Exercise confers a myriad of benefits to everyone, regardless of age, health
condition, and functional capacity. For older adults, it becomes imperative to be
physically active on a regular basis, if you’d want to stay healthy, mobile, and
independent.
Biological changes come with ageing – loss of muscle mass, reduction in bone
strength, and a decrease in flexibility. It’s a no-brainer to recommend resistance
training for older adults to slow down or put a stop to these changes. Land-based
training such as lifting weights in the gym is usually associated with building muscle
strength. However, older adults may have chronic conditions such as back pain or
arthritis that may prevent them from exercising in the gym. Additionally, challenges
with maintaining balance while training presents a concern as well as a barrier to
gym exercise.
One viable alternative to this is Hydrotherapy or aquatic training. The water
environment offers many advantages that older adults will appreciate. Firstly,
buoyancy enables you to exercise without putting excessive strain on your muscles
and joints, a special consideration for conditions such as achy backs or knees. Your
body will feel lighter in the water, helping you be better balanced and more
confident in exercising knowing that there’s less risk of incurring an injury should you
lose your balance. Jogging in water, using water dumbbells, and tapping aquatic
flotation devices can all help challenge your muscles and build your strength.
Another key benefit of aquatic training is the way it can help improve the
cardiovascular endurance of older adults. Water offers resistance that forces your
body to work harder and increases your aerobic fitness.
If you’re inclined to join a group class, there’s also the added element of social
interaction. Having more fun and meeting like-minded people in the pool can help
you sustain your exercise habits over the long term.
If you’re eager to try this out, get off to a good start by talking with our Accredited
Exercise Physiologists (EPs) first. An EP will be able to give you a thorough
assessment of your health condition and needs, collaborate with you on a
customised Hydrotherapy program, provide guidance, and monitor your progress.
Reach out to our EPs by calling 1300 090 931 or click this link to start exploring
water training.
