Category: water fitness

Things to Do with Noodles

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I have visited many aquatic centers and all of them have noodles. Noodles are affordable and versatile – it is amazing how many things you can do with noodles! You can use them for upper body strength training, lower body strength training, core strength training and balance. And they are just plain fun to use! This article is not an exhaustive list of all the things you can do with noodles, but perhaps there are a few here that you may not be familiar with.

Hold the Noodle in Your Hands. When you hold the noodle in your hands, you want your hands to be shoulder distance apart. If the hands are too narrow, the shoulders are rounded. If the hands are too wide, the shoulder blades are out of neutral. In this position you can:

  • Push down in front for the shoulders
  • Row for the upper back
  • Do a triceps extension
  • Push forward for the chest and triceps
  • Push ups for the chest – in a lunge position, a plank position, or suspended
  • Yoga plank for core strength and stability
  • Plank scissors – lift one leg toward the surface of the water and lower
  • Fall forward, tuck and stand up for core strength and fall recovery
  • Burpees – from a plank position, hop into a squat, jump up, squat and hop back into a plank position. In deep water you would flutter kick with elevation instead of jumping up. Click Burpees for a video demonstration.

Hold the Noodle Like a Rainbow. In this position you can:

  • Push and pull the ends with cross-country ski, for the chest, triceps and upper back
  • Touch the ends together with jumping jacks for the chest
  • Hold the ends together and press the noodle under water for the lats and shoulders

Hold the Noodle with One Hand. In this position you can:

  • Swing the arm with cross-country ski for the shoulders
  • Lat pull down with jumping jacks for the lats
  • Plunge down at the side for triceps
  • Yoga side plank for core strength and stability
  • Side Plank Pliers – lift the top leg toward the surface of the water and lower
  • Side fall, tuck and stand up for core strength and fall recovery. Practice turning to fall forward since falling sideways on land can lead to hip fractures while falling forward and landing on forearms is safer.

Wrap the Noodle around Your Waist. In this position you can:

  • Perform a rotator cuff sweep

Wrap the Noodle around Your Back. This is a stable position for suspended moves. You want to position the noodle mid-torso, just below the shoulder blades. The noodle can cause shoulder impingement if it is right under the arms and potentially damage the nerves in the armpits. Place your hands on the ends of the noodle to keep it below the shoulder blades. In this position you can do:

  • Suspended kicks for the quads and hamstrings
  • Suspended jacks for the inner and outer thigh
  • Bicycle for multiple leg muscles
  • Waist twist for the obliques
  • Pilates Single Leg Stretch for the core – Bend one knee and lift the opposite leg (see photo above)
  • Flex one foot and lower it towards the floor, point the toes and lift it back toward the surface for core strength
  • Stretch the arms out to the sides and go into a side-lying position. In this position you can do side-lying cross-country ski, side-lying bicycle, side-lying bicycle in a circle, and side-lying bicycle reverse pedal in a circle.

Sit on a Noodle Like a Swing. In this position you can perform many of the same moves as with the noodle around your back, but it is more of a challenge to balance. In addition to kicks, jacks and bicycle, here are some other things to try:

  • Mermaid – unison kick, like pumping your legs in a swing
  • Bicycle with one leg
  • Kick one leg across and sweep it out to the side
  • Extend the legs and point and flex the feet
  • Hip hike for the obliques
  • Brace the core with arms down at the sides and make turbulent hand movements

Sit on the Noodle Like a Bicycle. Be sure to sit in the center of the noodle, If you sit too far back, the noodle will be in your face and you may tip backwards. If you sit too far forward, you may tip forward. Sitting on the noodle like a bicycle you can:

  • Bicycle travel forward
  • Reverse bicycle travel backward
  • Seated breaststroke and reverse breaststroke – arms and legs perform the same move
  • Pelvic floor exercise – lift your pelvic floor off the noodle for 10 seconds
  • Cross your ankles in front and row
  • Rowing crew – partners position themselves one behind the other; the one in back puts the back end of her partner’s noodle between her knees; both partners row. This can be done with 3 or 4 people.
  • Centipede – partners position themselves one behind the other; the one in back holds the end of her partner’s noodle with both hands; both partners bicycle. This can be done with 3 or more people.

