Underwater Treadmill
The underwater treadmill is one of several types of aquatic exercise equipment available and is gaining in popularity despite their steep price. These types of treadmills vary in their appearance, size and price range. Various models are available for consumers. Some of them are portable and you can place them at the bottom of any swimming pool. Others resemble a see-through glass aquarium. The user walks inside of it with a water level that can be adjusted up to the knees and even as high as the waist. The user can control the belt speed and jet resistance. Other underwater treadmills are permanent and are specially designed swimming pools. Underwater treadmills offer numerous health benefits for people with sports injuries, knee or hip replacements and are beneficial for people who even have spinal cord injuries. There are even underwater treadmills for dogs and horses that have injuries. Actually, the first underwater treadmill was designed to treat horses that were recovering from injuries.
There has been an increasing demand for these types of treadmills and they are not used just in rehabilitation centers anymore. Even though an underwater treadmill can be a very expensive piece of exercise equipment, more and more people are buying them for home use. They are particularly popular with those in the sports medicine field. There are even some gym and fitness centers that have them nowadays. People with chronic conditions like arthritis, multiple sclerosis and other such conditions find them to be extremely beneficial. One thing that makes them so beneficial is that they enable a person to participate in a strength building workout without creating any pressure on their joints and bones. Some people would not be able to endure such workouts otherwise.
The resistance from the water gives a great workout. When people use an underwater treadmill their heart rate can be raised as much as it can be when running. However, there is no impact on the joints that you get when striking solid ground. Another benefit is the fact that you can still use an underwater treadmill no matter how hot it is outside. The water keeps the body’s core temperature cool and the user will not sweat or experience heat exhaustion. The user can incorporate a wider variety of exercise and target different muscles as well. An underwater treadmill can promote an earlier range of motion for those who are recovery from certain types of surgeries such as knee replacement and hip replacement surgeries. The water provides a low impact environment. It increases the speed of healing and helps to strengthen injured tissues in the body. Exercising on an underwater treadmill will also improve cardiovascular stamina.
Some of the more popular brands are made by Pool Therapy, Aquabilt, SwimEx SPT and HydroWorx. The portable underwater treadmills are meant to be left in the pool. The one that Pool Therapy makes does not have a motor and is made from water resistant, non-corroding material. There is usually very little maintenance required. The belt is not motorized and will start and stop with the user. The speed depends on the pace of the user as well. These types of treadmills have a handle bar that you can hold on to help keep your balance as well as to do leg lifts or other underwater exercises.
The underwater treadmill that Aquabilt makes is lighter than Pool Therapy’s and is more compact. It is also designed to be left in a pool and is built with non-corroding materials. The belt will incline as well for a more versatile workout. The SwimEx SPT is another popular portable underwater treadmill. It has a dual sided platform that can be flipped over for more resistance when running. HydroWorx makes one that is fully integrated into the pool floor and is not portable. It is a powered treadmill that simulates land based walking. These underwater treadmills can be very costly, but the health benefits they offer for certain individuals are more than worth it.
