What is Aquatherapy and How Can it Benefit You?
You know that exercise and staying physically active are essential to maintaining your overall health and wellness, but perhaps you are having difficulty finding an activity that is easy on your joints. Maybe, you want to try something different to spice up your fitness routine. You could even have found yourself in a situation where you do not have time to fit the recommended stretching, strength training, and aerobic activities into your day separately, so you have just given up.
Well, aquatherapy could be the solution. Aquatherapy provides many benefits, and our team at Uplands Village, a life plan community in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, is sharing some of them along with a few safety tips.
First of All: What is Aquatherapy?
According to Physiopedia, aquatherapy “is any activity performed in water to assist in rehabilitation and recovery from, e.g., hard training or serious injury. It is a form of exercise in warm water and is a popular treatment for patients with neurologic and musculoskeletal conditions.”
Other names for aquatherapy include hydrotherapy, aquatic rehabilitation, pool therapy, and therapeutic aquatic exercise.
Benefits of Aquatherapy
Reduces Impact on Weight-Bearing Joints
Exercising in water feels different than working out on dry land, and one of the reasons for this is the buoyancy that water provides. This buoyancy can help support your body weight, reducing the force of stress placed on your weight-bearing joints by more than 50%. As a result, performing exercises should be easier and less painful.
No Risk of Falls
A growing concern as we age is our risk of experiencing a fall, but the buoyancy provided by aquatherapy exercises essentially eliminates this risk. You no longer have to worry about tripping or taking a wrong step during your workout and injuring yourself as you attempt to strengthen your muscles. Instead, the water helps hold you secure and upright.
Increased Resistance
When you exercise in water, you typically don’t need to use extra weights. This is because the viscosity of water increases resistance which in turn helps to build endurance and strength. Additionally, the resistance of water assists in encouraging balance and coordination, maintaining or regaining muscle tone, and increasing flexibility.
Decreased Swelling
Very Well Health states, “aquatic therapy also utilizes hydrostatic pressure to decrease swelling and improve joint position awareness. The hydrostatic pressure produces forces perpendicular to the body’s surface. This pressure provides joint positional awareness to the patient.”
This type of pressure can be especially beneficial for those who have experienced joint sprains or other injuries, and individuals who are living with arthritis symptoms.
Muscle Relaxation
Another benefit of aquatherapy is that it can relax your muscles while staying active. The warm temperature of the water helps to stimulate blood flow throughout your body and improve circulation, which leads to muscle relaxation. Furthermore, this increased blood flow also works for injuries, promoting healing.
Staying Safe in the Water
While there are many benefits of aquatherapy, it is still important to use caution, just like any other form of exercise. Here are a few tips on how to make the most out of your aquatherapy experience while ensuring safety:
- Pace yourself and always consult your doctor before making changes to your fitness routine
- Never swim or do water exercises alone
- Consider wearing goggles to protect your eyes
- Drink plenty of water during your workout
- Use sunscreen if you are swimming outside
Aquatherapy at Uplands Village
Our life plan community in Pleasant Hill, Tennessee, offers residents endless amenities and opportunities for engagement, including an on-site aquatic center.
The Aquatic Therapy Center at Uplands Village features a large, 20’ x 60’ lap pool for swimmers as well as a warmer and shallower water therapy pool that is wheelchair-accessible for aquatic exercise classes and rehabilitative therapies.
In addition, our aquatic center has an 8-person hot tub and several dressing rooms, including one designated for couples or caregivers to help those who may need additional assistance.
At Uplands Village, we have something to offer everyone. To learn more about our aquatic therapy center, care services, or the many other features of our life plan community, please visit our website or contact a member of our team.