Dallas Aqua Yoga

Stiff spine and hips? Let's swivel out of it! 🌀

First, let's recognize the value of getting in the water. You get an improved joint range of motion (ROM) through your joints by reducing gravity's load. Many people notice their joints go through deeper angles with minimal pain. Water’s natural properties create a highly effective environment for rehabilitation, arthritis relief, and general mobility training. It's time you took advantage of that for both the health of your spine and your hips!

Now let's also appreciate the value of the breath and how coordinating with it can create postural stability and mobility. By getting in the water, this becomes all the more clear.

SETUP:
➡️ Get in the pool and sit on a pool noodle like it's a swing.
➡️ Extend one arm out to the pool wall or ledge. Have the leg on that same side cross over your other leg
➡️ When you cross, really cross ❌ that top leg - you want to see more of your front thigh muscle and not so much inner thigh. Your other hand can help hold that leg.

MOVE:
🫁 Inhale and expand your chest fully.
🫁 Exhale and contract your abdomen + swivel your hips away from the wall. Turn your head toward the wall but not your shoulders.
🫁 Inhale and expand your chest, and notice how your waist is naturally inclined to leave the twist.
🔁 Repeat for multiple breaths. Try holding the twist for several breaths - this will require some effort as you block your torso's inclination to exit the twist.

Swiveling is so much fun in the pool. Notice how these actions in partnership with your breath create both stability and mobility! ☺️

Yes, the way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your hips...it's like those things are interconnected or something 😉

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

Slouchy, slumpy posture and stiff hips? Pull your way out of it! You can mobilize your hips and strengthen your back to be more upright with the help of the pool ☺️

Getting in the pool environment reduces pressure on your body while helping you move stiff joints. It's somewhat of a magical realm! What you do while there can actually make a difference in how you feel and function when you're back on land.

Let's get to it.

SETUP:
➡️ Get in pool.
➡️ Hold the pool ledge with hands shoulder width apart.
➡️ Hop your feet up on the pool wall nice and wide. Simply having the balls of your feet pressing into the wall suffices.
➡️ Yes, I did say "hop your feet up". Isn't it freaking cool how you can do that in the water? Let's just take a moment and appreciate that happening! ☺️

MOVE:
🫁 Exhale + contract abdomen + pull your torso toward the wall. Naturally, your elbows bend. Bend your knees deeply, in the same direction your toes are pointing. Squeeze the muscles in the front of your hips
🫁 Inhale + expand your chest + drive your heels toward the pool wall (like you are pushing the pool wall away) and simultaneously pull and lift your chest upright with your elbow gradually straightening. Think upward. Activate the muscles around your mid back - think "bra strap" area. Your legs do not have to completely straighten, nor do your heels need to touch the pool wall.
🔁 Repeat for multiple breath cycles, then explore staying in the pull upward for several breaths. Try different widths between your feet. Try feet higher up the wall or lower. Try toes turned out more or less. The possibilities are endless. You'll probably like some placements better than others! Explore them!

💡TIP:
Your exhale + abdominal contraction sets the stage for inhale. When you inhale, try not to lose too quickly the abdominal contraction you just created with exhale.

And - Surprise! 🎉 The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your hips...

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

Turn your achy and stiff hips to steady and free ones with the help of a simple pool noodle and what you do with your breath! 🫁

It's not uncommon to feel a stiff spine associated with stiff hips and sometimes we need a little help getting those areas to move and groove together again. 🕺🏻

By working in the pool, you get the power of buoyancy and hydrostatic pressure on your side. With immersion in the water, you typically feel about 90% lighter, with only roughly 10% to 15% of your actual body weight bearing on your joints depending on the water depth. Your hips and your spine will thank you for this opportunity! 👏🏻

This fun seated twist has a surprise element of balance involved that's not obvious to an observer. 😱

Facing a pool wall, you'll sit in your pool noodle like it's a swing. Keep one foot anchored at the pool bottom. As you extend the other leg in front of you, start to almost cross it over your leg, then steady the foot of that leg against the pool wall. You might notice your pelvis getting a little squirrely here. 🐿️

Keeping your pelvis level, setup with:
🫁 Inhale + expand chest + reach arms out wide, lifting your sternum up

Then start to move and groove:
🫁 Exhale + contract abdomen + twist at your waist by turning your shoulders so that the arm opposite to your extended leg gets closer to it. Also, keep reaching arms out like you're pushing walls down!
🫁 Inhale + expand chest + untwist with arms still reaching out
🔁 Repeat for multiple breaths
You can even after those moving and grooving breaths stay in the twist for a few breaths!

