What would you say to a workout that will strengthen your body and rev your heart rate while taking it easy on your joints? Sign me up?

Look no further than your community pool: water aerobics is one of the best ways to achieve overall fitness and cardiovascular health with the healing and relaxing properties of water. This workout is actually proven to relax your mind and reduce stress as it also combines the best of yoga, Pilates and tai chi.

These workouts all consist of movements coordinated with breathing, and this applies to these movements in water as well. Deep, slow breathing helps air get into the deepest part of the lungs, where oxygen is separated from the air and released into your bloodstream. In one study, the cardiovascular and aerobic benefits were shown to be the same among water aerobics participants as among a comparable group of lap swimmers.

But these yoga, Pilates and tai chi exercises aren’t just the same moves from land done in a pool; they’re especially designed to take advantage of water’s natural characteristics—its buoyancy, resistance, density and detoxifying properties.

Buoyancy reduces the strain on your joints as it lifts you in the water, but it also adds a balance challenge to your workout. As a result, the stabilization muscles that you use to balance are strengthened in the workouts without the risk of falling that accompanies balancing postures in land yoga and tai chi. As you breathe with the movements, you relax your mind and body. Stretching in water is also easier than stretching on land because of the increased range of motion and flexibility that water adds.

Water is denser than air, which is why you float, and when you’re floating you can do many horizontal Pilates and yoga moves without any strain on your back. It also provides what experts call hydrostatic support or a constant and gentle pressure on every part of your body, helping your overall circulation and strengthening your respiratory system.

Sure, you can work up a sweat in a pool, and that’s great for cardiovascular health, but the moves in this workout are designed to take you through a great and refreshing workout without breaking a sweat. Always remember to warm up, do your workout, and then add cool-down time. If you ever need to shorten your workout, always shorten your main workout and keep your warm-up and cool-down times the same.

Lion Breathing: Inhale deeply, exhale with a roar while opening your mouth, flexing your hands, sticking out your tongue and tilting your head back. Repeat 5 times.


Water Tai Chi

• Tai Chi opening
• Circle water spray right & left
• Tai Chi closing

Water Pilates

• Ballet legs
• Tub turn

Deep Water Exercises (if you’re not comfortable in deep water, do these where you can touch bottom or wear a flotation belt)

• 2 minutes of treading
• 2 minutes of jogging
• 1 minute of jumping jacks Water Yoga
• Shark circle
• Water wheel
• Cat

Rhythmic Breath: Stand with your face at or slightly above the water, inhale as you turn to one side and exhale as you return your head to center, blowing bubbles if your face is in or at the water surface.

Rolling down the wall: Stand with back against the pool and feet 8” from the wall in chest-deep water. Begin by lowering the chin to the chest and roll down pool wall as slowly as possible, removing one vertebra at a time from the pool wall to create a perfectly curved spine. Pull abdominal muscles in; maintain tailbone contact with pool wall. Take 5 full, deep breaths. Roll back up as slowly as possible.

• Swimsuit (polyester suits hold up best in chlorine)
• Water-proof watch
• Swim cap (optional)
• Flotation belt for deep water treading (as needed)
• Swim noodle (optional for buoyancy, resistance or stabilizing during some moves)
• Flippers (as desired)

Illustrations by Cindy Revell

Sun Salutation
Stand facing pool wall in chest deep water, beginning with hands in front of chest in prayer position. Inhale while raising arms into the Mountain asana; exhale into Plank. Inhale into Upward Dog; exhale into Plank. Inhale into Mountain; exhale into prayer position. Repeat 5 times.

Tai Chi Closing
Begin with feet about 2 feet apart, legs slightly bent, arms at sides, palms facing forward. As you inhale, rotate palms 180 degrees to face forward and bend elbows until forearms are perpendicular to body, keeping elbows in place. Simultaneously shift weight to right foot, lift left foot off pool bottom, heel first, then toes, and move left foot hip width from right foot. As you exhale, touch left toes to pool bottom, lower left heel and evenly distribute weight. Repeat in opposite direction and go through movement 8 to 10 times.

Tai Chi Opening
Begin by standing with feet shoulder width apart and arms at sides. As you inhale, raise both arms straight until hands are level with chest. Exhale and draw elbow to waist until forearms are parallel to the surface. Keep palms facing down. Inhale as you bring hands to hip level by straightening arms with elbows in place. Exhale as you flex wrists slightly until palms are parallel to water surface. Repeat 5 to 7 times.

Circle Water Spray
Right & Left
Begin with feet hip width apart, extended arms, hands at water’s surface with fingertips submerged and weight on right foot. As you inhale, pick up left toes, pivot left foot 90 degrees on left heel and put down left toes. Keep hips and torso squared in the starting position. As you exhale, shift weight to left foot, and repeat movement with right heel and toes. Fingers move through the water in quarter circle and spray as torso rotates. As you inhale, lift right toes and bend right knee so that right thigh is perpendicular to torso. Exhale as you place right toes on pool bottom so that feet are shoulder width apart, put down right heel and shift weight to left foot. Repeat movements with left leg, heel and toes.

Ballet Legs
Begin by floating on back. As you inhale, draw right leg up the side of the left leg by bending right knee until thigh is perpendicular to water surface. As you exhale, slowly extend the right leg fully with pointed toes. Return to back floating and repeat movement with the left leg. Scull hands under hips to stay afloat. Perform each leg movement twice.

Tub Turn
Begin floating on back using flotation belt and noodle under knees as needed. Bring knees into chest, keeping feet and legs together until knees are at 90 degrees, thighs are perpendicular to water’s surface and shins are at the water’s surface. In this tucked position, skull arms and hands to rotate body 360 degrees. Repeat once in the opposite direction.

Shark Circle
Float on your back, using a flotation belt and noodle between legs as desired. Rotate onto right side with body arched, left arm extended overhead next to ear, and with right arm sculling beneath hips to remain afloat. Scull the lower arm to move body in a complete circle while arched. Return to back float and repeat on opposite side with opposite arms. Perform once on each side.

Cat
Start with your back against the pool wall. As you exhale, tilt your pelvis up while pressing the small of your back against the wall and bring your chin down to your chest. As you inhale, stretch your chest as you return to your starting position. Repeat 8 to 10 times.


About the Author: Jane Katz, EdD, is a professor of health and physical education and athletics at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice of the City University of New York and the author of Your Water Workout. She is a World Masters swimming and synchronized swimming champion who lives in New York City and is available online at globalaquatics.com.