Water Exercise for Physical Disabilities

Water therapy exercise, also known as aquatic therapy or pool therapy, is used widely to assist individuals with pain relief, to work and strengthen muscles and to help individuals who are not able to perform land-based exercises (standing exercises) due to physical disabilities. Water therapy is especially useful for people who have diabetes, osteoporosis, or muscle tears or strains. Water exercises are more soothing and physically accepting to people facing physical disabilities who desire to work out and stay healthy.

Water Benefits

• Several important benefits make water exercises a likely choice for individuals coping with physical disabilities. For starters, there's buoyancy. Buoyancy helps to support the individual's weight while immersed in the water. It counteracts gravity and helps to keep the person afloat, improving overall balance and strength. In addition, water provides slight friction, which strengthens and conditions injuries.

  Water exercises were designed to put minimal weight and pressure on the spine and muscles. Pain isn't a common denominator with water therapy due to other factors that exist during exercising, such as the pleasant sound of water, water vibrations and the warmth of the water.

The Basics

• Many basic techniques for water exercises exist, but keep in mind that the exercises should be tailored to an individual's health and disability level. Some exercises can be performed in shallow pools or using technically advanced underwater treadmills and other equipment.

Water Exercises

• The following are simple water exercises that can be changed for increasing degrees of difficulty as needs fit.

  Knee to chest--To begin, the exerciser places one hand on the side of the pool. Next, using her other hand, she does leg stretches that stretch the lower back, the gluteal muscles, the hip, quadriceps and hamstrings by lifting the leg in an upward motion toward the chest.

  Pool walking--Walking up and down the pool in chest-deep water helps to improve muscle strength and particularly works the leg muscles. This exercise can be upgraded by including light weights.

  Leg raises--To carry out this exercise, one leg is stretched outward with the other leg behind it and slightly bent. One hand is placed on the side of the pool for support. This exercise helps to strengthen and stretch out the back, leg muscles and hips.

  Super-man body stretch--Both hands are placed on the side of the pool with the remaining parts of the body outstretched in the water. For example, the exerciser should assume he is in the "Superman" flying position. He may kick slightly to stretch out joints and muscles or simply rest in this position. This exercise assists in stretching out all regions of the body.