When the mercury rises, the scorching heat and humidity can make it easy to skip an outdoor workout in favor of staying inside in the a/c.  But an easy way to enjoy the summer weather and blast calories could be right in your backyard. Pool workouts offer a cool alternative to the gym on those hot summer days and tighten and tone more muscle groups because of water resistance, leaving you bikini-ready. With little equipment needed for this calorie-torcher, just add water, and swim your way to a better body and a healthier you.

To start, swim to the deep end of the pool where your feet do not touch the bottom. Tread water by moving your legs in an “egg scrambler” motion with one leg moving in a clockwise motion and the other counterclockwise. At the same time, cup your hands and make small circles to keep yourself afloat. Tread water for 30 seconds to one minute, depending on your level of skill, and do this 5 times. Next we will modify this tread by doing scissor kicks. Continuing to use your cupped hands as paddles, point your toes and lift your right leg in front of you at hip-level and point your left leg straight down. Hold for three counts, then switch legs. Focus on maintain “ballerina” form, the tighter your glutes and quads, the tighter the results. Repeat 10 times. You can crank up the intensity on this simple workout by switching legs at a fast pace for 30 second intervals.

Taking a page out of your swim lesson book, this next exercise will get your heart rate up and your muscles burning. Swim up to the side of the pool with your back against the side and both arms spread out in a T, grip the sides of the pool and kick with as much intensity as you can for 30 second intervals. This exercise targets all of the muscles in your lower body, including hard-to-target places such as your outer glutes. Squeeze your glutes together as you kick to maintain good form. Break to catch your breath between sets for 30 seconds to one minute.

Lastly, swim over to the shallow end, or to a depth where your belly button is above the water level. Starting at one end of the pool, “run” through the water to the opposite end of the pool, being sure to use your arms and powerhouse to help propel you through the water. After 5 laps, rest, and repeat this sequence 3 times. To take this exercise up a notch, try adding high knee kicks. With each step bring your knee to your chest, and then switch legs and repeat. This not only works your quads and glutes, but the crunch helps tone your abs at the same time.

The entire workout should take you about 25 minutes, and when you’re done, cool down with a few easy laps to relax your muscles. This workout will give you the results you want, without even breaking a sweat!

Kelly Gustafson is studying journalism and Spanish at the University of Illinois and can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .