Pool Pilates
A few months ago, I injured my back after having my alignment thrown off and working with an instructor who put me on too heavy of weight. I ended up at the Physical Therapy office and to my delight, was offered Pool Therapy as an alternative. I said, "Yes!" I love the water and was interested in discovering what it might be like.
We straddled a skinny pool noodle and made our way very slowly to the deep end. With there being a bar to hold onto for support, the first thing I was told was to try to find my balance without using my arms or legs. I could shift my head if needed. This was incredibly humbling. I am a Pilates instructor and have pretty good core strength, but after being injuredmy brain stopped sending signals to my muscles the same way. I had to engage but just enough in a subtle way.
After getting the hang of just balancing, we did slow leg movements; forward and back, side to side, mini bicycling movements for example. If you moved too fast it would knock you over. I became fascintated. Here is a technique that not only forced you to slow down but was the only way to be successful. It put me not only in a meditative state but also left me with a feeling taller and more connected to my core like a good pilates class would. This was essentially Pool Pilates Therapy. I am hooked!
Looking into the research I found this. According to Health Harvard, A study was done with 113 participants ages 16-65 years old. Half the group was split up and did either two sessions of pool therapy a week or two sessions of land-based physical therapy for 12 weeks total. At the end of the study, about 50% of the pool therapy group had improvements in back pain compared to only about 20% or fewer in land therapy. A year later the Pool Therapy group had lasting benefits compared to the land-based group. It was also said, they had overall health improvements like better sleep, mood, and function.
About a month after my back injury, I had a flare-up in my hips from a cyst that formed, back to the Pool I went. The session helped me connect not just to my core but also to my gait pattern. When standing in water, you're forced to slow your motion making it more obvious if your balance is off and more easily identifiable. I am often telling my clients to "Slow down so you can tell what your body is doing". In the Pool, you HAVE to because of the nature of water.
If you need a break from the exercise you can just float. Part of the reason we get into pain patterns is tension from guarding. Floating in water is so relaxing. I love this therapy as a modality. I highly recommend you check out Pool Therapy in your area. And if you've experienced Pool therapy tell me your experience in the comments below. I'd love to hear about it. :)
Written by Jessa Freeman
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