Looking for a workout that encompasses cardio, toning, yoga, stretching and balance? Dynamic Water Yoga is a moderate intensity, low impact workout designed for cooler water. Increase the exercise challenge with some added drag equipment.
Inspiration
The inspiration for this workout was my Wednesday morning 10am aqua class which is only taught during the tourist season – January through April. The class is called Aqua Flex & Flow and I incorporate formats such as yoga, Pilates, Ai Chi, light toning and Arthritis Foundation exercises. January came quickly this year and that meant it was time to go back to the lab and create a new routine.
Good Intentions
The original plan was to create an active aqua yoga program. Yoga is an ideal fitness format because it combines strength, flexibility, balance, focus and breathing, all essential ingredients of wellness. The problem is that yoga is a more static form of exercise and not at all ideal for cooler pools. With lots of trial and error, I managed to come up with a timed formula that limited the static yoga poses and added in some higher intensity cardio. Yogis will bristle at calling this yoga because it is NOT. Full transparency - the adjustments essentially transformed this into a cardio and toning class with some yoga flavor.
DYNAMIC WATER YOGA: WORKOUT-AT-A-GLANCE
Template/Structure
Each of the 10 combinations introduces a different base move and then progresses four times until it ends in a yoga posture.
Base Move – 15 seconds
- Base move with intensity – 30 seconds
- Base Move & transitional move – 15 seconds
- Upper & lower body toning – 15 seconds
- Upper body toning/lower body yoga posture – 15 seconds
Yoga posture – 15 seconds
NOTE: Each combination is performed TWICE to balance right & left
Who is this pool workout intended for?
The goal of Poolfit.tv is to feature a broad spectrum of workouts for all fitness levels. Currently, the available selection of pool workouts skews a bit more toward higher intensity exercise. Therefore, we are trying to balance the fitness spectrum with some moderate workouts. This particular workout is ideal on a day when you want a structured, choreographed style workout that focuses on a wide range of fitness outcomes, including light cardio, muscular endurance, flexibility and balance.
Equipment Options
Equipment is completely optional in this workout. However, this routine includes lots of muscle conditioning opportunities and drag equipment is ideal for maximizing the water’s resistance. If your fitness level is more advanced, I would strongly recommend the addition of equipment. In the video, Speedo gloves were used for upper body and Aqualogix Ankle Blades for lower body. Watch me explain drag resistance and the equipment used.
Aqualogix Ankle Blades
The Aqualogix ankle blades are my new favorite thing because they add so much more resistance to the movements of the legs. The Green Highspeed Ankle Fins feature less surface area and are more appropriate for activities that include cardio. The Blue Max Resistance Ankle Fins are better for more focused lower body training.
Speedo AquaFit Gloves
Webbed gloves can be used in any water exercise workout and are highly recommended if you want to increase intensity and resistance. The gloves I used are the Speedo Aqua Fit Gloves. However, any webbed gloves will suffice.
Enjoy this invigorating pool workout! Namaste.