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Water can be a great addition to any workout. It decreases impact, making it great for those with joint problems. It provides resistance, making it a refreshing change to your regular jogging routine. With indoor pools at many health centers, it can now be done any time of the year. Not to mention that it is just plain fun! While you can limit your workout to just water aerobics or swimming, there are also some tools that can make your workout even better.

The most important thing for the pool is also the most obvious – your swimsuit. Save your string bikinis for sun bathing on the beach. For working out in the pool, you want a suit that fits comfortably without the fear of anything falling out in the middle of you routine. You should be able to move comfortably. If you do not have the perfect swimsuit body, do not let that discourage you from doing a pool workout. Remember, part of your goal is to get that swimsuit body, and others in your class may be striving for similar goals. You should be able to find a suit that is flattering as well as functional. Consider a tankini or swimsuit with attached skirt to hide problem areas.

You may want to consider getting a buoyancy belt for doing your exercises in the pool. Buoyancy belts fit like a weight lifting belt and help you to maintain an upright position in the pool. Usually made of heavy-duty foam, they come in a variety of sizes to help you find your perfect fit.

The biggest thing you are working with in the pool is resistance. There are several products out there that can help you increase resistance and improve your workout.

Starting with your feet, you may want to get to consider something to increase drag. You can get “shoes” to wear on your feet or ankle cuffs. Increasing you drag increases the difficulty of the exercise, which will cause you to burn more calories or help you with plateaus in your workout program. Wearing resistance “shoes” in the pool also makes it possible to do inner/outer thigh, knee flexion/extension, and hip flexion/extension exercises. Made of heavy foam, both “shoes” and cuffs are generally one size fits all.

For workouts of your upper body, you can use cuffs on your arms to increase resistance. Or consider getting foam dumbbells to use during your workouts. The dumbbells come in different shapes and sizes to give varying amounts of intensity to your workout. A variation of dumbbells is a water paddle – these vary the resistance depending on how you hold them in the water. Or you can get webbed water gloves that increase the amount of resistance as you move through the water.

If you need some stabilization while in the water, consider getting a bar. Looking a lot like a bar used for bench pressing but made of foam; these can be used as a flotation device for young children, a stabilizer device for adults learning to work out in the water, or use it to increase resistance during your exercises. The larger the foam rounds on the end the more resistance in the water.

If you have a small pool or limited space to do your workout, you can consider a hitch. The hitch attaches to the back of a buoyancy belt and to the side of the pool. It is elastic, so you get your resistance keeping the line taught. It works great for when you have to remain in one place during your workout – almost like having a treadmill in the pool.

If you have increased your workout capacity beyond the resistance that foam dumbbells and cuffs can provide, you can consider adding weight to your workout. Waterproof wrist, ankle, and back weights are available to add some more punch back into your workout.

No matter what equipment you decide to get, always consider your safety first. Follow all precautions of starting an exercise routine, and always do so under the supervision of a doctor. If you feel tired or experience pain, weakness or dizziness get out of the pool and seek medical attention. Using common sense can make your pool work out safe and effective.