Surprise! The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your hips...

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spine and hip stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

For anyone wondering about the verbal cues: you get that through my Stan Store content! Btw, there is a freebie...

Elevate your balance, hip stability AND back strength by bringing in the superman exercise lift into a supported one-legged stance!

Yup. It's crazy. It's wild. It's something else.

But you're going to do this in the pool so you don't have to worry about toppling over. 🫨 And there's no need to go off the deep end here. 😉

Go into a pool where you can stand with the water at low chest height.

Standing upright, put one foot up against the pool wall or even up on a step. If you came down a set of steps, just turn around and put your foot up one of those steps.

Did you know? 🤔 You can enhance your postural stability during this movement, by letting your spine move and adjust along with your breath! Yes! 😀

From your setup:
🫁 Exhale + contract your abdominals + bring your trunk forward without excessively rounding your low back + dynamically adjust knee bend of leg that is on the support (wall or step). Coordinate the descent along the length of your exhale. You'll also sweep your arms around and down and put your hands on your low back. Your standing leg stays straight.
🫁 Inhale + expand your chest fully + "superman" up. Your superman is an active spinal extension where you focus on flattening your upper back, not over arching your low back. Pay attention here! Your shoulder blades can glide and "press" into the back of your rib cage to help encourage that action as your arms sweep around and up. Coordinate the ascent along the length of your inhale. This means arms done and trunk upright at the same time. Pay attention! The timing matters.
🔁 Repeat for multiple breath cycles. Because if you're human, you'll admit that "nailing" this the first time, or the second time, or even the third time is just not happening.

Keep working at it though, and you'll be surprised at how much more stable and balanced you are going about your daily life!

Surprise! The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your hips...

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

Improving your hip mobility could be as easy as putting a cheap pool noodle at the front of your ankle.

Wait, what? 🤨

Okay, there's obviously more going on here than that. 😂 Let's first make sure you get into the pool ✅

Getting in the pool already improves mobility by using buoyancy to reduce joint stress and body weight by up to 90% and hydrostatic pressure to decrease swelling.

Now it's the movements you choose to do in that environment that can make a profound difference.

This one can re-ignite a healthy relationship between your glutes and your hip flexors! Tired of the tension and aches there? Let's push that away! 😉

Setup:
➡️ Adopt a seated position facing the pool wall.
➡️ Place a pool noodle at the front of one ankle. Your knee will naturally need to bend to keep the noodle in that position.
➡️ Hands shoulder width on the pool ledge.

Move:
🫁 Exhale + contract abdominals + pull knee forward until noodle is underneath hips (hip flexor squeeze)
🫁 Inhale + expand chest + pull chest forward + push noodle behind with bent knee (glute squeeze)
🔁 Repeat for multiple breaths.
🖐🏻 Then try staying with noodle pushed back for multiple breaths, keeping the breathwork of inhale + expand chest and exhale + contract belly

And you thought this would just be about your hips.

Surprise! The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your hips...

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

Reducing your low back pain could be just one breath away 👀

Did you know that you can intentionally coordinate actions with your breath to improve the health of your spine? 😳

You can even bring these actions into the water for a power-packed effect! 🤯

This spinal movement is probably like nothing else you've ever seen. And it's super easy with the help of the pool ledge and wall.

Just hold on to the ledge with your hands shoulder width apart. You'll also be smart and dynamic with how your knees come up and down the wall for support 😉

Check it out:

🫁 Inhale + expand your chest + lean back with arms straight and pull your chest up. I like to add in the action of ripping the ledge apart, like I'm The Hulk. 💪🏻 You'll feel super stable through your shoulders like that. Knees will be down the wall with your thighs parallel to the pool bottom (think like you're kind of sitting in a chair). Also, let your head lean back against the water. The water will support it!
🫁 Exhale + contract abdominals + bend elbows + bend knees toward chest. Bring your knees up the wall so you can really "curl" your body. Tuck your chin. You might feel some nice stretchy sensations around your back through this movement!
🔃 Repeat and enjoy

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal health in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your shoulders and your hips...

Sweep away neck and shoulder tension? Yes, let's do this!

Bring your friend, the pool noodle, along for the ride.

Because something really interesting happens when you try to keep it underwater through a side bend in your trunk! Start by noticing what happens with your feet. 😳

In order to gain the benefits of the sweeping movement, you'll need to maintain core control and hip stability.

