She’s in the water: why you need to try Aquatic Pilates

Posted on 21 March, 2023

Did you know one in two Australian women aged between 18 and 64 aren’t getting enough movement?

At HerCanberra we find that statistic quite concerning, so we’re doing our part to motivate, inspire and educate our community about the importance of exercise, and how to get started.  Because even 10 mins can make a drastic change to your brain and body.

Last month we focussed on hitting the local trails—but this month we are shining a light on exercising in the water.  The mere sight and sound of water can induce a flood of neurochemicals in the brain. These particular neurochemicals promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation.

Some local pools in Canberra are open at 5.30 am and close at 9 pm, so no matter your age, prior experiences, injuries, medical conditions, or abilities, a movement program in water could be added to your lifestyle.

Water has the power to soothe, heal and rejuvenate. A little change to your activity levels doesn’t take long to see the results:

• Blood pressure—can change within a few weeks.
• Aerobic Fitness—can improve within a month or two.
• Heart rate—improves within a couple of weeks.
• Mood and mental Health—can change within 10 minutes.

We just need to be consistent. Consistency is where water is magic—it allows us to move regularly and manage the load on our joints (unless of course, we want to increase the load!).  We’ll touch on load management equipment in a moment. Welcome to She’s in the water.

Did you get a moment to read part one of She’s in the water? Here’s the link.

In part one, we discussed “the why” behind immersing in water—think hydrostatic pressure, blood flow, buoyancy, viscosity, vasodilating, the brain and releasing of neurochemicals, local pools in Canberra and their opening hours, and simply “how to get started”.

This week we will introduce the Hydrolates (Aquatic Pilates) concept and give you a mini lower limb program to do at your local pool, and dive into self-management equipment options.

Finding a movement concept that focuses on your body and mind is a win-win; especially with the burnout rates so high at the moment. Over the pandemic I wrote for HerCanberra about the importance of mind-body connection movement, AKA the Pilates concept. Did you do Pandemic Pilates, five min workouts, Her Workout,  or the workplace workouts? All of those workouts had a Pilates foundation.

Hydrolates is a similar concept—however specifically created to be done IN the water; designed by Exercise Physiologists who have a Pilates background. But what actually is Hydrolates?

Think: movement to breath, strength and mobility, alignment and precision, core engagement and control. Going to the pool isn’t just about swimming laps and getting panda eyes from the tight goggles. You don’t have to get your hair wet to exercise in water and do a Hydrolates session.  You can do your make-up and hair, pack your bag for work, work out for 20 to 0 minutes and then head in to work.

The Hydrolates system is a form of movement programming in the water, emphasising the balanced development of the body through core awareness, postural strengthening, mobility and breathing.  Hydrolates was trademarked in 2019 and has been trialled and tested since 2011.  The Hydrolates programming uses equipment such as resistance gloves, fabric straps and Hydrolates sticks to increase the resistance, efficiency and awareness in the water.

Hydrolates is so incredibly versatile, and the perfect movement concept to self-manage at a local Canberra pool (or your home pool). Hydrolates can be of great benefit for:

• Postural conditioning: if you work the typical office desk job prolonged sitting often leads to weak posture, which can result in back or neck pain and stiffness. Hydrolates can help stabilise and strengthen your postural muscles.
• Prehabilitating: the prevention of injuries is always better than treatment!
• Rehabilitating from an injury or surgery: Hydrolates can assist to regain lost strength, conditioning, mobility, balance, and motor control. It’s a fabulous way to transition back to sport, work or to return to your activities of daily living.
• Pre- or post-natal: the Hydrolates system can be tailored to suit women who are pregnant to help manage the physical changes and challenges involved with pregnancy. The programming also helps to prevent pregnancy-related symptoms such as back and pelvic pain, sciatic pain, and more . Hydrolates also has a major role with post-partum recovery and can assist women strengthen their pelvic floor.
• High performance: Hydrolates is a great way to assist in injury prevention, and load-management. It can help to fine-tune the skills required for all sports. Hydrolates can add that extra dimension to your current training program and increase sports performance.
• Managing strength as we age: strength, balance and motor control often decreases after 50, however appropriate exercise can dramatically improve function.

All you need is a noodle, or two.  Here’s a mini-Hydrolates program (click here):

• Mountain climber two- sets x 10 repetitions
• Knee extension two sets x 10 repetitions
• Hamstring curl two sets x 10 repetitions

You can mix up the Hydrolates session with some shallow water running or walking, and deep water running (which we’ll address in part three).

Self management equipment

Variety is key. By creating variation and mixing up your routine, you can create a new stimulus, which creates more progress over time, and decreases injury risk. Here’s a few cheap and effective options for you:

• Resistance gloves (great for those with arthritis, and struggle to grip).
• Hand paddles.
• Hand dumbbells.
• Fabric resistance bands (light, medium strong).
• Resistance leg straps (0.5kg, 1kg and 2kg).
• Mini noodles (cut up your noodle, and use it as hand weights).

All of the above you can either find online at Hart Sport or Thera Aquatics, or many sport shops. Remember, you don’t have to start with a long pool session, 20 to 30 minutes is great. PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.

Start with one piece of equipment. Keep it simple. JUST START.

Next series we will focus on deep water running interval sessions, another mini-Hydrolates (Aquatic Pilates) program to self-manage and looking after your skin and hair post pool session.

Did we inspire you to buy some pool noodles and take a splash?

Love, Kirra