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Aquatic Fitness and Therapy Equipment Superstore |
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| Swim Training Equipment | ||||
Turn your ordinary pool into a fun and exciting lap pool! |
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Exer-Swim ProTrainer
Supplies hours of swim |
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Badu Swim Jet System
Greatly increase the level of enjoyment and the value of your swimming pool with a Badu Swim Jet System! Treadmill swimming is now convenient and economical! Provides great exercise and fun! Learn More >> |
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| Aquatic Therapy Equipment | ||||
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Make your Rehabilitation Safer & Easier! |
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| Aquatic Exercise Equipment | ||||
Reduce Joint Stress & Burn Calories with Aquatic Exercise! |
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| Aquatic Exercise Products | ||||
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- Benefits of Aquatic Exercise & Therapy
- Benefits of using an underwater treadmill
- Why Aquatic Exercise?
- Why Workout in the Water?
- How Can I Benefit Most From Aquatic Fitness?
- Helpful Hints for Aquatic Exercises
- Exercising your Aqua Fitness Opportunities
Benefits of Aquatic Exercise & Therapy
- Water buoyancy helps to protect recuperating knees, ankles and hips.
- Great for overweight individuals looking for exercise, but unable to walk far enough out of the water to effectively burn calories.
- Aquatic exercise reduces pain and increases flexibility.
- Water supports and massages the body as you exercise.
- All of the benefits of land exercise-without the sweat.
- Reduced blood pressure, stress and risk of injury.
- Often recommended following surgery to minimize postoperative swelling
- Burn more calories during and after exercise.
- More Fun!!
Benefits of using an underwater treadmill
- When exercising on an Underwater Treadmill, your full weight is not bearing down because of the buoyancy of the water, and, because of this, the impact on your joints and skeletal system is greatly reduced .. And you won't be sore tomorrow!
- Most of your effort comes from the resistance of moving your legs through the water, and since this resistance is greater than what you experience on land, you get more actual strength building benefits and calories burned per minute.
- Even if you are using an Underwater Treadmill during the hottest time of the day, you will be very comfortable because of the cooling effects of the water.
- Anyone who owns an Underwater Treadmill has greatly increased the level of enjoyment and value of their swimming pool. They have added an activity the whole family can enjoy and one that will provide health and fitness benefits for many years to come.
The following information provided by Genesee Community College:
Why Aquatic Exercise?
Aquatic Fitness offers many options and different forms of training from Lap Swimming to Water Walking. Whether you are looking to improve your Cardiovascular Endurance or Rehabilitate a chronic source of pain, Aquatic exercise can help. Always get your Medical Doctor's approval before beginning any fitness program or activity.
Most people exercise for at least one of the following reasons:
- Fitness
Cardiovascular Endurance, Muscular Strength and Endurance, Flexibility, Coordination, Agility Power and Balance are fitness components achievable for your improving and maintaining your fitness level. - Therapeutic
Exercise in water safely enables and assists you in the recovery of injuries, surgeries and illnesses and helps combat the aging process. - Stress Release
Exercising in a soothing water environment gives you a chance to forget about the stresses of work, problems and other concerns and helps you relax. - Social
Aquatic exercise allows you to meet and be with other people...since your face is out of the water, you have the opportunity to communicate and make new friends. - Comfort
The cooling and massaging effects of exercising in the water make it a great place to workout without feeling fatigued. - Fun
Enjoy the diversion. The pool environment and facility atmosphere make water a great place to laugh and have fun while doing something great for your body.
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Why Workout in the Water?
Just being in the water causes you to exercise. Every move you make in the water has to be deliberate to resist the continual pressure of the water on your body.
- Water Resistance
Because the water is a thicker medium than air, by moving in the water the amount of resistance from the water can range from 4 to 44 times that of air. Using the resistance of the water in exercise is like exercising with weights or machines on land, but safer. - Buoyancy
In chest deep water, approximately 90% of your body weight is buoyant, therefore you really are bearing only 10% of your weight when you exercise. Exercise in the water is much safer an your joints and muscles; virtually stress-free. - Water Temperature
The water temperature is the same all year long. You do not need to contend with the variability of the elements; heat, cold, rain, snow, etc. - Cooling Effect
Because of your constant movement in the water, cool water is continually moving around you, washing away your sweat and cooling you while you are exercising. You never feel over- heated and sweaty. - Massaging Effect
The hydrostatic pressure; the pressure of the water on your body, joints, muscles and internal organs, massages and comforts your body while you exercise. You never feel fatigued.
