How Aquatic Exercise Can Help Your Balance

Do you sometimes feel unsteady on your feet? Have you recently fallen because of this?

Falls are the leading cause of injury in adults age 65 and older. Every year, one-third of people over age 65 fall, and two-thirds of people who fall have a second fall within six months.

Lack of physical activity is one of the leading risk factors of falls. Failure to exercise on a daily basis can result in decreased strength, poor muscle tone, and loss of flexibility and bone mass, but aquatic physical therapy may be a good place to begin improving your balance. Exercising in the pool has the following effects:

  • The fluid gradient of water allows for increased control as it flows around you
  • Water causes buoyancy and reduces the stress on your joints allowing more fluid movements

Here are five exercises you can perform in the pool to improve balance:

Single Leg Stance
Tandem Walking
Heel Raises
Step Ups
Marching In Place

For an added challenge, try these exercises with your eyes closed, without holding onto the pool’s edge, or with your feet closer together, which makes your support base narrower.

Sheltering Arms offers therapeutic pool memberships as well as a variety of aquatic group exercise classes. Click the button below to see our full list of classes and options available to you.

Health & Wellness Classes

References:
http://www.athleticpt.com/blog/physical-therapy/6-aquatic-physical-therapy-exercises-to-improve-your-balance.html
https://www.prevention.com/fitness/a20447378/total-body-water-workout
https://4vector.com/free-vector/data-analysis-and-statistics-icon-vector-19362

Share This Post:

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
RehaBlog

More Posts

Occupational Therapy Interventions for Spinal Cord Injury: Innovative Upper Extremity Weight-Bearing Recovery

When you think of body weight support systems in physical rehab, walking probably comes to mind first. But did you know this technology can also transform arm, shoulder, and core recovery after a spinal cord injury? This high-intensity training helps build upper body strength, manage spasticity, improve posture, and boost overall endurance! Learn how we use advanced body weight support technology at Sheltering Arms Institute to help patients safely practice arm weight-bearing and how innovative technology is changing SCI therapy.

How Speech Therapy Can Help Your Cognition

After a stroke or brain injury, everyday thinking skills like memory, attention, and planning can feel overwhelming. Because these skills directly support how we communicate, SLPs use targeted strategies to help patients regain confidence and daily independence. Learn how cognitive-communication therapy can help.

5 Types of Adaptive Equipment for Individuals with Limb Loss

Navigating your home environment and daily life following limb loss can feel challenging at first. Fortunately, there is a robust market of adaptive equipment and assistive technology designed to make life safer, more accessible, and more efficient. Here are five key categories of adaptive equipment that can be highly beneficial following an amputation.

How to Prepare for Knee Replacement Surgery: 5 Ways to Support a Smoother Recovery

Preparing for a knee replacement involves more than scheduling surgery. The steps you take beforehand can make a real difference in how you move, feel, and recover afterward. Building strength, improving mobility, and knowing what to expect can help you go into surgery feeling more confident and better prepared. This approach is called prehabilitation, or prehab. Here are five ways to set yourself up for a smoother recovery after knee replacement.

How to Safely Exercise in the Summer Heat: 4 Essential Tips

Exercise is an important part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, but during hot summers it can pose a health risk. If you are someone who prefers to exercise outdoors, it is important to follow precautions and know your risk. As we exercise, our muscles work and our core body temperature rises. Our circulatory system is responsible for transporting heat to the skin surface, which causes us to sweat. When it is hot and humid outside, our bodies cannot evaporate sweat as easily, trapping more heat in the body.

Start your Journey

Learn more about Sheltering Arms Institute

Contact a specialist at Sheltering Arms Institute to learn more about how you can gain more freedom in your everyday life.