Monday 22 October 2012

Water Exercises to Improve Soccer

Running is one of the most popular cardiovascular activities and in soccer,it meant everything. But has a high number of injuries due to stress on the joints, many runners who experience injuries from running find it hard to take time off to heal, and find that water exercises as great alternatives. 
For staying in cardiovascular activities, even during players are injured, exercises in water helps to keep their stamina and also helps to heal their muscle injuries. Soccer demands more and more fitness, that's why water exercises are a great to fulfill the demands of strength and endurance required in soccer.

Some of the common exercises use to adapted during rest or rehabilitation period of player from injuries are.

1. Water Walking
It may seem simple, but just walking through water can be an effective resistance and toning exercise, since your muscles have to work harder to move through the water than on land. Use a part of the pool where the water is about waist high, and use long, exaggerated movements to walk to the other side of the pool. The water will likely cause you to want to walk on your tiptoes, but focus on keeping your feet flat to the ground as you walk. Move your hands front to back as you walk. Walk four widths of the pool and take a break.


Advanced Water Walking
For greater workout intensity, move your water walking to the deep end of the pool. Place a water noodle between your legs for flotation, and if you aren't comfortable swimming in the deep end, wear a float vest or float belt too. Cup your hands, or wear hand webs, to increase resistance as you swing your arms through the water. For the most intense workout, jog at a rhythmic pace.

2. Treading Water


It will help keep you afloat, but treading water can also give you a cardio and resistance workout. Find a deep section of the pool where your feet cannot touch the bottom, and let your body go under the water until just your head and neck are above the water level. Make small circles with your hands to help keep your head above water. Point one leg straight down toward the floor of the pool with the toes pointed downward as well. Bring the other leg up so it is perpendicular to the floor of the pool and hold for five seconds. Quickly switch legs and hold for another five seconds. Repeat these actions for 30 seconds.

3. Otter Roll



Using a standard size beach or exercise ball, hold it tightly in your arms, and float on your back in the water with your legs crossed over one another. Take a deep breath and tighten your abs. Use them to roll your body over so you are face down in the water, then use your abs again to roll over onto your back again. Exhale and take another deep breath and repeat this motion for 30 seconds, focusing on using your abs, not your arms or legs, to turn your body over in the water.

4. Aqua Jogging
It allows you to gain a cardiovascular benefit and stimulate your metabolism without doing a weight-bearing exercise. That means you minimize strain on ligaments and joints and have a low risk for injury as you burn calories. Because of its low impact, it's also good way to regain strength after an injury. If you are a trained athlete, aqua running can help you build strength and stamina because water provides resistance as you run. You can utilize many water jogging techniques to accomplish your goals.



Basic Aqua Jogging
When you perform basic aqua jogging, use the same running movements that you would on dry land. If you are new to the exercise, start out with a walking pace before you try to jog. Walking pace entails about 25 to 30 paces per minute. Make sure you keep your elbows at a 90-degree angle.

5. Striding
Use striding for a more vigorous workout. Widen your strides as much as possible as you jog. This requires much more effort than walking, so is not suitable for long periods of stamina training. However, you can do intervals of walking and striding to ramp up conditioning and fat burn.



Speed
Focus on speed rather than long strides if you are looking to gain speed and strength. Athletes are advised to try for 76 to 80 cycles per minute, meaning you take that many steps per minute with each leg. Overall you'll be taking or 152 to 160 steps. This will help you gain stamina for land running as well. On land, an athlete's recommended cadence is 88 to 90 cycles per minute.

6. High Knees



Knee-lifting exercises are an advanced exercise that will help you gain strength. Drive your leading knee up as high as you can when you step. The movement feels similar to climbing a stair. This is followed with a noticeable stretch of your legs to the rear. You'll feel water resistance on the sole of your foot as well as on your knee. Using a slight forward lean is recommended with this exercise.

7. Water Squats


Squats on dry land work your quadriceps, hamstring and buttock muscles and water squats do the same, but without as much stress on your body. Stand in shallow water with your hands by your sides. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles and lower yourself into a squatting position. You will feel as though you are preparing to sit down. Once you have lowered yourself into position, carefully stand back up, keeping your back straight.

8. Flutter Kick



The flutter kick works your abdominal, arm and leg muscles. Begin by facing the pool wall in chest-deep water. Hold onto the edge of the pool deck with both hands and lift your legs until your body is parallel to the pool floor. Push your body away from the side so that your arms are fully extended, but your elbows are not locked. Tighten your core muscles and kick your legs. Keep your legs straight and kick quickly with intensity. Kick 50 times, rest and repeat.

Some other common exercises which can also be done in water are.

A. Twist with Knee
Stand in chest deep water, and put the noodle behind your back, draping your arms along the noodle. Lift your right knee towards your left shoulder, contracting your abdominal muscles as you lift. Lower you right leg and repeat with your left leg. Do 20 twists. Perform a variation on this exercise by lifting your legs straight out while twisting your waist.

B. Leg Extensions
To do leg extensions in the pool, toning your quads, tie a water noodle around your left foot. Lean forward and hold on to the edge of the pool. Shift both legs back, left knee bent at a 90-degree angle, until your left foot nearly breaks the surface of the water. Straighten your left knee against the noodle's resistance, then bend your left knee to 90 degrees again. Repeat, completing a full set on your left leg before switching the noodle to your right foot.
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1 comment:

  1. When it comes to exercising in water, I recommend Aqua Zumba classes. They are a good cardio type workout, and the resistance of the water helps with strength training.

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