Aqua Aerobics for Physical Therapy

Physical therapy (PT) in the form of aqua aerobics is becoming increasingly common for treating people who have compromised bodily movements due to factors such as trauma from a physical injury, physical disability or disease. Application of aqua aerobics also includes the rehabilitation or treatment of people with respiratory or circulatory problems, cardiac diseases and muscle weakness. It is also offered as a part of wellness programs and recommended for pregnant women.

Aqua Aerobics Basics

Aqua aerobics is often referred to as aquatic therapy, water-based physical therapy or pool therapy. As the name suggests, this refers to a form of physical exercise that is conducted using water as a medium. In a typical aqua aerobics session, people stand, partially submerged in a pool and perform controlled body movements to increase their range of motion, strengthen muscles and improve their overall physical conditioning.

The increasing popularity of aqua aerobics is largely due to the fact that it is more effective than the conventional form of physical therapy. Most people find aqua aerobics to be less demanding and more soothing than conventional physical therapy.

Most PT instructors prefer the water to be around the chest level of patients. Common aqua aerobic sessions include running or walking against the water current. Some regimens include team formats wherein each participant performs lifting of hips or hands while holding onto designated partners.

Guiding Principles of Aqua Aerobics

Aqua aerobics uses a rather simple principle. Since the person is partially submerged in water when performing the exercises, his body is naturally positioned against the resistance of water. This essentially means that the body is inherently pushed into a state of making a greater effort to maintain its balance and execute any movement. Similar physical actions when performed in a normal/dry state would require lesser effort. However, the greater effort needed to perform exercises in water doesn’t prove discomforting during aqua aerobics. This is due to two reasons.

Firstly, a body submerged in water is acted upon by the buoyant force of water. This force acts against the weight of the body, pushing it upwards. The buoyancy ensures that strenuous exercises directed in the upward direction (towards the water surface) can be performed with greater ease. Secondly, being surrounded by water invariably means that the usual attributes of physical exhaustion, such as perspiration, are largely negated. Further, the water current has a slight, massage-like action on the body of the patients, further relaxing them.

Applications of Aqua Aerobics Include:

Alleviation of Pain  

The pressure and temperature of water is adjusted in such a manner that it helps to alleviate the pain. This is a common application of aqua aerobics for people who suffer from arthritis and muscle spasms. Sessions are held in very cold water for patients suffering from extensive swelling in the limbs. Cold temperatures help to numb the pain and alleviate the inflammation to some degree. Similarly, warm water sessions might be recommended to patients where impaired muscular movement is the main problem.

Increased Peripheral Circulation

Peripheral vascular diseases (PVD) can be effectively treated with aqua aerobics to some extent. Aqua aerobics increases the circulation among the upper and lower limbs. The increased circulation ensures that oxygen and nutrients are uniformly supplied to all body parts. This helps to alleviate the formation of clots or thrombus that is commonly associated with PVD.

Obesity Treatment

The undemanding nature of aqua aerobics has ensured that even obese individuals can perform it, helping them to burn more calories and improve their overall, cardiovascular conditioning.