The water provides an effective environment for toning your arms -- it offers its own resistance, and you can add to the resistance by using water dumbbells or other equipment. A simple change in hand position, and you change the amount of resistance your upper body encounters. Perform upper-body strengthening exercises in water that comes up to your shoulders.


Stand with your feet flat on the floor at hip-distance apart, or with your feet in a staggered position with one foot in front of the other. Straighten your arms along the sides of your body so your hands are near your hips with your palms facing up. Exhale and bend your arms as you bring your hands in front of your chest. Inhale and return to the starting position. This exercise strengthens your biceps and triceps, on the front and back of your upper arms. To get even more of a workout, you can also do this exercise holding a water dumbbell or paddle in each hand.


Stand tall with your belly button pulled toward your spine and your feet flat on the pool bottom. Straighten your arms out to your sides at shoulder height with your palms facing toward the floor. Your body should resemble the shape of the letter "T." Exhale and lower your straight arms to your sides. Inhale and slowly return your arms to the starting position. You can also do this exercise while holding onto water dumbbells or paddles to create more resistance while you strengthen your shoulders.


Stand with your feet hip-distance apart or in a staggered stance with one foot in front of the other. Hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle and place your elbows next to your sides. Face your palms toward the floor. Exhale and straighten your arms as you press down on the dumbbell and bring your hands toward your legs. Inhale and slowly return to a 90-degree bent-arm position. You can also do this exercise without additional resistance. Open your fingers to create less resistance or close your fingers to create more.

Upper Body

Another way to strengthen your upper body in the pool is to use the side of the pool and the weight of your body as resistance. Move to the deep end of the pool and hold onto the side, gutter or bar of the pool. Face the side and bend your knees to lift your feet behind you. Walk hand over hand as you move sideways and pull yourself along. Perform an equal number of walks in each direction. While you are in this position, you can also perform pullups to strengthen your arms. Bend your elbows and pull yourself up. Straighten your arms and lower yourself, but not underwater.

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