How Can I Benefit Most From Aquatic Fitness?
REMEMBER F.I.T.! In order to obtain the most benefits from any exercise program, you must have a F.I.T. program:
- FREQUENCY: Exercise at least 3 to 5 times a week. Some people exercise 5 to 7 times per week, but we suggest at least one day of rest per week.
- INTENSITY: Every time you exercise you need to achieve the same intensity level gradually, over weeks, increasing that level to improve your fitness level especially for cardiovascular benefits.
- TIME: When you exercise, the duration of your workout should range from 20 to 60 minutes. For cardiovascular benefits exercise at a moderate intensity level, should be maintained for 20 to 45 minutes.
VARY YOUR WORKOUT! The type of workouts you participate in helps to determine the types of benefits you achieve. Because different muscles are used in different activities you should participate in several types physical fitness benefits. There are many types of water exercise classes to address the different physical fitness components. Try getting involved with several different classes, altering your workouts...and if you can't get to the pool, try riding a bike or walking.
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Helpful Hints for Aquatic Exercises
- BREATHE! Don't forget to keep your breathing steady and take deep breaths. On a high intensity workout, remember to blow your air out when you exert the most energy. A great way to remember to breathe is to talk periodically while you are exercising. You should never exercise so hard that you can't talk without gasping for breaths.
- DRINK WATER! Even though you are exercising in the water, your body still perspires losing significant amounts of body fluid Remember to consume several glasses of water a few hours before and after each class. You do not want to dehydrate.
- AVOID CAFFEINE! Caffeine is a diuretic, therefore it would be beneficial for you to avoid consumption of caffeine for at least two hours before and after your workout.
- WEAR FOOTWEAR! Wearing some type of footwear during your workout will help prevent slippage, give your feet support, and protect your feet from pool to locker. Please remember to use your aquatic footwear in the pool and locker area only; not outside.
- PROTECT YOUR HAIR AND SKIN! It is beneficial for you, if your going to get your hair wet, to rinse your body and hair with fresh water before and after your workout. Rinsing your hair with fresh water will help prevent the absorption of chemicals from the pool.
- GET APPROPRIATE REST! Research shows you need at least eight hours of sleep a night for health and well being.
- TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Be wise about your health; you are the most important you.
The following information provided by Juile Twynham & Rikki Gross of www.sandfordgroup.com:
Exercising your Aqua Fitness Opportunities
Aquatic Therapy is an integrated program of intervention, offered in a warm water pool for persons suffering from a variety of dysfunctional or chronic conditions. These programs are adapted to each individual's muscular skeletal condition. Aquatic fitness becomes a viable option to decrease the effects of gravity and decrease weight bearing, decrease joint compression forces, increase functional abilities and decrease the risk of falling as well as decrease swelling and pain. This provides the individual the opportunity to perform more potential movement than individuals may perform on land, at the same intensity. Program goals should be designed to maintain an individual's ADL's (activities of daily living) in terms of both range of motion and muscular strength and endurance.
Although there are never any guarantees to positive results, most of these conditions would benefit, with an appropriately designed aquatic fitness program, based on the protocols and systems of The American Academy of Health and Fitness Professionals. Under no circumstances should these protocols be used to diagnose or establish a treatment program for any medical condition. Each condition requires medical approval and a qualified instructor. There is an appropriate facility, with adequate accessibility for both the pool and change facilities.
Warmer pool temperatures should be emphasized, between 84-92 degrees Fahrenheit or 28-33 Celsius. The muscles contract, if exercised below 83 Fahrenheit, would not be able to optimize potential range of motion. If participants are utilizing less than optimal water temperatures or do not have the muscle mass to "heat" up the body, they should be encouraged to wear thermal gear, such as a vest, long tights, unitards, shoes, mitts. Yhis will help keep them thermoregulated. If the water temperature is too warm (above 88F) cardiovascular training may not be possible, as the participant may overheat too quickly.
Equipment for assisting buoyancy. such as an aquatic fitness belt, could be successfully utilized to gradually introduce the client to weight bearing walking in the shallow end. The use of such a belt is excellent for providing more stability, assist's with balance and learning functional exercises. It also introduces some upper body water weight exercises. Fit bands, (a continuous resistance band of 30 inches or 15 inches in length) may also be utilized to teach participants exercise in the water, that may also be performed on the land. Resistance bands and water fitness equipment are necessary to help the participant to strengthen "eccentricity" or the lengthening phase of the contraction, that is important for moving against gravity which is necessary (on land).
