Exercising in the water has many benefits over land exercises. The buoyancy of the water lessens your apparent body weight substantially. In chin-deep water this is equivalent to only one tenth of your true body weight on land. Chest-deep water equals 25% of your body weight, and waist-deep water equals 50% of your body weight.

Water supports and allows freer movement without stressing joints. It promotes increased flexibility. Water exercise tones your muscles because it provides resistance greater than air, increases energy levels, promotes weight loss, relaxes muscles, and is fun and refreshing.

Safety precautions
Always check with your doctor before participating in any exercise program. Never exercise alone in the water and check if there is a lifeguard on duty, if it is a community pool area. Check the depth of the water before entering the pool. Listen to your body. Stop any activity if you are experiencing pain, dizziness, or become disoriented. Remember to breathe! You may wish to wear aquatic shoes to protect and cushion your feet. You may also choose to utilize some very low weight ankle weights to keep your body immersed in the pool. Properly warm up and cool down. This should include five minutes of simple walking in the pool and stretches.

One of the most important things about exercising in the pool, if you are choosing to be only chest-deep in the water, is to NOT break the water barrier with your arms. This means if you’re going to exercise in chest-deep water, use floaties above your elbows to keep your arms above the water in a comfortable, non-exerting manner. Constantly breaking the water barrier, for example arms in the water and then rising up over your head, creates tremendous stress on the shoulder and neck muscles. Either exercise with your arms in the water or floating casually on top of the water. Utilize the side rails or side of the pool for support whenever possible. Use the buoyancy of the water to assist yourself and the resistance of the water to gradually progress your program. Exercise up to or under your limits of tolerable discomfort and range of motion of all joints.

Main exercises that can be done in the water are:
Begin with a five minute warm up, five minutes of active motion and five minutes of cool-down.

1. Water walking - Stand chest-deep in the water and begin to walk forward, either holding onto the side with one arm or freely walking. Progress to a backward walking and sideward walking each direction.
   
   
2. Leaning against the side of the pool for support, perform your arm stretches across the front of your chest and then back out, as if to expand the chest bone.
   
   
3. Rocking horse - In waist-deep water, either holding onto the side with one arm, and of course alternating sides, lift your right arm away from your side backwards as your right leg goes backwards. Gently rock forward onto your left foot. When landing keep your knees slightly bent. Rock back and forth on the same side three to four times and then turn and switch sides. If you’re doing this without holding onto the side of the pool, remember to get your balance before you start again on the opposite side.
   
   
4. Water push-ups - Stand with your body facing or touching the wall and your hands on the pool edge, shoulder width apart. Bend your knees and push off from the bottom and straighten your elbows lifting your body weight, as best as you can up out of the water. For some people this will only be a few inches and for others you may get all the way out of the water, with your arms completely straight. Do not over-exert your arm, neck and shoulder muscles in this activity.
   
   
5. Trunk twist - Stand in chest-deep or neck-deep water with your hands on your hips. If you require balance, stand facing the pool edge holding on gently to the edge of the water. If you are standing without holding onto the edge of the pool, gently rotate your upper body side to side, twisting your shoulders and your head to each side. For increased exercise you can extend your arms out in front of you, under the water, and do the same trunk twist. If you are holding onto the side of the pool, rotate your hips rather than your chest.
   
   
6. Leg criss cross - Comfortably leaning against the corner of the pool with both arms relaxed onto the edge of the pool. If you are a beginner, sit on the seat of the pool. Separate your legs into a V position and then bring them across each other, like a scissors opening and closing. Alternate right leg across left, left leg across right. If you are more advanced and have good abdominal muscles you can do this at the side of the pool, not sitting on a seat, with your arms on top of the pool edge, your neck slightly bent forward to relax your neck muscles, and your legs at about a 45 degree angle in the water. This will require the use of your abdominal muscles to maintain this position while you criss cross or scissors your legs.
   
   
7. Stepping - Most often pools have steps going into the water. You can use this as a modified aerobic activity by simply stepping up and down, left foot up left foot down, right foot up right foot down, in an alternating fashion. I suggest your start with three sets of repetitions, left, left, right, right, etc., and then relax. This is a good starting point.
   
   
8. Cooling down - Time to finish off with your gentle stretching exercises:
   1. Stand in the pool, neck-deep and gently rotate your head left ear to left shoulder, bending it slightly forward and rolling it as far as you can to the right and then back again to the left. Do this gentle stretch three times.
      
      
   2. Gentle shoulder rolls forward and backward, with your arms casually hanging by your side.
      
      
   3. Stand by the edge of the pool holding on with two hands and go into a lunge position, which is one foot forward with a bent knee and the other leg behind you straight. Gently stretch the back of your heel and calf on the straightened leg that is behind you as you slightly lean your chest into the wall. Do this three times on each leg.

Progress from that point forward ALWAYS remembering to progress with the active exercises forward, ALWAYS remember the five minute warm up and five minute cool down.

Progression suggestions
Always start with a warm up and a cool down. Increase the active exercise time and you can modify your program using the water as follows:

1. Move your arms and legs more forcefully against the resistance of the water.
   
   
2. Increase the repetitions of each exercise and the sets of repetitions. For example, I suggest your start with three repetitions three sets and progress up to five repetitions three sets; five repetitions five sets. Remember to balance your upper body with lower body.
   
   
3. Add water equipment such as gentle wrist or leg weights that are of course waterproof.
4. Add a slightly weighted vest as you move about in the water. This will help keep you in the water and provide some resistance as you move through the water.

Remember to rest and stand or sit quietly before exiting the pool. Have assistance available if you require help getting out of the pool. Have fun!!!

Additional Resources

1. If you have any questions regarding pool exercises you may contact us with general (not personal) questions at our e-mail address “office@valleytherapy.com”.
2. American Physical Therapy Association: APTA, 111 North Fairfax St, Alexandria, VA 22314-1488. Ask for the brochure “What you need to know about arthritis”.
3. W.E.T. Workout: Water Exercise Techniques for Strengthening, Toning and Lifetime Fitness by Jane Katz, Ed.D. ISBN# 0-8160-3342-0, publisher FACTS on File, Inc., (800) 322-8755.

Darice M. Putterman, PT,LAc, CAAAPM, CTIACA Edit and review by Lisa Madonia, MS, PT, FAAPM & Jeffrey Flocker, CMT, PT ©dmp-may be reprinted with permission from author

Call for more information about Skilled Physical Therapy by Qualified and Experienced Physical Therapists, Aquatic Exercise programs, Flexibility and stretching exercises, Pilates-Based Exercises and Massage Gift Certificates. 480-922-1376

The staff at Valley Therapy Services, PC: The Team Managed Centreã hopes that you have found our web articles helpful. We would appreciate your input for future article topics. Please email us at: office@valleytherapy.com.