If you’re looking for an easier way to get fit and toned before summer comes out then you should head for your local pool for some aqua yoga.
In the meantime, here are four moves you incorporate into your swim session to see if the new fitness trend is for you.
1 Water walking
This helps hone your posture as it works your core muscles. It’s a great way to begin your session to warm up. Find a section in the pool where the water comes roughly to your waist and simply begin walking around in a small circle or even on the spot. Move with purpose, pumping your arms, engaging your core and lifting your legs as high as possible for maximum effect. Do this for as long as you feel comfortable – five minutes is usually long enough.
2 Wall cobra
In traditional yoga this position is usually done lying on the floor but it’s just as easy to achieve at the side of the pool. It’s great for strengthening your core and stretching your abdomen. Stand in chest-deep water roughly one foot from the edge of the pool. Lean forward until your belly button touches the wall. Arch your back and lift your arms above your head. Hold the pose for around 10 seconds and repeat three or four times.
3 Chair pose
This tones your legs, particularly your thighs, strengthens your hip flexors and stretches your chest and shoulders. It also stimulates your heart, diaphragm and abdominal organs. Stand in waist-deep water with your feet hip-width apart. Bring your hands to your chest in the prayer position, bend your knees and lower your upper body until your thighs are parallel to the bottom of the pool as if going to sit in an imaginary chair. Extend your hands overhead, palms facing each other, and hold the pose for 10 seconds – you should feel it working across the top of your thighs.
4 Relax in savasana
The point of this pose is to relax and absorb the benefits of the other poses you’ve performed, and there’s nothing quite like gently floating for total relaxation. Simply lie on your back with your arms relaxed at your sides and hold the pose for as long as you want. Your feet may drop down and it’s okay to do this and have a bend in your knees. You can also have your head resting on the side of the pool with your feet out into the pool resting on a float if you prefer to keep your head dry. Feel the water around your body. Relax for at least two minutes.
For more water workout tips, see the September issue of NEXT magazine
