Why aqua therapy?
Exercising in water has several advantages over its equivalent on the floor. Water lessens the impact on skeletal muscles. “It is more beneficial as it utilises hydrostatic pressure of water and helps build muscles slowly in a comparatively less painful way than working out at the gym with weights,” says Debolina Mukherjee, Aura manager, The Park Hotels, Kolkata.

The buoyancy of water supports and reduces body weight. “The buoyancy of water provides resistance and one has to work out against gravity. So, it means burning more calories. While cross training on land exercises a specific group of muscles, aqua therapy leads to the toning up of all groups of muscles,” says Rekha Alexander, aqua instructor, Solace.

She adds that body weight is not felt under water. While knee-deep water and waist-deep water reduce body weight by 15 per cent and 50 per cent respectively, it falls to as low as 70 per cent if the water level is raised up to the chest.

How to go about it?
Aqua therapy or aqua aerobics is usually performed in a swimming pool under the guidance of a supervisor. You normally start with a warm up session - an easy option is water walk. After this, all you need to do is stand in water, which can be either up to your waist or your chest, depending on your requirement. This is followed by strengthening and aerobic exercises for about half an hour or even more if you are game for it. You can do aerobics, yoga, meditation, cycling, cardio, stretching and what not.

The entire body is exercised as the viscosity of water provides resistance that is incorporated into an aqua therapy exercise session. This resistance strengthens muscles without the need of weights. And the buoyancy of water reduces the stress on joints, something that cannot be experienced on land.

And yes, cooling down though you are in the pool is necessary.

According to Dr Vijay Paliwal, The Ffort Radisson Resort, taking a steam bath is also a milder form of aqua therapy. Though aqua therapy is about active exercising, for the spa managers at The Ffort Radisson, relaxation scores high. That is why they have a floatarium – a small pool with magnesium sulphate added to it, which increases metabolism and helps reduce weight as you. Divine experience, isn’t it?

“We also provide Vichy shower in which all you have to do is lie down on a stone bath and have sprinklers providing pressure point massage jets on the reflex points of the body,” says Paliwal.

Or you could opt for their luxuriating bath where you step into a pool of water at neutral temperature with medicinal herbs thrown into it and rest.

What tools do you need?
Aqua equipment, which comes in varied shapes and sizes for various parts of the body - hands, waist, feet and more, are needed for aqua exercises. There are aqua noodle, swim bars (which look like dumbbells), fins, kickboards, hand paddles, web glove resistance stuff, balls of different kinds and more. The flotation belt is the most basic piece of aqua equipment that keeps very thin people in their place.

What are the benefits?
• It is an excellent form of exercising, especially for athletes.
• It helps improve flexibility for gymnasts.
• It allows a lot of movement for the legs.
• It strengthens and relaxes muscles in a painless way.
• Aqua therapy is much gentler than standard physical therapies.
• It is good for all age groups.
• Pregnant women can easily go for this form of exercise as the water cushions the bump against pushes and the baby doesn’t get hurt.
• Moreover with water covering you a long way, you wouldn’t even have to feel embarrassed which you otherwise might in a gym.
• It helps cure spondylitis, arthritis, back injury, muscle spasms and fibromyalgia .
• It is specially helpful for the aged people who cannot exercise on land due to joint pain or fractured bones.
• The warmth of the water increases blood flow to injured areas.
• It improves pain threshold and boosts cognitive function.
• Also lessens anxiety and depression.

A note of caution
• Thrilling though it might sound, aqua therapy is not for everyone. Those with cardiac complications, fever, infections, or bowel/bladder incontinence diseases, better stay away from this form of exercising.
• It is also not for those below 16 years as the skin is very sensitive to the jets of water, which come at a very high speed. But again, a lot depends on the individual and the kind of sports she may be playing.
• Always consult your doctor before beginning an aqua therapy programme. And, never ever try it in your private pool without a proper trainer as it might affect your heart beat that needs to be monitored.

So, here’s wishing you all a scintillating session of aqua therapy!

irene.saha@timesgroup.com