Water Therapy: The Key To Better Health

If you have ever thought “I need to take better care of my health,” then you are absolutely right. Taking care of your health is key to having a better life. If you have ever been unwell, then you understand that few things can disrupt your life the way bad health does. And, nothing hurts more than a sickness that you know you could have avoided if you had taken better care of your health. 

Taking care of your health starts with exercising. One form of exercise beneficial to your health is water therapy. Engaging in water therapy sessions will help relieve pain, keep fit, all while protecting your body from the risks of injury associated with on-land exercises.

What Is Water Therapy

Water therapy, also known as hydrotherapy, is a form of physical therapy in which individuals are immersed in warm water heated to 31-35 degrees. The goal of this type of treatment is to improve mobility, flexibility, and strength by exercising through the resistance provided by the water.

How Does Water Therapy Work?

Hydrotherapy is a low-impact way to exercise, treat injuries, disabilities and other health conditions. It’s suitable for people who want to manage their pain or who have recently suffered an injury. It uses the buoyancy of water to support 90% of your body to help you to perform exercises in water that you can’t do on land.

Water therapy helps you with:

• Pain management
• Range of motion
• Balance training
• Strength training and endurance
• Weight management

Equipment For Water Therapy

Whether you’re looking to keep fit, ease pain in your back or improve flexibility in your hips, there are hydrotherapy equipment developed to ensure you get the best results out of your training sessions. 

A variety of equipment available for water therapy include:

• Hydrorider/ Aqua Bike– This is a bicycle that is suspended over water can help you increase your cardiovascular endurance, improve coordination, balance, and posture Improve circulation and reduce fluid retention, improves mood and overall flexibility without putting stress on your joints or muscles. The buoyancy provided by the water allows you to exercise with less effort so that it doesn’t feel like exercise at all.

• Floating Fitmat- This allows you to exercise in the pool while remaining completely stationary. You can easily stretch and do yoga exercises to strengthen core muscles, target dormant muscles, improve focus and coordination (especially for MS and Parkinson’s disease), and improve balance and posture.

• Water resistance bands- this is an elastic band specifically used for strength training for muscular conditions in underwater workout. It can also help in reducing rigidity, targeting dormant muscles, improving flexibility, improving coordination, balance, and posture, and reducing constipation when combined with deep water core exercises.

• Underwater Trampoline- Also known as an Aqua Trampoline, this is a small trampoline used under water. The underwater trampoline is helpful in hydrotherapy as it increases cardio capacity, strengthens lower back, hips, knees, and ankles, boosts coordination and agility, improves blood circulation, and increases joint flexibility.

• Underwater Treadmill- just like an on-land treadmill, an Underwater treadmill is specially made for walking and running in aquatic environment. It is mostly beneficial to athletes with injuries, elderly with walking challenges, or persons with weight management issues, stroke, tendonitis and brain injuries. It helps to decreases both joint & muscle pain, improve flexibility and the quality of sleep, improve balance, function, and mobility and to lower joint stress caused by land exercises. 

Is water therapy suitable for everyone?

Because water therapy is a low-impact exercise, it’s suitable for people of all ages and abilities. If you are healthy and simply want to take better care of your health, then hydrotherapy is for you. It is high-intensity exercise with low impact on the body, meaning you will get maximum health benefits but there is low risk of injury.

It is also suitable if you have any medical condition or injury. However, it is important for you to seek medical advice before beginning a water therapy program. Although hydrotherapy helps in recovery and pain relief, it is important to follow the directions of a medical professional. They can recommend a good water specialist and recommend exercises to avoid due to your condition. 

What are the benefits of hydrotherapy?

Water therapy has been shown to be effective in the management and improvement of a wide range of conditions, including:

•   Arthritis
•   Autism
•   Autoimmune Diseases
•   Balance Disorders
•   Chronic Pain
•   Circulation Disorders
•   Fibromyalgia
•   Heart Conditions
•   Hip Pain
•   Knee Pain
•   Knee Replacement Prehab & Recovery
•   Lipedema
•   Lower Back Pain
•   Lymphedema
•   Multiple Sclerosis
•   Osteoarthritis
•   Parkinson’s Disease
•   Plantar Fasciitis
•   Rheumatoid Arthritis
•   Stress
•   Tendonitis

  Weight Management

When it comes to hydrotherapy treatments, there are many different methods and applications that you can choose from. As such, finding the right type of hydrotherapy for your needs will require some time spent researching your options. It is always best to discuss the options with your GP.

Hydrotherapy is also a highly effective exercise regimen. The high resistance of water ensures your muscles work harder when exercising. This results in better cardiovascular health, increased muscle strength, improved flexibility, and better overall well-being.

Where to Get Water Therapy

Hydrotherapy is offered by trained professionals such as Water Resist. You can attend hydrotherapy sessions at specialized training centers, or on your own. Ensure to consult a professional before starting hydrotherapy exercises on your own to get advice on what equipment to acquire, if any, and how to undertake the exercises safely.

A good hydrotherapy trainer will do the following;

• Listen to you to understand your goals and any needs you have.
• Develop a water therapy plan specially customized according to your needs. This includes the exercises and equipment suitable for you.

Work with you to ensure you meet your goals. A good hydrotherapy professional will has significant water experience and track your progress to ensure you are hitting important milestones. Moreover, they can work with your doctor or specialist to cater to your individual needs and leverage water to help you achieve your goals.

Get Water Well

Taking care of your health is central to having a good life. Exercising is a great way of achieving better health. Hydrotherapy will give you the necessary exercise to maintain your health while protecting your muscles, tendons and bones from the risk of injury. 

Give hydrotherapy a try and feel the health benefits.