Stand with One Foot on the Noodle. In this position you can:

  • Standing leg press for the quads and glutes
  • Hip extension for the glutes – Don’t lift the foot too high or the noodle will slip off the foot.
  • Balance with one foot lifted in front or extended to the back
  • Cross-country ski or jumping jacks with one foot on the noodle for a balance challenge.

Stand with Both Feet on the Noodle. In this position you can:

  • Use the noodle as a stair climber – alternate lifting one foot at a time
  • Squat for hamstrings
  • Reverse squat – from a squat position lift the feet to take the noodle off the floor and press it back down
  • Surf – lift the feet to take the noodle off the floor and balance; add a breaststroke or a reverse breaststroke for even more of a challenge.

Partner Moves. Rowing crew and centipede are partner moves. Here are some other partner activities you can do just for fun:

  • Partner cross-country ski – each partner holds one end of both noodles; push and pull the noodles while skiing. It takes coordination.
  • Partner jumping jacks – each partner holds one end of both noodles and sweeps the ends out and in. This is another move for coordination.
  • Rickshaw – partners line up one behind the other with the noodles under their arms. The partner in front runs and the partner in back tucks her feet in a seated position to enjoy the ride (see the photo to the right)
  • Partner bicycle – partners line up one behind the other. The partner in front wraps the noodle around her chest with the ends behind her; she becomes the handlebars. The partner in back sits on her noodle like a bicycle and holds the ends of her partners noodle. The partner in front runs and the one in back bicycles. In deep water, both partners bicycle.

Noodle Assisted Stretches.

  • Hamstring stretch – the noodle is under the thigh
  • Inner thigh stretch – Yoga Tree Pose with the noodle under the thigh
  • Chest stretch – straddle the noodle, grab the back end of the noodle with both hands and push it under water
  • Triceps stretch – straddle the noodle with the back end high, grasp that end with one hand keeping the elbow up
  • Oblique stretch – lateral flexion holding the noodle overhead like a rainbow

You may know other things to do with noodles. Put your ideas in the comment box below. I’d love to hear them!

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo

Chris Alexander

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#PoolNoodles / water fitness

How Hard Are You Working?

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It’s a brand new year and many of us made a resolution to exercise more. We all know that exercise has many benefits for our hearts and lungs. Did you know that it also reduces your risk of dementia later in life? The best exercise is one that you will actually do, so pick something that you enjoy. For me, that is water exercise, hands down!

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days a week, or 20-30 minutes of vigorous exercise three days a week. So it is important to know how hard you are working. That’s not so easy in the pool. Immersion in water relaxes your blood vessels so that stroke volume increases, that is, your heart pumps more blood to the working muscles with each beat than it would on land. Hydrostatic pressure compresses all body systems, including the blood vessels, which means the heart doesn’t have to work as hard to return blood from the limbs back to the heart. Therefore your heart uses fewer beats per minute while exercising in water (called your aquatic deduction) than the equivalent intensity on land. You can measure your heart rate on land and in water and use formulas to determine your target heart rate. All that is too much trouble for most people, including me. Instead, many of us wear fitness watches. These do not take your aquatic deduction into account to accurately tell you how hard you are working, but they can tell you whether your heart rate is increasing or decreasing. I use my fitness watch to give me a general idea and then combine that with a rating of perceived exertion.

The Rating of Perceived Exertion is a method of assessing effort, strain, discomfort, or fatigue experienced during exercise. Research has shown that although this method is subjective, it is fairly accurate. The Aquatic Exercise Intensity Scale was developed to take into consideration the unique aspects of training in water. it uses a scale of 1-10 to help assess intensity levels.

  1. No effort at all (lying down).
  2. Extremely little. Your heart rate is near resting.
  3. Very easy. You are comfortable but breathing a bit harder.
  4. Easy. You are working a little bit, and you could do this all day without any problems.
  5. Somewhat easy. You are working a little harder, but you can still talk easily and sing.
  6. Moderate. Your breathing has increased at a noticeable level. You can still talk, but not sing.
  7. Somewhat hard. You now have to breathe through your mouth. You can still talk, but you don’t really want to.
  8. Hard. Your heart is pounding. You can grunt in response to questions, but you can only keep this pace a short time.
  9. Very hard. Your breathing is rapid and so is your heart rate. You can’t do this much longer.
  10. Maximum effort. All you can think about is how much you would like to stop because you can’t go any further.

