Join Miff Hendriksen for Aquatic Yo-Yos, a shallow water aquatic fitness class that features travel and turn patterns. This circuit template also includes focused muscle conditioning segments that use the water’s resistance. Equipment is not required, but webbed gloves can be worn for extra upper body resistance.
The travel and turning cardio patterns reminded Miff of a Yo-Yo, hence the video title. Large pool or small pool, the travel in this video is performed forwards and backwards with limited sets, and so it is doable in all pool settings. As AEA certified instructors learn in their certification, traveling against the water’s resistance in a water workout is an effective way to increase intensity, thanks to Newton’s Law of Inertia. Traveling utilizes total body inertia, limb inertia and the water’s inertia. Incorporating changes in a water workout utilizes inertia by starting, stopping and changing movement of the body, the limbs and the water. As your body moves forward, the water moves with you, and then as you move backwards you must do so in that powerful torrent of forward moving water. Do you remember playing with childhood friends and running in a circle in an above ground pool? Do you recall what happened when you abruptly changed directions and tried to run back in the current? That is the perfect example of how travel is effective in increasing intensity in an aquatic fitness workout.
Aquatic Yo-Yos Class Template
Aquatic Yo-Yos includes a warm-up, cool down and five Yo-Yo exercise segments. Each Yo-Yo segment includes three components:
1. Forward and backward travel
2. Directional turns which are referred to as the “rewind”
3. Focused strength exercises
There is no equipment required in this shallow water workout, but webbed gloves can be worn for extra upper body resistance.
The action in an 8-minute Yo-Yo exercise segment is as follows.
Exercise #1 Travels forward, and Exercise #2 Travels backward – repeat 3x
Muscle Conditioning Move #1
Rewind -Directional ¼ turns to the right with Exercise #3 and #4
Muscle Conditioning Move #1
Exercise #1 Travels forward, and Exercise #2 Travels backward – repeat 3x
Muscle Conditioning Move #1
Rewind -Directional ¼ turns to the left with Exercise #3 and #4
Muscle Conditioning Move #1
4-minutes
The template now repeats with Exercise #3 and #4 moving from the rewind position to the travel position, and two new exercises (#5 and #6) used as the new rewind/turning moves, as well as a second muscle conditioning exercise.
Exercise #3 Travels forward, and Exercise #4 Travels backward – repeat 3x
Muscle Conditioning Move #2
Rewind -Directional ¼ turns to the right with Exercise #5 and #6
Muscle Conditioning Move #2
Exercise #3 Travels forward, and Exercise #4 Travels backward – repeat 3x
Muscle Conditioning Move #2
Rewind -Directional ¼ turns to the left with Exercise #5 and #6
Muscle Conditioning Move #2
In Yo-Yo #2, exercises #5 and #6 move out of the rewind box and into the travel pattern. New exercises are then introduced for the rewind and for the muscle conditioning.
This is a fun cardio and strength class format that can be replicated by adding your own favorite moves into the template.
Fitmotivation extends a big thank you to Miff for sharing one of her favorite classes with subscribers. Check out all of Miff’s Fitmotivation aquatic fitness videos.
