Try aqua yoga to melt your fat

Fun and super effective, experts say this new workout regime is safe for everyone

- TOI 20th Aug 2013

Ditch your sneakers and tracksuit and strip down to the bare minimum to burn off unwanted calories quickly. Followed by Hollywood celebs like Jennifer Aniston, aqua yoga is fast gaining popularity back home too. This fun and effective workout regime adapts traditional yoga postures in an aquatic environment.
    From a physical point of view, doing asanas (postures) in water reduces the amount of stress on your joints, resulting in you feeling a sense of exhilaration at being able to achieve what you cannot on land. According to Shanthala T Medappa, a yoga instructor, “Anything performed in water is a lot less strenuous on the body. It also helps in alleviating injuries, strains, etc.”
 

WHY GO THE WATER WAY Shanthala says that aqua yoga is a huge stress buster. Even if you don’t know how to swim, it’s not a problem as aqua yoga is performed in shallow, waist or chest-high water. “Asanas that are sometimes tough in normal conditions can be performed a lot better in water because of the buoyancy effect. For example, the Utthita Hasta Padangusthasana, which is normally a tough asana to master, is a lot easier when you do it in water,” she adds.
 

LOSE WEIGHT WITH AQUA-AEROBICS Aqua-aerobics is slowly finding more and more takers. Says Santosh, a trainer, “It’s better than regular aerobics since the buoyancy helps a lot. It’s also better and easier on the joints, and is good for strengthening the body.” Ask him if he would advocate this, and he says, “Aqua-aerobics is an advanced form of aerobics. Since you need extra force to perform aerobics in water, it leads to quicker weight reduction.”
 

WORK IT OUT A water workout is power-packed and burns approximately 800 to 1,000 calories in one hour. What more reason do you need to try this new workout? Put on your swimwear and head straight to the pool.