If you are wanting to do 30-60 minutes of moderate intensity exercise five days a week, you would work at level 6 to 7. To work at level 6, use long levers at full range of motion. To work at level 7, increase the speed of your movements without decreasing the range of motion. If you are wanting to do 20-30 minutes of vigorous exercise three days a week, you would work at level 7 to 8. To work at level 8, add acceleration and power to your movements.

If you are just starting out. It is common to go all out in your enthusiasm to begin a fitness routine. But if you have not exercised for a long time, you can easily overdo it, and suffer from muscle soreness, fatigue or even sustain an injury. It is better to focus on form (maintaining good alignment) and performing the exercises correctly at first. Work at a somewhat easy level. After you have gotten comfortable with that, then start to increase your intensity gradually. Your goal is to make your exercise routine a life long commitment.

For more information on measuring intensity, see Lori Sherlock’s video on Wavemakers. If you want to dive deeper into the subject, see page 11 in the new AEA Aquatic Fitness Professional Manual. For lesson plans that progress from Moderate to Somewhat Hard to Hard or Very Hard, see my book Water Fitness Progressions.

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo

Chris Alexander

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New Year's Resolutions / water fitness

Everyday Alchemy: Turning Tiny Habits into Lasting Well-Being

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Guest Blogger Kimberly N. Bryant, Depressed.biz

If you’re like most people, you don’t wake up thinking, Today, I’m going to overhaul my life. You just want to feel a little better — to move through your day with more energy, more joy, and maybe a little less mindless scrolling. The truth is, well-being isn’t a grand, impossible summit to climb. It’s the collection of small choices you make over and over. When you know where to lean in, you create a life that feels a lot better without blowing up the one you already have.

Start with Morning Rituals That Belong to You

Your day starts before your feet even hit the floor. How you wake up — not just when, but how — shapes your mental landscape. If you’re reaching for your phone while half-asleep, you’re borrowing someone else’s chaos before you’ve even made your own coffee. Instead, create a morning ritual that’s yours. A few deep breaths, a journal scribble, or even five minutes of stretching can act like a seal around your peace before the world barges in.

Reinvent Your Path with Purpose

Sometimes well-being demands a bigger move — like stepping away from a career that leaves you feeling hollow. If you’re dreaming about making a change, the good news is that online degree programs make it easier than ever to earn your degree while still working full-time or caring for family. Choosing to pursue a path in healthcare can be especially meaningful, allowing you to make a lasting impact on the health of individuals and families. You can explore a range of online healthcare degree opportunities that fit your schedule and your desire to build a life that matters.

Build “Micro-Movements” into Your Routine

You don’t have to spend an hour at the gym to say you’ve moved today. Some of the healthiest, happiest people treat movement like seasoning: they sprinkle it all over their lives. A few squats while waiting for your coffee, a short walk during your lunch break, even a quick dance while brushing your teeth — these tiny bursts of movement tell your body it’s alive and celebrated. Momentum builds through micro-movements, not marathon sessions.

Understand the Power of Intentional Eating

Eating well isn’t about discipline; it’s about design. When you stock your kitchen with foods you love and that love you back, you’re choosing nourishment over negotiation. Start thinking about meals as tiny self-care packages rather than battles to be won. A handful of blueberries, a slice of good bread with real butter, a crisp apple — those small, joyful choices add up faster than you think, and they keep your energy clean and steady throughout the day.

Find Your Own Water

One of the most overlooked yet powerful ways to rejuvenate your mind and body is simple: get in the water. Water fitness isn’t just for competitive swimmers or senior center classes — it’s an energizing, full-body reset that anyone can embrace. If you’re curious but a little unsure where to start, check out the Plano Parks and Recreation online catalogue and put Water Aerobics in the search bar. Chris Alexander’s shallow water aerobics class is at 6:30 PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Oak Point Recreation Center. Her deep water classes are at 8:00 AM and 9:00 AM at Oak Point. The next 4-week session begins May 5. You can register now or up to 2 weeks into the session. Late registrations are pro-rated. Registrations for the summer sessions begin May 3 for Plano residents and May 5 for non-residents. Summer classes begin June 2. Chris’s 8:00 deep water class moves to 7:45 AM in June and July. There are lots of other options offered by the Plano Parks and Recreation Department. Check out Aqua Spin, Aqua Yoga, Board Water Fitness or River Aerobics. You can also buy a membership and visit Oak Point Recreation Center or the Plano Aquatic Center during open swim hours. Floating, stretching, even just walking through water can turn a heavy day into something weightless.

