Aqua chi, tai chi that you perform in chest-to-neck deep water, combines the exercise of tai chi with the safety of water exercise. According to tai chi instructor Kerry Collete of Hillsboro, Oregon, practitioners first started doing it in the late 1990s, and it has become a popular offering at swimming pools, health clubs and senior centers.
Physical Benefits
All the physical benefits of land-based tai chi apply to aqua chi. According to Dr. Keith Jeffery, a tai chi instructor who trains future instructors, the twisting and bending of tai chi postures improve flexibility, range of motion, muscle tone and back health. The breathing discipline of tai chi helps to promote lung capacity, personal energy and cardiovascular health. Since many tai chi postures require slow movement on one foot, it can also help develop balance, even to the point of fighting vertigo.
Mental Benefits
The mental and emotional benefits of land-based tai chi apply to aqua chi just as much as the physical benefits. According to research by the Mayo Clinic, stress can lead to a host of mental problems such as memory loss, sleep disorders, depression and anxiety. Jeffery notes that the slow, relaxed breathing and meditative motion of tai chi is a direct and effective remedy for stress. Less stress means better mental health. Since water is itself associated with relaxation, doing tai chi in the water can have a profound effect on stress levels.
Balance Work
Many tai chi postures include standing on one foot, which can be challenging for beginners, seniors and people with injuries. By practicing in water, the water's resistance helps hold the body up. This makes balance poses easier and more accessible, even to people with balance problems. Further, the water catches people who lose their balance, completely eliminating any risk of a fall. Jeffery points out that those who practice balance postures successfully in water often move on to practice them successfully on land.
Low-Impact Exercise
Tai chi is already a low-impact exercise, according to Everyday Tai Chi. Practicing in water slows the movements of all limbs, even further reducing the load on a practitioner's joints. By relieving the pressure on joints, aqua chi is especially beneficial for people with weight and/or joint problems and for those recovering from injuries. Note that, although aqua chi is a very low-impact workout, you should still get a doctor's okay before beginning exercise, especially if you are considering aqua chi as a means of physical therapy.
Additional Resistance
Resistance to muscle movements builds muscle strength and tone. So says Arnold Schwarzenegger himself in his "New Modern Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding." Water resists motion through it more strongly than air. This means every motion you do under water builds strength and tone more than it does in the air. Aqua chi is no exception to this, improving muscle tone with each kick, push and bend.
References
- "Easy Tai Chi"; Dr. Keith Jeffery, 2003
- Kerry Collette, Independent Tai Chi Instructor, Hillsboro, OR
- Arounder.eu: Water Tai Chi
- Every Day Tai Chi
- "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding"; Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bill Dobbins; 1999
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