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Summary: Treading water is necessary skill for any swimmer. It's also great exercise for a water aerobics routine. Learn how to treat water in this free exercise video.
Shawna Zorka has been teaching water aerobics for 10 years. She is a YMCA and AFAA certified personal trainer. She was also a competitive swimmer in High School and coached youth age...read more
"Treading water can be done in any water where you can't touch. So whether it's six feet or twelve feet, treading water is a great, great upper and lower body workout. What you need to remember is, if you're not a confident swimmer, if you're not real comfortable being in deep water, always use a weight belt. There's nothing wrong with it. It will help you stay afloat,help you stay buoyant. When treading water, there are two variations of kicks you can do. The first one is the eggbeater kick, which requires you kicking your legs out to the side in a circular, eggbeater motion. Go either way, counter clockwise or clockwise. That's easier. A little bit harder is just the flutter kick. Toes pointed, legs slightly bent, kicking both feet right below you, as you do with a kickboard. Treading water is not only great survival technique in case you're ever lost in the open ocean, but it's also an amazing upper and lower body workout as well. Right now I'm doing the eggbeater kick, which means my right and my left legs are out to the side, kicking in an almost circular motion. My arms always move up about a couple of inches beneath the surface of the water. Just keep kicking. For an added challenge, you can point your toes and kick that way as well. If you really want to make it tough, use any of the kicks and bring your fingertips out. Makes you work a lot harder, and don't forget, if you're not comfortable in deep water, that's what float belts are for. Just put it on, clip it in, and treading water will still give you a great workout. "
eHow Article: Treading Water