Taking a lovely swim in a pool is refreshing, relaxing, and a whole lot of fun. However, many people use pools to exercise and strengthen their muscles. Performing any sort of underwater exercise turns any pool time into hydrotherapy. Not only is this a great exercise, but it can do wonders for both osteoarthritis and inflammatory types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis.
How Does Hydrotherapy help?
Hydrotherapy is a great way to help combat arthritis because of its low impact while still strengthening your muscles. Anyone who has ever walked in the water before knows it’s not an easy feat. It requires muscles that you may not use as often as if you just walked on land. Using these extra muscles helps strengthen your entire body, which in turn gives your body the extra boost it needs to perform these tasks in your everyday life. Not to mention, hydrotherapy is low impact. You don’t have the burden of gravity causing an unnecessary strain on your joints and hips. This lets you isolate the muscle you want to work out and have a ton of fun in the process.
The first thing to note when performing hydrotherapy is how much water is in the pool. It is recommended that water levels are at least anywhere between waist and shoulder height. This ensures that the body is submerged in an effort to get the most out of the workouts. There are tons of different hydro therapies, all with their own benefits.
Types of hydrotherapy
Physical Therapy Hydrotherapy
The most common type is physical therapy hydrotherapy. This is performed under the instructions of a physical therapist who has access to equipment inside the pool. This equipment can be anything from an exercise bike, treadmill, or even just bars inside the pool for resistance training.
Community Pool
Your community pool may have an assortment of classes you can join to get the most out of your workouts. Water aerobics is a common class that gets you moving and, not to mention, is a lot of fun. These classes are not always taught by physical therapists but rather by personal trainers or fitness instructors.
Research proves that additional exercise is beneficial to help reduce the symptoms of arthritis. They reduce fatigue, increase stamina, and lower the risk of any serious inflammatory issues. Many sufferers of arthritis avoid exercise all together because the pain is just unbearable. Land exercises cause strain and exhaustion, and sometimes it’s hard to see the benefits when the pain sets in. Taking those exercises to the pool helps alleviate some of that strain while still getting the exercise your body craves.
Warm water therapy is something that many people with arthritis claim soothes and reinvigorates their body. A heated pool is just the ticket to having access to some of the best pain relief out there. Not to mention that it improves cardiovascular health as well as strengthens muscles. Even if you’re a poor swimmer or you can’t swim at all, you can still take advantage of many different types of hydrotherapy. Simply walking in the shallow end of a heated pool can give so many more benefits than just walking on land alone.
So if you’re interested in trying something new that has a proven track record, give hydrotherapy a chance. We’re sure that after your first dip in the pool, you’ll be anxious to come back. Taking an hour at least two to three times a week can give you and your body a much-needed boost. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is and how much fun you’ll have.
