Water yoga—exercises done in water up to your waist or chest – is a lot like land-based yoga, but also different in many ways.
“We call it yoga, but really what it is, is water exercise,” said Dr. John Swartzberg, head of the editorial board at the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. “It’s a great way to not only strengthen muscles, but increase mobility and actually make you more limber.”
Everyone can benefit from water yoga, but it’s especially good for people who have mobility problems or joint problems where they’re limited in what they can do on land.
“While you’re in water, the buoyancy of the water allows you to not put a lot of stress on joints that may be bothering you, but still allows you to get very good exercise and to strengthen those muscles around those painful joints as well as many other muscles,” Dr. Swartzberg said. “So, it’s a great exercise for everybody, but especially for people who are limited by a lot of joint problems.”
Even if you already do land-based yoga, there can be a learning curve with practicing your poses in water. As with any new exercise, Dr. Swartzberg says start slowly, and take classes with an experienced instructor.
More Info: A Deep Dive into Water Yoga from the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter. (This free link is good until Sept. 30, 2022.)