The Benefits of an Underwater Treadmill
Treadmill Speed
With the push of a button, the water-resistant remote control can easily adjust the underwater treadmill’s speed. Start with a low speed for a gentle walk or increase the pace to get your blood pumping. A range of speeds, from 0 to 5.5 miles per hour, makes the treadmill suitable for individuals of all fitness levels. You can even turn on the swim current to create an added challenge for your core, legs, and upper body.
The treadmill’s natural hydrostatic pressure helps relieve pain, reduce swelling, and strengthen muscles. By eliminating up to 20% of the body’s weight, exercise becomes easier and more comfortable. The treadmill is perfect for people with osteoarthritis or other chronic pain, as well as those recovering from joint surgery or managing a neurologic condition.
Water treadmills (WT) are popular in human athletic training and rehabilitation and are gaining popularity in the equine veterinary world. While WTs provide low-impact, high resistance work, their relative workload has not been well documented.
In a study of three consecutive days, the VO2, ventilation, and lactate measurements were recorded for both the control and treadmill conditions for each horse on each experimental day. The data were then compared to determine whether treadmill speed was an independent factor that influenced the measurement variables. The results showed that VT was significantly higher in the treadmill exercise than the control at both mid cannon and carpus heights (p 0.0001). This increased performance in the water may be due to the reduction of the force exerted on the horses’ joints and muscles by the viscosity of the water.
Treadmill Resistance
Incorporating a hydrotherapy treadmill into a pool allows individuals to experience the benefits of walking and running without any additional equipment. Typically self-powered and capable of achieving top speeds of 8.5 mph, these treadmills can be adjusted in swimming treadmill 1/10th mph increments to allow for flexibility in different workout routines. They can also be programmed to provide a variety of resistance settings for maximum challenge and to match individual fitness levels.
Many tests have found that individuals can burn more calories while running on an underwater treadmill than on land. This is due to the increased exertion required to maintain a running stride in water, which works out both hip and leg muscles more effectively. Running in the water also offers a range of other benefits such as improved balance, coordination and mobility.
The buoyancy of the water reduces the force of gravity on joints, making it a suitable exercise option for those with joint pain or injuries such as runner’s knee. For this reason, gait training on an underwater treadmill is a great rehabilitation exercise for those recovering from surgery or suffering from chronic conditions such as arthritis.
Many senior living communities are adding an underwater treadmill to their wellness programs to help residents lose weight, improve their quality of life and manage pain and chronic health conditions. They are using their HydroWorx exercise pools for a variety of fitness and rehab activities, including aquatic running, jogging, walking, core exercises and even yoga.
Treadmill Water Level
A swimming treadmill is a piece of equipment that simulates walking or running on land, but without the bodyweight and joint impact. The buoyancy of warm water gently supports the joints, allowing you to exercise more freely and to work against resistance in many directions—while boosting your cardiovascular endurance.
Our top-of-the-line underwater treadmills smoothly accelerate from 0 to 8.5 kph and allow you to correctly simulate land-based walking, running or sports-specific activities while reducing the impact on muscles and joints. They also offer ample space for multi-planar exercises such as marching, sprinting, back-pedaling, shuffling and lateral braiding steps.
The most critical parameter to consider in evaluating workload on the dog when walking on a water treadmill is the depth of the treadmill (water level). It is important that the dog walks with a belt that is below their height so that they can move in a natural position while walking. A belt that is above the dog will cause them to shift from walking to swimming and this can increase the muscular demands on the dog.
Gleim & Nicholas [5] found that oxygen consumption and heart rate increased with increasing water depth up to a maximum of the mid-femur, after which point they decreased. However, they were not able to evaluate how swimming treadmill much the water level actually affected muscular demands because dogs will often change from walking to swimming when the water level is deeper than mid-femur.
Treadmill Accessories
Unlike land-based treadmills, which take a toll on muscles and joints, a swimming treadmill provides the same cardiovascular benefits without added stress. Its lower impact on muscles and joints allows users to exercise longer and harder with less discomfort. The underwater treadmill also lets you vary your workout by increasing or decreasing the speed of the swim current to target specific muscle groups.
A pool treadmill is a great addition to your fitness system for a new way to stay active all year round. It can be easily attached to the anchors and handrails of your iPool Fitness System to provide a versatile, full-body cardio workout. The pool treadmill is also ideal for beginners who want to improve their strength and swimming form while improving their cardiovascular fitness.
The optional pace display allows you to read your swimming or treadmill speed in meters or yards. This is a convenient and easy-to-read accessory that will add a whole new dimension to your workouts and will give you the motivation to achieve your goals even faster.
While most swimming pools feature a treadmill, only Endless Pools offers an aquatic treadmill that is specifically designed for use in a home swim spa. Its unique hydraulic system is used in place of a motor and makes it a safe and convenient addition to your home gym. The treadmill can be used for running, walking or rowing, so you can keep your workouts varied and fun.