Curate a “Feel-Good” Library

Your brain needs fuel just like your body does, but it doesn’t always get a say in what you shove into it. One way to quietly improve your mood and outlook is to curate a library of books, music, podcasts, or even Instagram accounts that genuinely lift you up. Instead of defaulting to whatever algorithm is shouting loudest, build your own private stash of inspiration. Five minutes with a poem you love can heal a part of you that no productivity hack ever could.

Create Spaces That Breathe with You

You don’t need to live inside an Architectural Digest spread to feel good at home. What matters most is that your space supports your energy rather than sapping it. Clear a small area that feels like a refuge — a corner for reading, a nook for yoga, even just a chair by a window. Give yourself somewhere you can land without judgment. When your physical spaces feel nurturing, it ripples into every other part of your well-being.

Commit to “Off” Moments Without Guilt

You’re not a machine, and you don’t need to justify resting. One of the most radical acts of well-being you can offer yourself is the ability to stop — on purpose, without apology. This isn’t laziness; it’s maintenance. Even two minutes of real, conscious stopping — no phone, no TV, just you breathing and being — can change your internal weather forecast from stormy to clear. Give yourself permission to live like someone who matters, because you do.


At the end of the day, well-being isn’t a product you can order or a lifestyle you have to post about. It’s the texture of your ordinary days. It’s your coffee in a favorite mug, your ten-minute walk that nobody sees, your decision to drink water because you love how it tastes, not because someone told you to. You don’t have to become a brand-new person overnight. You just have to love yourself enough to believe small moves matter. Because they do. Every time.

Thanks, Kimberly! Check out my article on her blog site, Depression and Water Exercise.

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

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Health information / water fitness

What Muscles Need Strengthening?

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muscles of the upper body posterior - ModernHeal.com

The quick answer to the question is: strengthen the muscles that are used the least. Most of those muscles are on the back (posterior) side of our body because the movements we make are usually in front (anterior) where we can see what we are doing. The muscles of our joints are primarily organized in pairs. One muscle bends (flexes) the joint, its pair straightens (extends) the joint. The muscle in front usually does the flexion. The muscle in back usually does the extension. The exception is the knee joint, where the muscle in back does the flexion and the muscle in front does the extension. When one of the muscles contracts, its muscle pair is stretched. You can easily see that if we are contracting the muscles in front more often, then they become stronger than the muscles in back that get stretched more often. The main muscle pairs are:

  • Anterior deltoid and posterior deltoid – front and back of the shoulder joint
  • Biceps and triceps – front and back of the elbow joint
  • Rectus abdominis (abs) and erector spinae – front and back of the lumbar spine (the erector spinae is not labeled in the picture above because it is underneath the other muscles of the back)
  • Iliopsoas (hip flexors) and gluteus maximus – front and back of the hip joint (the iliopsoas is not labeled in the picture because it is a deep muscle on the front of the hip)
  • Hip adductors (inner thigh) and abductors (outer thigh) – inside and outside of the hip joint (the adductors are not labeled)
  • Quadriceps and hamstrings – front and back of the hip joint and the knee joint
  • Tibialis anterior (shin) and gastrocnemius (calf) – front and back of the ankle joint

In a water fitness class we can exercise the posterior deltoid by doing a breaststroke or an arm swing with emphasis on swinging to the back. We can exercise the triceps by pressing the water down toward the floor. We can exercise the erector spinae by traveling backward. We can exercise the gluteus maximus with a skate kick (a straight leg kick to the back) and with cross-country ski emphasizing the backward motion. We can exercise the abductors with wide leg jog, kicks side to side and jumping jacks, emphasizing the motion out to the side. We can exercise the hamstrings with heel jog (hamstring curls) and skateboard. The tibialis anterior is weaker than the gastrocnemius; we exercise the shins in the pool when we do knee lifts or jog with the feet flexed because we are lifting water with the top of the foot every time we lift the knee.

