The Benefits of an Underwater Treadmill
An underwater treadmill offers you the same cardio and fat-burning benefits of land running while reducing stress on joints. It allows you to walk or jog at your own pace and provides an intense core workout and lower body strength conditioning.
The added resistance of water also increases the intensity of the workout, making it ideal for those who want to increase their mileage without increasing their joint stress or recovering from injury.
Reduces Stress on Joints
If you’re a runner who has been injured, or simply want to exercise without the jarring impact of running on land, the underwater treadmill is the perfect solution. The principle of buoyancy combined with water resistance reduces body weight by up to 75 percent, meaning your joints have significantly less stress put on them when exercising on the underwater treadmill.
In a study conducted by the University of Utah, participants that walked on an underwater treadmill burned the same number of calories as those walking on a regular land-based treadmill but experienced significantly less joint pain. This is because of the reduced bodyweight on the joints and increased vascular pressure that helps to decrease swelling, as well as the added benefit of a supercharged venous return process to clear metabolic waste.
The underwater treadmill also has the option to add turbulence, which increases the exertion level for a more intense workout, but this is only recommended for patients that can walk on the underwater treadmill for 20 minutes without becoming fatigued and should not be used in unstable tibias or prior to anterior cruciate ligament surgery. For the rest, it is a great way to increase endurance and strength training in an environment that is safe for most injuries.
Increases Muscle Strength
If you’re an athlete, or a patient recovering from lower body surgery, an underwater treadmill is an excellent way to get back in the game. In water, a person only bears 20% of their weight which greatly reduces joint stress. Additionally, combining water treadmill workouts with on-land strength training leads to improved muscle mass compared to just performing strength training on land.
Athletes and patients alike have noticed that the treadmill offers a unique and powerful training tool to improve their performance on land. Many professional and collegiate athletes rely on the aquatic treadmill as a Underwater treadmill way to build leg strength while improving running form, posture, balance, and mobility.
The underwater treadmill also enables patients with a wide variety of injuries and conditions to exercise comfortably. Even healthy dogs can benefit from the treadmill, strengthening their muscles and tendons while relieving pain and allowing them to train more often without injury. In addition, the underwater treadmill allows for adjustments in speed and resistance.
Reduces Swelling
While an underwater treadmill isn’t a cure-all for all injuries, it can greatly reduce swelling and edema (swelling) from joint impact. In fact, depending on the water level, your body weight can be reduced by up to 75 percent! This makes it easier for injured or overweight pets to exercise without causing additional stress on their joints.
In addition to reducing joint stress, the buoyancy of the water can also help increase flexibility. This is due to the movement and cardiovascular conditioning exercises that are performed while walking on a treadmill in the warm water. As a bonus, the massage jets in our HydroWorx pool provide an added benefit of soothing sore muscles and improving circulation.
Patients who suffer from osteoarthritis and other conditions that result in muscle atrophy can see a marked improvement in their strength and range of motion after using the underwater treadmill. In addition, more frequent sessions of aquatic therapy can help patients overcome the fear that Underwater treadmill often results from an injury or chronic joint problems. This confidence can lead to more activity on land.
Relieves Pain
Whether you are an athlete recovering from an injury or a patient with chronic musculoskeletal pain, exercising on the underwater treadmill can help reduce the pain you feel. This is because running in water reduces the impact of your weight by up to 75 percent and can improve your balance and strength.
Often, even dogs that don’t like to exercise on land enjoy walking on the underwater treadmill because it gives them a good workout. It also provides an opportunity to treat them with treats or toys that encourage them to walk on the treadmill. This type of therapy is so effective that we have seen a dog that refuses to use one leg on land suddenly begin to use the limb in the underwater treadmill.
The water’s buoyancy and stability also reduce joint stress, soothe aching muscles and provide a massage effect on the body. In addition, the warm water allows your dog to exercise 3 to 5 times harder than on land and provides a high-intensity cardiovascular workout while simultaneously relieving pain.
Reduces Accidents
Depending on the water level of the pool, a running workout in an aquatic treadmill can have less than half the impact of the same workout on land. This reduces the stress on joints, bones and muscles and helps those recovering from injuries get back to normal exercise sooner. Elite coaches like Alberto Salazar use his athletes to run on an underwater treadmill to supplement their weekly mileage and help them recover from hard training sessions.
Many physical therapists recommend aquatic treadmill exercise for patients with knee and hip osteoarthritis, those recovering from surgery or injury and those managing a neurologic condition like degenerative myelopathy. Most patients are willing to exercise on a swimming pool treadmill if they are slowly introduced to the equipment. Treats placed on the ramp and tread and even a frozen cup smeared with peanut butter can motivate those who are reluctant to walk or run in the pool.
The adjustable speed and resistance of a HydroWorx 1200 series pool treadmill allow physical therapists to customize the workout for their patients to meet individual fitness goals. The warm, therapeutic water of the aquatic treadmill relaxes joints and muscles, reduces swelling, increases strength, improves flexibility and boosts on-ground physical stamina.
