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:
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.
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