All over the country, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, veterinary clinics, and sports centers are installing underwater treadmills to meet the needs of animals, patients and athletes alike. Why is an underwater treadmill ideal for everyone, even high-performance athletes?
Initially the underwater treadmill offers its rehabilitation benefits: surgical patients who need to rebuild cardiac and muscular strength, pets who have suffered weight and health problems, to athletes, and not just those recovering from injury. Athletes who need to cross train or develop seasonal training options, the double benefits of resistance and impact protection that water’s viscosity provides the ideal off-days.
[ Also Read: Three Chronic Conditions That Underwater Treadmills Help Heal ]
Children, Teens, Seniors and any kind of patient recovering from surgery can return to health sooner with underwater treadmills. For this reason, over forty US hospitals have installed underwater treadmills for occupational and physical therapy. Seniors with arthritis benefit. Organ surgery? Heart, lungs, kidney, liver and more, patients need a program that rebuilds or maintains muscle and vascular health are a major health event. Even children’s hospitals are offering hydrotherapy, especially the vigorous and helpful fitness program available with underwater treadmills.
Why is an underwater treadmill good for athletes?
Athletes and their trainers too have historically sought out hydrotherapy treadmills to avoid losing time and fitness after an injury or surgery. When they’ve torn tendons and muscles, fractured bones and survived surgery, the benefits of temperature controlled, low impact physical therapy speeds recovery. From tendonitis to runner’s knee to fractures, many athletes require PT options that can be scaled according rehabilitation. While most hydrotherapy treadmills don’t include running faster than 9 miles an hour, the resistance that water brings, along with its buoyancy allows for cushioning while still working the heart and other muscles at a vigorous rate.
For this reason, athletes who prefer interval or seasonal training may find aqua treadmills the beneficial. Underwater treadmill training pushes muscles strength and heart and lung capacity. Football lineman, from college to pro, use these to prevent injury, not just heal from one, by reducing impact and strain while still maintaining strength and fitness. Major competitive football and sports university programs have purchased underwater treadmills for players. While football lineman enjoy the buoyancy that lightens their body weight while increasing resistance, cross country runners book use for long runs that allow for heart and leg strength without joint damage.
[ Also Read: The Benefits of Underwater Treadmills ]
High quality aquatic treadmills, such as those offered by H2O For Fitness, offer customizable programs, resistance jets, inclines, adjustable water levels and temperature controls. Each feature contributes either to resistance and strength or to rehabilitation programs. For instance, inclines and resistance jets allow athletes to increase fitness and train at high levels. Water height and temperature customize for aiding in healing while training.
While in past years, the aquatic treadmill has been limited to hospitals and professional athletic programs, it’s becoming more affordable. Local veterinary clinics, PT clinics and training centers have added underwater treadmills to their programs. With the expanding numbers of hospitals, clinics and programs finding these affordable, you may be able to find a clinic near you that offers these for training and therapy options.
How Much Do Underwater Treadmills Cost?The costs for an aquatic treadmill have become affordable that some are considering it for personal use. With easy to use touch controls, a hundred programs, the ability to run forward and walk backward, to use dry, hydrotherapy treadmills are versatile and worth considering for home and rehabilitation centers.
