you’re in the deep end. Even something as simple as a high knee jog is much more difficult in a pool than on land simply due to the enhanced resistance from water¹.
RELATED: What Is Resistance Training?
Low-Impact Workout
One of the biggest advantages of pool workouts is the toll—or lack thereof—they take on your joints. Less impact doesn’t necessarily mean less results, either. The low impact on your joints² may actually encourage you to train harder, as you don’t have to worry as much about the wear and tear on your hips, ankles, and knees.
RELATED: Best Low-Impact Exercises
Little Equipment Needed
Most ab workouts require little equipment. Pool-based ones fit that mold, as you can perform most exercises with just your body weight. This makes them accessible to beginners and more advanced athletes.
RELATED: Best Bodyweight Exercises
What Equipment Do You Need for Pool Exercises for Abs?
Luckily, you don’t need many tools to maximize the effectiveness of your water-based core workouts. While many pool exercises for abs require no equipment, here are a few items you may need to execute certain movements:
- Pool noodle: It may not look like much, but a pool noodle provides much-needed support for floating exercises like crunches and pool planks.
- Kickboard: You can use this flat, buoyant board to isolate your legs during exercises like flutter kicks. You can also use a kickboard for full-body workouts that involve submerging it under water for strength training exercises.
- Water shoes: Specialized water shoes help you maintain a firm grip on slippery surfaces and protect your feet from getting scraped from the bottom of the pool. They’re also useful for outdoor activities like kayaking, paddle boarding, tubing, and fishing.
- Foam water weights: Leave your best adjustable dumbbells in the garage and invest in pool-safe foam weights, which become more resistant when submerged.
- Foam aquatic cuffs: Worn around the wrists or ankles during water exercises, these cuffs are commonly used in rehabilitation and aquatic therapy settings. However, they’re also valuable for making exercises like treading water more challenging by adding resistance.
RELATED: Best Ankle Weights
Pool Exercises for Abs: Final Thoughts
Pool workouts provide a pathway for you to develop strength and endurance without putting so much strain on your joints. Plus, with many of us spending too much time indoors, I love that you can work on your fitness and soak up the sunlight.
Does that mean you can tread water or dolphin kick your way to a six-pack? Unfortunately, it’ll take more than tackling this list of pool exercises for abs to accomplish that goal. But, if you’re eating in a calorie deficit, balancing your cardio and strength training, and making the most of your water workouts, you certainly can construct a physique that’ll turn heads at the pool, beach, or anywhere in between.
Pool Exercises for Abs: FAQs
How can I work my abs in the pool?
You can work your abs in the pool by incorporating a mix of core exercises, such as flutter kicks, crunches, pool planks, and standing twists. Focus on controlled movements, aiming for 10 to 20 repetitions per set. I recommend completing a circuit with multiple movements and taking minimal rest between exercises.
What swimming exercise is best for abs?
In my opinion, as a CPT, the best swimming exercise for abs is the flutter kick, as it engages your lower abs, obliques, and hip flexors as you rapidly kick your legs. It’s effective for building a strong, stable core since you must maintain a neutral spine from start to finish.
Can you build core strength in the pool?
Yes, you can build core strength in the pool by consistently performing the exercises I outlined. Just like in the gym, you should follow progressive overload principles to prevent your body from getting used to the same stimulus.
References
- Torres-Ronda, L., & Del Alcázar, X. S. (2014). The Properties of Water and their Applications for Training. Journal of human kinetics, 44, 237–248. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2014-0129
- Kutzner, I., Richter, A., Gordt, K., Dymke, J., Damm, P., Duda, G. N., Günzl, R., & Bergmann, G. (2017). Does aquatic exercise reduce hip and knee joint loading? In vivo load measurements with instrumented implants. PloS one, 12(3), e0171972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171972
Further reading
As much as I love crushing a great workout at home, sometimes I need to switch up my environment. Going from land-based to aqua-based training allows me to soak up valuable vitamin D, give my joints a break, and still build strength using resistance. While plenty of water aerobics and swim workouts will get your heart rate up, I use the swimming pool for another purpose: to sculpt a rock-solid midsection. » Read more about: Pool Exercises For Abs: 8 Ways to Build a Killer Core in the Water » Read more
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