From a distance, an aquatic therapy pool looks like a normal swimming pool. However, experts say this is no ordinary pool as it serves as a treatment therapy for patients with different conditions, among other things. 

Aquatic therapy refers to treatments and exercises performed in water for relaxation, fitness, physical rehabilitation, and other therapeutic benefit.

Anicet Batura, an aquatic therapist, says many people don’t have enough information about this therapy yet it can be used in the treatment of many conditions. For instance, he notes that when it comes to aquatic therapy, the pool is used as a form of treatment to manage work-related conditions and others that affect function and movement of people.

Such conditions, he says, include those with hip replacement, arthritis, back pain, lower-back pain, and conditions like stroke, among others.

Therapy, Batura says, is recommended depending on the condition of a person. For instance, for the case of lower back pain, it can take between one to two months for a person to get well. Another important aspect, he says, is that this form of therapy can be used for fitness/exercise purposes.

Aquatic exercise is a low-impact way to strengthen the muscles around the joints and back, relieving pain and giving one more energy to get through the day. It will reduce fatigue and improve your quality of sleep. Also, it helps in circulation problems due to increased plasma that can lead to swelling, cramping and hypotension.

Why aqua fitness is important

Charles Gatsinzi, a senior physiotherapist at Centre Medical Orkide in Kimironko, says aqua fitness can work when it comes to preventing non-communicable diseases, and at the same time, work better for those diagnosed with the conditions.

Such patients, he says, can use this mode of therapy as a way of exercising to reduce their weight and improve their health in general.

"As we all know, we can prevent non-communicable diseases with exercise, and aqua fitness is one of the modes of exercise that one can opt for, especially for those who find it hard to do exercise on land due to injuries or other medical reasons,” he says.

In water, it’s easier to carry out exercise because there is dynamic resistance of water. It helps when it comes to strengthening muscles, as well as relaxation of the body and general fitness.

For instance, Gatsinzi says, people who are obese may not find it easy to exercise on land, but in water, exercise can be done without putting too much pressure on the body. He further explains that in water, there are fewer risks of accidents like joint injuries, compared to exercise on the ground.

As physiotherapists, Batura says, they first assess people to see if this form of exercise (aqua fitness) is ideal. He adds that they work hand-in-hand with other specialists, like nutritionists.

Exercise in water brings vast benefits including treatment, physiological relaxation, among others. Gatsinzi, however, is quick to point out that an aqua therapy pool is not for leisure, neither does it require one to know how to swim.

Children 

When it comes to children, Aline Nyiranzeyimana, a paediatric physiotherapist, says depending on the child’s age, paediatric aquatic therapy is a great alternative to land therapy to help children gain strength, range of motion/flexibility, balance, coordination, endurance, and walking objectives.

She says the buoyancy of the water helps reduce human body weight and allows children to move in ways they simply can’t on the ground.

Also, she notes, swimming as a leisure activity for kids should be encouraged because during this, their lung and heart capacity significantly improves. And because of all the active movement swimming involves, kids develop strength and endurance.

In addition, swimming also enhances the flexibility and balance of the body.