By Bri Groves, Swimming World Intern.

Snow days are sometimes a welcome break from spending hours inside a heated pool. Unfortunately, these disruptions in training can also be a hindrance to staying in shape. To make the most of your snow day and limit the damage to your training regime, we’ve come up with six at-home dryland exercises perfect for the antsy swimmer.

1. V-Ups

To perform an abdominal V-Up, find a soft surface or a gym mat. Lie down on your back and extend your arms behind your head. Your palms should face the ceiling and the back of your hands should touch the floor. Keeping your feet together and your toes pointed toward the ceiling, lift your straight legs while simultaneously raising your upper body off of the floor. Squeeze your abs as you reach for your toes. Slowly lower yourself to reassume the starting position. To increase the intensity, slow down the motion. This counts as one rep. Advanced drylanders: Try not to let your feet or the back of your hands touch the floor in-between reps. To complete a set, perform 10-20 reps.

Other Variations: Oblique V-Ups

Lie on your side with your legs angled about 30 degrees from your hips. Put your bottom arm on the floor and the opposite hand behind your head. In this position, lift your straight legs off the floor while also bringing your torso up towards your legs. Slowly go back to the start position. That’s one rep. Do 20 reps on each side.

2. Squats

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, head facing forward, and your chest extended. Choose where to place your arms. You may extend your hands in front of you to keep your balance or you can also bend the elbows or clasp your fingers together. Pretend you’re sitting down onto a chair while aiming your glutes down and back. Allow your upper body to bend forward slightly while keeping your head neutral. Avoid arching your back as you descend. Continue descending until your thighs are parallel to the floor with your knees over your ankles and your weight pressing onto your heels. Return with control to the starting position. That is one rep. Try starting with sets of 10 squats and add more reps and sets as you get better at the motion.

Other Variations: Streamline Squat Jumps

Complete the above squat but instead of rising to the start position, explode upwards in a streamline jump. Remember to squeeze your core and land with slightly bent knees.

3. Sliders

Grab two towels or washcloths and find a slippery or hardwood floor in you house. Place each towel underneath one of your feet; these will allow you to slide. Assume a pushup position. Squeeze your abs and glutes as you slide your feet towards your hands. Lift your hips and allow your body to naturally pike. At the top, you should be bent down as if to touch your toes but make an upside-down V instead. From this formation, slide your feet back out to the starting location. That is one rep. Complete 10-20 reps per set.

Other Variations: Mountain Climbers

Begin in the same starting position. Keeping both feet on the sliders, slide one knee towards your arms and then return to the start. Complete the same motion on the other side. That is one rep, complete 20 reps per set.

4. Pushups

Assume the high plank or pushup position. Begin to bend your elbows and clench your abs while lowering your body in one line towards the floor. Allow your elbows to bend out to the side (for a regular pushup) or behind you (for a military pushup). Lower yourself down until your chest is about an inch above the ground and then slowly push yourself up to the high plank position. That is one rep. Complete 5-10 decent reps. Avoid doing too many in a row because this is when form tends to deteriorate and you risk shoulder irritation.

Other Variations: Spider-Man Pushups

Complete the normal pushup progression while simultaneously holding one leg away from your body in a right angle. Your foot should face the side (horizontal) rather than the ground.

5. Calf Raises

Stand on the edge of a step on platform raised slightly above the ground. The balls of your feet should be firmly planted and your heels should hang off the edge. Raise your heels a couple of inches so that you’re on your tiptoes. Pause and then lower so that your heels dip below the step edge. Resume the starting position. That is one rep. Complete 10-20 reps per set.

Other variations: Inward and Outward Rotated Calf Raises

Try the same exercise with your feet turned out or turned in to engage a wide array of muscles.

6. Russian Twists

Sit on the ground with your butt on the floor, your back flat and your legs raised in about 6 inches from your chest. Begin twisting your trunk as you bring your bent arms from one side to the other. Lightly tap the floor or come close to touching your hands to the floor before twisting in the other direction. Twist in the opposite direction while squeezing your core. Keep your head neutral and straight throughout the exercise. Complete 10-20 reps per set. To increase difficulty, try holding a small weight or evenly distributed object.

Other Variations: Straight Leg Russian Twist

Complete the exercise with your legs raised several inches and pointed straight out in front of you.

All swimming and dryland training and instruction should be performed under the supervision of a qualified coach or instructor, and in circumstances that ensure the safety of participants.