Exercise seems like more fun in the water, and doctors say it is highly beneficial. Mayo Clinic says that aquatic exercise can have many health benefits, such as improved heart health and reduced stress, along improved muscular endurance and strength. Exercising in the water can also be a great way to add physical activity in a way that is safe and low impact.
Water aerobics has been popular with seniors for years, and now water yoga is attracting followers as a gentle yet effective way to exercise.
Shanna Benson, who has been teaching water fitness classes for more than 20 years, explains how water yoga differs from water aerobics.
“The speed of the movement is an obvious factor. Water aerobics is meant to challenge your cardiovascular system, whereas a water yoga class has an emphasis on mind to biomechanical connection, postural awareness, mobility, balance and breath,” she says.
Cleveland Clinic explains the basic difference between the two practices. Yoga therapy is a mind-body practice that focuses on your physical, emotional and mental health, using movement, mindfulness, meditation, relaxation and breathing exercises to help you relax, relieve stress, and manage underlying conditions.
Aerobic exercise is a physical activity that uses your body’s large muscle groups, is rhythmic and repetitive, increasing your heart rate and the amount of oxygen your body uses.
Benson says that because of the gentle nature of its movements, water yoga is easily adapted and beneficial to most levels of fitness.
“Healthy water temperature is one of the differences between the two forms of exercise. Hypothermia can set in at any temperature below body temperature since water conducts heat away from the body about 25 times faster than the air,” explains Benson.
“Since most commercial pools are maintained at around 84 degrees, the class format needs to be adjusted accordingly, which is why I generally give people a fast-paced warm-up and mix the yoga or flow portion with a Pilates or aerobics-style workout to keep them warm.”
Not a swimmer? That’s not a cause for concern. WebMD says you don’t need to know how to swim to enjoy water yoga (or aerobics). You’re not actually swimming, and most classes are in the shallow end of the pool.
Adds Benson, “If you are in water armpit level or below, you do not need to know how to swim but you should feel comfortable in the water so that you can benefit from this type of class.
Knowing how to swim enhances a person’s comfort level and enjoyment of the class, however.
“Always check with your doctor before beginning any new exercise program,” cautions Benson. “Some medications may affect your workout in the water. Of course, for the sake of others, you should not have any open wounds or be incontinent if you’re in the pool.”
Although many of the exercises are based on yoga poses, some of them – like those that would require putting your head under water – don’t make a good transition from traditional yoga to water yoga.
Benson explains, “Most of the work I do is postural realignment, balance, and joint mobility. It is important that the instructor demonstrates on the pool deck to be able to see the participants and make sure their form is correct.
“Preparing for – and cooling down from – water yoga plays a big part in its effectiveness.
“As I mentioned previously, a lot depends on the water temperature,” explains Benson.
“If it happens to be cooler, a rigorous warm-up may be necessary for at least seven minutes to get the core temperature up and make the participant comfortable enough for muscles to relax during some of the poses.
“I find it very effective to weave in some muscular work to bring focus to the muscles being targeted for each exercise. I generally pick up the pace a bit the last 10 minutes of class before a final couple minutes of a guided journey.
“For example, a brief isolation exercise I like to do at the end of every class is to have the participants pretend to fold themselves into a tight cannonball, tensing every muscle as they breath in and exhale for about three breaths and on the last exhalation feel themselves relax and melt into the water.”
Experience is important for any instructor, says Benson. “Don’t be afraid to ask an instructor how long they been teaching a certain format and to what audience. Most importantly, do they practice in the pool themselves?
“They should have certification that reflects water safety and sound biomechanical knowledge in the discipline presented such as yoga, Pilates and/or personal training certifications, as well as being certified in CPR.”
Shanna Benson is certified as an Advanced Physical Fitness Specialist by the Kenneth Cooper Institute of Aerobic Research and has been teaching various aqua classes for over 20 years. She is the Group Training Manager/Director at Vero Fitness, which is located at 1060 6th Ave.. The phone number is 772-567-1400.
