We’ve all heard of yoga. It’s a form of exercise known for its relaxing qualities, ability to strengthen the body, and versatility in the ways it’s practiced. It’s a beautiful practice that pushes the body and encourages core strength, flexibility, and overall well-being.
Traditional yoga has so many benefits on its own, but if you’re looking to switch up your routine or try something new, consider trying water yoga.
Adding the element of water to your yoga routine can make it more challenging and interesting. It adds a whole new level of balance, resistance, and stress relief. It’s a great way to stay in tune with your body while building up strength and control.
Interested in adding water yoga to your workout routine? Keep reading to learn why it might be a great addition to your lifestyle.
What is water yoga?
Water yoga, sometimes called aqua yoga, combines traditional yoga poses with water to give your body added benefits. Holding poses in the water is challenging, making it great for muscle resistance. Water can also create a serene, peaceful exercise environment different from the setting you’re used to. If you’re looking for a new way to push your body, water yoga might be worth checking out.
Plus, working out in water is a great way to push your body without causing strains to your joints and muscles, making it a good option for individuals recovering from injury or stress.
Why practice water yoga?
Water yoga has tons of amazing benefits, like stress relief, mindfulness, strength, and conditioning. Not to mention it’s fun and relaxing! The combination of yoga poses with water makes for a challenging workout that will push your body while giving your joints relief from higher-impact exercises. If you regularly practice water yoga, expect to enjoy these benefits:
- Variation in your exercise routine: by incorporating water yoga into your workout regimen, you can mix it up and allow your body to experience a range of workouts to better promote muscle growth.
- Joint relief: water promotes joint relief and helps take the pressure off strained joints. If you’re experiencing joint pain, this is a great option that allows you to continue exercising without worsening the pain. It’s also a great option for recovery days where you want to get an exercise in but need to rest your body from harder, higher impact workouts.
- Stress reduction: working out in general is a great stress reliever and can help with managing anxiety. Water is also a stress reliever, especially warm water, so practicing water yoga should bring you immense stress relief. Reducing stress will help to bring down your cortisol levels, too. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. By managing your stress levels, you can keep cortisol levels down and keep your heart healthy.
- Low-impact workout: working out is generally hard on your body. High-impact workouts like running can take a toll on your joints and other parts of your body, causing strain. While that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t engage in those workouts, it just means that mixing water yoga into your routine could be a great solution to keeping your body in the best possible shape while giving it a break from high-impact situations.
- Enhanced flexibility: working out in the water can increase your flexibility which will allow you to get deeper into your yoga poses. Flexibility is important for increasing your muscle elasticity, which is extremely beneficial for other types of exercise and for avoiding injury. If you’re working on your flexibility, this is a great option for you.
- Additional resistance: water also provides increased resistance for any poses that require movement. Moving through the water is much harder than moving through the air, so you can get a much better workout and push your muscles harder in the water.
Where to practice water yoga
Finding a place to practice water yoga is easier than you’d think. There are many options for those interested in practicing yoga in the water.
Public pools
Water yoga classes are becoming more common, so check out your local recreation center or gym to find scheduled courses that you can join and follow along with an instructor.
You could also choose to conduct your own yoga routine from a public pool, but you might run the risk of getting splashed or interrupted by others in the pool. We recommend trying to find an off-time or choosing a secluded corner of the pool if possible.
Follow your own routine at home
If you’re fortunate enough to have a pool or a hot tub at home, you can utilize that for your workouts. A pool is beneficial because you have as much space as you need to move around, but practicing yoga in your hot tub can give you a bunch of other benefits. The hot water will help soothe sore muscles, increase your relaxation, boost your immune system, and provide a great spot for added privacy and relaxation. Plus, after your yoga practice, you can take the time to relax and unwind in the comfort of your hot tub.
In the market for a serene, private place to practice your water yoga? Our selection of hot tubs can provide you with a yoga escape perfect for exercising your body, practicing mindfulness and meditation, and relaxing post-workout.
Follow a video at home
If you have a home pool or even a hot tub, you can definitely practice water yoga from the comfort of your own home. Practicing in a hot tub is a great way to get that extra stress relief we mentioned earlier. The hot water will loosen up your muscles and relieve your aches and pains as you work out. Plus, it’s a great place to relax post-workout.
Depending on the level you’re at with yoga, you might need to follow a workout video to stay on track with your yoga routine. There are tons of videos available on YouTube that you could follow along with by bringing a laptop or TV outside and copying the poses. The videos you choose can be any type of yoga routine you want. Just make sure you have enough space to do the moves you need to do.
Water yoga equipment
If you’re practicing at a gym, they’ll have all of the equipment you’ll need. But if you’re getting active at home, you might want to purchase the following equipment to make sure you can complete all of the necessary poses. There are plenty of poses you can do without these items, but it’s nice to have options if you really want to get into practicing water yoga on a regular basis.
- Pool noodles – great for balancing on in certain movements
- Pool dumbells – assist with flotation and exercise motions
- Kickboard – great for balance poses
- Resistance bands – add an extra layer of difficulty
- Ankle weights – can provide an additional challenge for more seasoned water yogis
Best water yoga poses
Whether you decide to do a full workout from a pool or hot tub or would rather ease in by practicing a few poses first, there are so many options for yoga poses to conduct from the water. You can try the half-moon pose, warrior, floating savasana, and more. For more information on the poses you can choose from and how to execute those poses accurately, check out this page.
Splash some water into your yoga routine
If your exercise routine could use a change, it might be time to try something new. Water yoga is an approachable form of working out that has so many benefits and minimal equipment. If you’re ready to make the plunge but want a dedicated space to practice in, check out our wide assortment of hot tubs.