Benefits of Using a Pool Treadmill

If you’re recovering from a running injury or want to increase your endurance and speed, you may want to look into an underwater treadmill. These specialized pool tanks offer the same cardiovascular benefits as walking on a traditional treadmill while providing a stronger, more muscle-toning workout.

When using a water treadmill, it’s important to start slowly and gradually increase your time to avoid pain and injury. Read on to learn more about the many advantages of this type of exercise.

Low-Impact Cardiovascular Exercise

Using a treadmill in the water allows a person to exercise at their own pace without any discomfort. The buoyancy of the water and the resistance provided by the treadmill can increase a person’s heart rate, burn calories and help build muscle without putting too much stress on their joints.

In addition to walking and jogging at their own pace, people can also perform various exercises in the water to improve their balance, posture, strength, and mobility. Some of these exercises include squats, lunges, and leg lifts. In addition, using a pool treadmill can increase the intensity of cardio workouts by adding a bit more challenge with the added resistance of the water.

An underwater treadmill is often built into a physical therapy pool for added convenience for patients. However, it can also be purchased and inserted into an existing swimming pool. For example, the Endless Pools Hydrostride treadmill can be easily installed in a new pool within a few hours. This self-powered, portable treadmill can go from a slow walk to a fast run.

Typically, a physical therapist will encourage an aquatic walking program to help patients recover faster than if they were only doing land-based exercises. In addition, a physical therapist can also incorporate the use of underwater cameras to observe a patient’s gait and form while they are walking on the treadmill. This can help them correct any abnormalities and improve the patient’s overall mobility, strength, and stability.

Weight Loss

If you’re looking to lose weight, walking and jogging on the Endless Pools underwater treadmill will provide you with pool treadmill a cardio workout that burns more calories than traditional land-based exercise. This is because the resistance of the water challenges your muscles and increases the intensity of your workout.

In addition to providing a healthy cardiovascular workout, running on a water treadmill can improve your balance and flexibility. The gentle ebbs and flows of the water create a massage-like effect on your body, which helps loosen tight muscles and tendons. In addition, the buoyancy of the water increases your range of motion and strengthens your ankles, which is especially beneficial if you are recovering from a sprained or twisted ankle.

A recent study at Texas A&M found that athletes who alternated underwater treadmill workouts with on-land strength training experienced greater gains in lean body mass than those who only performed non-aquatic exercise. Walking on a water treadmill also builds strength in your legs, which is ideal for those recovering from hip or leg injuries or surgery.

Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned athlete, the versatile design of the Endless Pools underwater treadmill allows you to walk, jog, run or perform exercises such as lunges and squats. You can increase, decrease or pre-program your treadmill speed to suit your individual needs. And, because the underwater treadmill is designed to be submerged in your iPool all year long, it is durable and easy to use.

Post-Operative Recovery

Whether it’s a professional athlete preparing for an important event or an injury victim undergoing physical therapy, incorporating a pool treadmill into a workout regimen benefits people of all ages. The warm water of the therapeutic tub relieves pressure on joints, soothes aches and pains and improves balance, posture, flexibility and mobility. This low-stress workout also promotes muscle toning and enhances circulation, speeding the healing process after an injury or surgery.

Physical therapists often recommend that patients take a break from exercise to heal after an injury or surgery, but using an underwater treadmill allows them to get back into motion sooner. Unlike regular treadmills that can be found in fitness centers and gyms, a pool treadmill has a conveyor belt submerged in the water. This belt is powered by a motor, and some models can reach speeds of up to 8.5 mph, while others offer different height settings for the water, jets that add resistance and a time-elapsed display monitor. Hudson Aquatic Systems, HydroWorx and Hydro Physio manufacture several systems that are available for purchase and installation in existing pool tubs.

Studies have shown that patients who alternate treadmill exercises with on-land strength training see greater improvements in flexion, abduction and adduction than those who perform pool treadmill non-aquatic exercises alone. For patients that are recovering from arthritic knee, hip or ankle problems, this type of rehabilitation can improve range of motion and reduce pain in the joints.

Osteoarthritis

In addition to its many health benefits, the natural buoyancy of water and an underwater treadmill can help people with joint pain and mobility issues, such as knee osteoarthritis. The weightless quality of the water reduces the impact on joints, but still provides a challenging workout. By allowing you to increase your speed and adjust the resistance, an Endless Pools Aquatic Treadmill offers options for all fitness levels.

A Colorado State University study found that exercise in the water helped diminish the progression of knee OA. The aquatic treadmill helped support a more normal gait pattern, decreased pain and improved balance. It was also found that patients experienced a greater range of motion and fewer signs of lameness in their knees.

A physical therapist may prescribe walking exercises in a therapy pool or underwater treadmill for a patient with arthritic legs. Patients with knee or hip OA, for example, can use a HydroWorx 1200 Series pool to build up leg strength and improve balance. In addition, the attached massage hose can be used to loosen stiff muscles and ease discomfort. A physiotherapist will develop a customized aquatic workout for each patient and monitor their progress using video recording. Patients can gradually work up to longer periods of time running on the treadmill once they and their doctor have determined that it is safe for them.