More and more professional and collegiate sports programs are adopting aquatic therapy as part of their training regimen. Due to the natural buoyancy and resistance of water, it creates an ideal environment for athletes to practice form, mobility, and flexibility as it allows for a full range of motion.
Alberto Salazar, Olympic coach and NYC Marathon champion, recommends that his athletes combine both dry land running and underwater treadmill training. This not only strengthens the same muscles used in running, but it will also allow the runner to focus on their form. The athlete can perfect any mistakes that may be causing unnecessary stress during dry-land running. Some of the more advanced aquatic therapy pool manufacturers even offer under-water video recording to help easily identify any irregularities in the athlete’s movement.
The healing rate of many injuries can be sped up dramatically by using warm water therapy pools. Due to the buoyancy effect of water, impact pressure is decrease by up to 90% depending on how much of the body is submerged. This will he prevent any further injuries. Many professional teams are incorporating aquatic therapy into their training and recovery programs. For example, the European Futbol club Manchester united purchased an exercise pool, the Hydroworx 500i, to be used in their training facility. One of their star attackers, Cristiano Ronaldo, used the pool to recover from ankle surgery a month earlier than originally expected. The Philadephia Phillies, Tampa Bay Rays, The Pittsburg Steelers, and many other professional and collegiate teams are using these pools in a similar manner.
If you are currently suffering from any sports or impact-related injuries, aquatic therapy may be of help. I recommend you check with your local athletic facilities and see if they offer any classes. With a little patience, you should be ready to hit the road running in no time.
