From people managing arthritis and chronic pain to those recovering from an injury or surgery, it can be frustrating knowing movement could help, but finding that every attempt leaves you sore, stiff or wondering whether it was worth it. Eventually, exercise can start to feel like something your body can’t do, rather than something that could help you feel better.
But what if the answer isn’t to push harder? What if it’s to change the environment?
That’s where hydrotherapy can make a real difference!
There’s plenty of advice out there that boils down to “just move more.” But that doesn’t account for the person:
- whose knee hurts every time they stand up
- whose hip struggles with a short walk
- or who’s not quite ready to load their joints normally after surgery.
For these people, the barrier isn’t necessarily motivation. It’s that land based exercise can be uncomfortable. And if something consistently hurts, it’s understandable that you’d be reluctant to keep doing it.
Sometimes, finding a different way to move is the best place to start.
Why does exercising in water feel different?
Buoyancy supports some of your body weight, reducing the load on your joints and making movements like walking, squatting and stepping more manageable. But here’s the important bit: water still provides resistance. That means you can work on:
- Strength and muscle function
- Balance and coordination
- Joint mobility and movement
- Cardiovascular fitness
Warm water may also help ease muscle tension and make movement feel more comfortable, particularly when you’re dealing with stiffness. The result? You can often move more comfortably while still giving your body something useful to work against.
Because exercising in water can feel easier on your joints, it’s sometimes assumed that it isn’t doing much. Water creates resistance as you move, and exercises can be adjusted to suit your abilities and goals. For example, you can change the difficulty by adjusting your:
- Movement speed
- Range of motion
- Body position
- Exercise technique
- Level of resistance
Hydrotherapy isn’t just floating around having a nice time. Although, admittedly, that sounds pretty good too!
Who can benefit from hydrotherapy?
Hydrotherapy can be particularly useful for people managing:
- Arthritis and joint pain
- Musculoskeletal and chronic pain
- Neurological conditions
- Recovery following orthopaedic surgery
- Conditions that make land based exercise difficult or uncomfortable
- It can also be a great option if you’re nervous about returning to exercise after a break.
You don’t necessarily need to be completely pain free before you start moving. The goal is to find an approach you can tolerate, then gradually build your capacity.
What does a hydrotherapy session actually look like?
Our hydrotherapy sessions run Wednesdays at 10am at the Valleys.
Here’s what you can expect:
- 50 minute sessions to work on your strength, mobility and fitness
- A maximum of eight participants per session
- Your own individualised program based on your goals, condition and current abilities
- Supervision from an Exercise Physiologist throughout the session
- Session cost: $35 per session.
This isn’t a generic water aerobics class where everyone does the same thing at the same intensity. Your program is built around you, and your Exercise Physiologist can adjust it as you go. Some days you might be ready to progress an exercise. Other days, you might need to modify it. That’s completely fine. The aim is to find the right starting point and build from there.
You’ll need an initial assessment before your first class so we can understand your needs and develop your individualised program. Of course, hydrotherapy isn’t suitable for everyone, and the right approach depends on your health, condition and individual circumstances. An assessment helps determine whether it’s appropriate for you.
Ready to give hydrotherapy a go?
If land based exercise has felt out of reach because of joint pain, hydrotherapy might be worth exploring. You don’t have to suddenly start walking five kilometres, and you don’t need to prove anything by grinding through an exercise your body isn’t ready for.
You can start where you are and gradually build your strength, fitness and confidence.
You might not need to push harder. You might just need to change the environment you’re exercising in.
Interested in getting started?
Call Optimum Exercise Physiology on 8873 0628 or book your initial assessment online.
Let’s find a way of moving that works for you.
