Aquatic Therapy Comes of Age By Skip Phairas P


eople have a special relationship with water. Born in water, we remain


linked to it forever. Whether an individual uses water for recreation or for exercise, water can do amazing things for the body. Not only can it help keep you in shape, but it can also be used as a beneficial form of therapy, often called aquatic therapy.


Aquatic Therapy— What’s Your Flavor?


But what exactly is aquatic therapy? For our use, we refer to aquatic therapy as any form of exercise in water performed specifically to heal or improve some part of our bodies. Through time, aquatic therapy has proven to be an excellent form of exercise and is widely used today to treat a variety of physical conditions.


The first form of aquatic therapy was surely a natural hot spring, quietly bubbling out of the ground and forming a pool large enough for a human to settle into. Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C. referred to “the healing effects of soothing water.” And who can deny the prominence of the famed Roman baths? As humanity evolved, so did aquatic therapy. And that trend continues today.


The Therapeutic Benefits of Water Water offers a number of natural components that just


work well on the human body. They include: Buoyancy


Buoyancy directly tackles the effects of gravity on the


body by reducing your effective weight in water with the result that you put far less stress on joints than you would on land. The deeper you stand in water, the more weightless you are. For many people who are overweight, exercising in water gives them the freedom to actually create movements that would hurt their lower joints too much to do on land. Less pain encourages more movement. The same goes for people who have been recently injured or are recovering from surgery.


Temperature Advanced Aquatic Therapy & Exercise Center


Warm water helps dilate the blood vessels. Muscles that are tight and sore now become relaxed and begin to work better than they would otherwise, allowing a person to move better and with a wider range of motion. Warm water also helps reduce stress and anxiety, working to get our attitudes in the proper perspective, too. Today, virtually all “therapeutic” pools offer warm water, with most pool water temperatures kept between 88 degrees and 92 degrees. Resistance


• Surgery & Injury Recovery


• Improve Balance & Core Strength


• Build Lean Muscle Mass & Train the Way the Pros Do!


(530) 717-7202 • 555 Flying V Street, Suite 4 www.ChicoHydrotherapy.com


4 www.lotusguide.com (also Known as “Viscosity”)


Water has a natural property called viscosity, often referred to as “resistance.” The resistance of water is much greater than the resistance of air, so people who exercise in water use more muscles and use them harder than they would when doing the same movement on land. Water resistance is also unique because it can be felt in all directions of movement simultaneously, providing a more efficient workout.


Hydrostatic Pressure


Water also creates a unique pressure called hydrostatic pressure. Hydrostatic pressure is the external pressure exerted on the body by the weight of the water.


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