Another muscle group that needs strengthening is the trapezius, rhomboids and latissimus dorsi (lats). The rhomboids are not shown because they are in the center of the upper back beneath the trapezius. These muscles are important for posture. As we age, we tend to get rounded shoulders and our head falls forward. We can avoid some of this by keeping those postural muscles strong. Exercise the trapezius and rhomboids with a shoulder blade squeeze, upright row and crawl stroke. Exercise the latissimus dorsi with a lat pull-down (jumping jacks arms) emphasizing the downward motion and by touching the palms (or finger tips) behind the back.

Although it is typical to exercise all the muscles in an aquatic strength training class, it is a good idea to sometimes focus more on the muscles that need strengthening. Afterwards you may want to stretch the stronger muscles which tend to be tighter since they don’t get stretched as much, particularly the hip flexors, inner thigh, quadriceps and calf muscles.

It is very difficult to find a good clip art picture that clearly shows all the muscles. If you are interested in learning more about the muscles, go to pages 25-36 in the AEA Aquatic Fitness Professional Manual, or find a good anatomy book. There is more information about aquatic strength training, including lesson plans, in my book Water Fitness Progressions.

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

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Strength training / water fitness

Celebrate the Holidays with Your Class

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Santa Claus wish card at the pool | Etsy

As the holiday season approaches, it is time to plan for a little holiday fun with your water fitness class. Start by breaking out the holiday music. If you don’t have a holiday playlist, you can download one from any of the fitness music companies. Yes Fitness Music, Power Music, and Muscle Mix Music all sell holiday mixes. (On the Muscle Mix Music website type “Holiday” next to the magnifying glass.) If the playlist you like is not the right beats per minute for your class, then download the Tempo Magic app from the app store. It adjusts the tempo of your playlist without making it sound too draggy or too fast.

You might want to give your class participants a holiday treat at the end of the last class for the year. Some easy gift ideas are candy canes, a Clementine orange, or a Christmas ornament. Pretzel Hugs are an easy treat to make. Or mix up a batch of White Christmas Mix and give everyone a small baggie full.

WHITE CHRISTMAS MIX

  • 1 10 oz. package mini pretzels
  • 2 cups salted peanuts
  • 5 cups Cheerios cereal
  • 5 cups Chex cereal
  • 1 lb. red & green M&Ms
  • 1 (12 oz.) package white chocolate chips
  • 3 teaspoons oil

Mix the first 5 ingredients. Melt chips and oil in the microwave. Pour over the mixture. Spread on wax paper. Makes about 24 cups.

Plan to have a fun class activity, like a Holiday Obstacle Course. Set up stations like a circuit around the pool in advance. Then divide your class into two groups. Group one will be helpers while the second group runs through the obstacle course. After the second group completes the course, they become the helpers while the first group runs through.

Station One
Station Two
Station Three
Station Four

Station One. Cross-country ski to the North Pole using Aqualogix Bells. If you do not have drag bells, you can use foam dumbbells or paddles.

Station Two. Make snow angels by performing jumping jacks with foam dumbbells.

Station Three. Decorate the tree. Cut some pieces of an old noodle that has a hole in the middle. Slice the pieces lengthwise just to the hole. Attach the pieces to a hula hoop so that it will float, as in the photo. If you don’t have a hula hoop, you can rubber band the ends of three noodles together to make a triangle. A helper has pool toys or balls in a bucket, and the participant stands some distance away and tries to toss the toys into the hoop.

Station Four. Stir the cookie dough. Hold a paddle in the freehold position and perform a stirring motion. If you do not have paddles, then you can paddlewheel like an electric mixer with foam dumbbells instead.

Station Five. Test the bicycles in the toy shop. Straddle a noodle and bicycle some distance away and back.

Station Six. Load Santa’s sleigh. Have two or three helpers stand in a line each holding a ball. The participant tosses a ball back and forth a few times with each helper.

Station Seven. Pull Santa’s sleigh. A helper plays Santa by holding the ends of two noodles under his/her arms. The participant stands with his/her back to Santa and pulls the sleigh to deliver the toys to the finish line.

Station Five
Station Six
Station Seven

This activity is sure to bring your participants lots of laughs and leave everyone in a holiday spirit. Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

See you in the pool!

Author/Instructor Photo
Chris Alexander

holiday ideas / water fitness