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Tag: Aqua Therapy

Winter Swimming

Winter Swimming

Shake Off Winter Blues in the Pool!

Consider your local pool or aquatic park this winter for all it’s amazing benefits! 

Welcome winter and all it’s fun activities like ice skating, sledding and SWIMMING! The joy of swimming doesn’t have to end when winter begins. Indoor pools are the ultimate good mood booster along with so many other benefits! Open swim, swim lessons, aqua therapy and aquatic parks are amazing ways to get some exercise and a splash of the summer feels during the cold winter months.  

Winter swimming has even more benefits than summer! Here are some cool pool perks!

  • Playing in the water makes us happy! Water is a natural anti-depressent. Prevent “SAD” (seasonal affective disorder), a common syndrome in the winter months. Water submersion stimulates our sensory system, exercise releases endorphins and decreases anxiety. 
  • Master those swim skills! Practicing safety and swimming skills in the winter months will improve skills over the summer.  Motor planning for treading water, breath control, floating and swimming takes practice. Those skills are lost during the winter months and need to be reintroduced for water safety and proficiency. 
  • Create joyful memories! The family that plays together stays together! Exercising with family is not only fun but promotes a healthy lifestyle for your children to follow as they grow older. Promote year long family fitness and a lifelong healthy lifestyle.
  • Water is magic! Water play improves mobility, flexibility, balance, coordination, strength, posture, spatial awareness, endurance, circulation, attention, sensory motor integration and confidence. It decreases pain, muscle spasms, abnormal tone, rigidity, joint compression and stress. 

Concerns of increased illness from winter swimming are common. Check out these pool facts that address common miconceptions of winter swimming. 

  • Only a virus can cause a cold or flu. Viruses are more common in winter months from school and being indoors. Any indoor activity during the winter months increases the chances of catching a virus.   
  • Risk of illness is greatly reduced from a properly maintained pool.
  • Illinois Department of Health enforces rules and regulations for water quality in public pools.
  • Several studies have shown that wet hair along with cold exposure has not been linked to increase illness.  
  • Indoor pool water temperatures must be kept at 77-84 degrees and warm water pools are between 86-92 degrees for safety all year long. 
  • Prevent chills or risk of hypothermia by drying off properly, wearing a hat, and dressing appropriately for the cold weather after a fun winter day at the pool! 

Aqua Therapy is a great way to get started with a life long love of the water in a safe and accepting environment. Ask your pediatric therapist how aqua therapy can benefit your child! https://bdiplayhouse.com/aquatic-therapy/ 

Written By: Dana Bukala, PTA 

 

Aqua Therapy

Pediatric Aqua Therapy

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Aqua Therapy Questions?

Give us a call anytime at (708)478-1820 or schedule a free screening or consultation below.

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What is Aqua Therapy?

Aqua Therapy is a fun way to develop your child’s motor skills! The unique properties of water enhance therapeutic activities. The use of water in therapy can:

  • Provide a reduced gravity environment to help children explore and practice movements
  • Develop skills they are not yet able to perform on land
  • Provide resistance to active movement through all planes of motion
  • Facilitate gains in strength for all major muscle groups.
  • Increase tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive input that enhances body awareness and motor learning

Benefits of Aqua Therapy?

  • Increase in mobility and range of motion
  • Balance and coordination
  • Increase in trunk stability and postural alignment
  • Perceptual and spatial awareness
  • Muscular strength and endurance
  • Joint mobility
  • Muscle flexibility
  • Head & trunk control
  • Blood supply to muscles
  • Attention span & sensory motor integration
  • Respiratory rate
  • Circulation
  • Symmetry, strength and endurance
  • Decrease in pain
  • Decrease in muscle spasms
  • Decrease in abnormal tone and rigid muscles
  • Decrease in joint compression
  • Stress and tension release
  • The psychological benefits include improved self esteem, confidence, and motivation!

Your Aqua Therapists

BDI Playhouse Children’s Therapy’s aqua therapists are licensed physical and occupational therapists with experience in aquatic pediatric therapy. They have attended aquatic therapy courses, and have received certificates in Water Safety and CPR. They utilize aquatic and landbased techniques, including myofascial release, neuro-developmental treatment, sensory motor integration and functional motor skills in their treatment sessions with children who have orthopedic, neurologic and/or sensory motor challenges.

Aqua Therapy Locations and Materials

What do I need to bring to my child’s Aqua Therapy session?

  • Towels
  • Lock for locker (optional)
  • Bottle of water
  • Water diapers or rubber pants (for incontinence)
  • Non-skid slippers or water shoes

Locations:

Getting Started With Aquatic Therapy

Find answers here

Still not sure? Schedule a free consultation here

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Great Feedback from Great Families

Our son received physical therapy both in the office and in the pool for his torticollis. While we were incredibly happy to have our son ‘graduate,’ we were also so sad to say goodbye to our amazing physical therapist. She was dedicated, thorough, and caring; we are so grateful for this positive experience!”

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