Here are some conditions or special populations that may benefit through aquatic fitness or therapy training. Also some program recommendations.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Post Rehabilitation Program: As a primary stabilizer of the knee, during pivoting, twisting, and lateral motion, these movement patterns may be trained, in an un weight bearing position, initially in the deep water, may be graduated to shallower water, (chest depth) with a floatation device. Then ultimately to shallow water at waist depth, where they are 50% of their body weight. Strengthening exercises of the lower body, to help strengthen the muscles around the joint and increase range of motion in the knee joint, may also be programmed.
Impingement Syndrome Post Rehabilitation Program: Shoulder impingement is characterized by shoulder pain that occurs when a person moves their arm in an overhead position. Aquatic exercise may be utilized resistance. It may also take the stress off the joint, when the shoulder is trained under the water.
Low Back Pain:Low Back Pain affects 80% of the population at some point in their life. Regardless of the cause, (trauma, degeneration, genetic predisposition) low back pain responds well to a balanced total body conditioning program. Also a moderate, intensity, low or non impact, cardiovascular training program. Vertical or seated water exercise is especially beneficial at training the stabilizing "posture" muscles of the abdominals, back and hip abductors and adductor muscles.
Achilles Tendon Rupture: The rupture of the Achilles' tendon occurs, generally in middle aged men, during ballistic sports activities. Unloading the calve muscles during deep water training will provide a non impact environment to strengthen the lower leg musculature. Caution should be placed on wearing footwear or placing too much resistance (flexing feet) during moves or until the participant is strong enough to load the calve muscles.
Total Hip Replacement: Hip replacements are caused by degenerative changes in the hip. Through surgery the affected structure is replaced with a prosthesis. The reconstruction is stronger than the pre existing hip, but the person may need to develop unassisted weight bearing movement. Water exercise is an excellent way to graduate from deep to shallow water training so that they may be able to weight bear comfortably and increase mobility and strength around the hip joint
Total Knee Replacement: Arthritic changes or degeneration in the knees will cause such severe pain and dysfunction, that the individual will elect to have the knee replaced. The replacement joint may not be as durable as the actual human joint. Only improved quadriceps strength will aid in a significant return of the function of the knee. Backwards bicycling movements, in the deep water, will help them to achieve this. Also gradually performing aquatic step training in the shallow water, since it will load the quadriceps muscles.
Oesteoarthritis is cartilage degeneration that occurs in weight bearing joints, of individuals aged 45-90 years old. It is important to maximize functional strength and cardiovascular conditioning as well as maintain range of motion with a balanced water program.
Rheumatoid Arthritis is an inflammation of the joint lining (synovial membrane) as well as damage, destruction to internal joint structures, surrounding ligaments, tendons and joint capsule. It is common in 20-45 females or juvenile arthritis in children. It is important to manage inflammation and joint stability, with light muscular conditioning exercises, with full range of motion.
Fibromyalgia is common chronic pain syndrome, characterized by multiple pain locations. Aquatic exercise may provide increase in functional mobility, circulation, balance, coordination, as well as a decrease in stiffness. It is recommended to progress slowly and avoid fatigue from overexertion as well as utilize supervision throughout programming.
Pre-Post Natal Programs: It is generally accepted that expectant mothers may safely exercise throughout and after their pregnancy. Studies have suggested that, by being physically active, a women can more easily cope with the adaptation to motherhood and the increased demands on herself and the family. The water provides an environment for low, to non weight bearing, that takes weight off the vulnerable joints, provides support and makes the pregnant mum feel lighter and more comfortable, with a very low risk of injury. Active stretching of the low back helps to relieve back ache. The hydrostatic pressure of the water significantly reduces swelling in the lower limbs.
To market these types of programs, facilities should supply an appropriate description of the program and program goals. Emphasis should be placed on the education component of the session, so the participant may understand their condition and learn exercises that may help their well being. These programs may be led separately from a rehabilitation program, as a wellness or preventive program, as a means to bridge the gap from rehabilitation to fitness.
The instructor should take care to utilize the proper terminology and reference a "person with a disability" and a "person with a condition" rather than a "disabled person" or a "diseased person". Participants should be reminded that no two bodies or conditions are the same. They need to take responsibility for monitoring their pain or discomfort and perform as much of the program as they feel comfortable with. There has been a lot of talk about fitness and the seniors market and aquatic fitness is ideally suited to their requirements. So suit up and dive in!
