Therapy

-By Eric Herman

  For centuries, we have turned to immersion and exercise in water as a means of healing injuries and illnesses and of promoting both physical and mental health. Researchers have investigated the hows and whys of these phenomena for years, and the benefits seem to be even more remarkable than originally thought. 

  Most people know that aquatic exercise and hydrotherapy are good for them. We know that activity in water can be used to treat and even heal a long list of physical ailments, and it’s no secret that aquatic athletes are some of the fittest people on the planet or that physicians of all stripes have long made a habit of touting the benefits of swimming and other forms of water-based recreation for just about everyone.

  Yet for all that accepted wisdom, most of us aren’t particularly well informed about the specific medical science that backs up the centuries-old belief that being in water is good for the human body. That research has long been available and has been joined in recent years by new studies that relate the experiences of scientists and physicians who are constantly surprised by the depth and range of specific physical and mental benefits that flow to those who engage in aquatic activity.

  This emerging picture points to the profound fact that swimming pools and spas are arguably the healthiest of all products. Dr. Joel M. Stager, researcher from the University of Indiana, has spent the past several years conducting a range of studies on the relationship between swimming and aging. What he’s found is nothing short of amazing. “When you look at all the standard physiological markers associated with the aging process, we see that every one of them is slowed dramatically in people who swim regularly. Of course, these differences vary based on a number of factors, but the science is conclusive: Exercising in water slows down the aging process by up to 20 percent in some cases. You cannot overstate the benefits of exercising in water. Not only does swimming slow down the aging process in terms of respiration, muscle mass, bone density, cardiovascular activity and neurological function, but there’s also evidence to suggest that it increases mental health and even social health.”

  He also notes that exercise in the water offers huge advantages over land-based forms of activity. “When we look at swimmers compared to runners, for example, we see consistently that people who swim tend to do so for longer periods throughout their lives, and they do so without injury. Swimmers are seldom if ever injured. In fact, the vast majority of people we’ve studied have never experienced any kind of injury at all related to their time in the pool.” 

  The case is even stronger when you consider the fact that swimming provides even resistance and a workout for the entire body. “Just about every part of the human body benefits from swimming. It improves cardiovascular health, muscle tone, and overall flexibility. There is simply no other exercise like it, the only activity we know of where you can say that if that’s all you do for exercise, you can be almost perfectly fit.”

  And this does not merely apply to athletes. What many people don’t realize is that simply sitting in water up to your neck provides huge benefits. “When immersed in water, the volume of blood in your chest cavity and in your heart dramatically increases. This is due to the hydrostatic pressure on your body and the effects of being in a buoyant state. Your heart’s ability to pump blood goes up, while at the same time your heart rate goes down. Your cardiovascular system becomes far more efficient, and that affects just about every function of the human body.” 

 There are other advantages as well. Consider the fact that there is a key distinction between fitness and wellness: Fitness is something that is easily measured, and obviously swimming and other forms of aquatic exercise have incalculable benefits. Wellness is a more subjective issue, but one that is equally affected by exercise, if not more so. Research shows that people who exercise in water tend to be sick far less and miss work far less often than those who don’t. Their health costs plummet and their mental acuity, energy, and productivity almost always increase.

 There may be no limit to the benefits of exercising and relaxing in water!