Let's enhance that by building postural stability along with the breath!

Starting with an upright, wide stance with equal footing, push a pool noodle down alongside your body, then:

🫁 Inhale + expand chest + raise free arm out wide and up
🫁 Exhale + contract abdominals + tilt trunk sideways, pushing noodle down further
🫁 Inhale + expand chest + turn head and look up at hand overhead, stay in tilt

Now begins the sweep:

🫁 Exhale + contract abdominals + sweep arm out wide and down + turn head to look down at noodle
🫁 Inhale + expand chest + sweep arm out side and up + turn head to look up at hand
Repeat 🔃 for multiple breath cycles
Don't forget you're trying to maintain the side bend (tilt) the entire time you sweep.

Tips:
➡️ Think about your shoulder blade moving the arm through the sweep.
➡️ Coordinate! Try to move everything simultaneously. Does your head turn finish before your arm sweep? That's an example of discoordination.

Did you know? 🤔
Moving in the water forces the nervous system to reweight sensory inputs when gravitational cues change. This sets up the brain for improved motor learning and coordination both in and out of the water.

Cool, huh? 😎

Have fun coordinating your movements to be as simultaneous as possible and enjoy less tension around your neck and shoulders!

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which affects the way you are with your shoulders...

Let's scrub our way into some better hip stability, mobility and balance - with two cheap pool noodles!

If you haven't played with noodle scrubs before, you're in for a real treat. Once you put those pool noodles under your feet, you'll be wondering why your hips and legs are suddenly confused at what they can do 😂

This movement in particular challenges your hips' ability to abduct (scrub out) and adduct (scrub in).

Hip abduction and adduction exercises improve balance, stability, and mobility by strengthening the outer and inner thigh and hip muscles. These movements train the pelvis to remain level during single-leg standing, reduce fall risks, and support everyday actions like stepping sideways, walking on uneven ground, and getting in and out of a car.

Now here's your mission, should you choose to accept:
Can you scrub the noodles apart simultaneously? And can you scrub them back together simultaneously? 😱

You'll immediately notice that your ability to maintain balance is key here. 🔑

Here's something you can try to awaken your postural stability to support balance within the movement:
🫁 Inhale + expand chest + scrub out
🫁 Exhale + contract abdominals + scrub in

Notice on inhalation if you suddenly lose your abdominal contraction - that is not going to help 😭

Try to expand your chest without losing the abdominal contraction suddenly, and reinforce your abdominal contraction with the following exhale 🆎👍🏻

Have fun learning about yourself and how you are with your breath! 🫁

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which then affects the way you are with your hips...

Want to switch 🔄 your hips from stiff and achy to stable and mobile? Let's turn on your superpower!🦸🏻‍♀️

In the pool, you can activate some hidden superpowers you have! 😉

Water immersion helps boost your mobility by:
💧reducing gravity's impact through buoyancy
💧providing gentle multidirectional resistance, and
💧using hydrostatic pressure to decrease joint swelling

Along with this newfound mobility, you'll notice that water perturbations will constantly challenge your balance and stability.

Very cool. 😎

Let's do a constructive movement to help you build stable and mobile hips.

Try this with 2 pool noodles. One noodle under one foot, the other between your hands on the surface of the water.
Try doing the entire progression with the idea that you are trying to rip that noodle apart. ⛓️‍💥

🫁 Exhale + contract your abdominals and flex your hip with the leg that has the noodle underfoot. Flex your knee.
🫁 Inhale + expand your chest and drive your ribcage forward, shift your shoulder girdle ahead of your hips to minimize excessive low back arching while gaining thoracic extension and stomp the noodle down.
🫁 Exhale + contract your abdominals and stabilize your pelvis. Notice what your inner thighs can do here.
🫁 Inhale + expand chest and raise arms overhead.
(Are you still ripping the noodle apart?)
🫁 Exhale + contract your abdominals and lower arms down
🫁 Inhale + expand chest and then...
🫁 Exhale + contract abdominals and pull the noodle back off the pool bottom and return to one-legged balance stance 😁

Repeat 🔁 and often. We're trying to switch to those hips you really want here!

By the way, did you notice yourself activating your superpower of attention with all this coordinated work matched with your breath? 😉

Check out all my breath-led movement concepts for spinal stability and mobility in my Stan Store (link in bio) 🔗☝🏻

The way you are with your breath affects the way you are with your spine which then affects the way you are with your hips...