Aquatic Therapy vs Land Therapy
Why Aquatic Activities Are Much More Efficient And Healthy For You than Land Exercise…And What Are The Differences?
| Water | Land |
|---|---|
| Minimal to no impact. | High impact, resulting injuring to the joints. |
| Even if you are unable to stand on land, you are able to stand in the water. | Inability to stand limited to chair or bed type exercises. |
| Everyone is equal in the water. No limitations based on age, body size, sex, or health-related limitations. | Not everyone can keep up with land type classes. |
| Water supports the body; limited chance of falling. | If you fall, there is potential for injury from the fall. |
| Moves will help heal injuries. | Moves can potentially cause injuries. |
| Working in the water allows your heart to work more efficiently without working as hard. | The heart has to work overtime to keep up with body requirements. |
| Helps to reduce swelling in joints. | May irritate joint injuries. |
| Cooler and refreshing. | Very warm and sweat inducing. |
| All movements use the total body. | Some moves are specific to a certain part of the body; full body does not work with all movements. |
| Body does not hurt after class. | Muscle pain may result, making movement difficult. |
| Turbulence gives you a body massage as you are working. | You may have to go for a massage after the class. |
| Each movement requires you to push water, so you work harder to move your limbs. | Very easy to move your limbs in the air, so results are harder to achieve. |
| Due to the resistance of water, your movements are slow and more precise; the use of muscles is more efficient. | With land exercises, you move quickly and sometimes jerkily through the air. |
| Each move is concentric and eccentric, because of the absence of gravity you have to work to bring your arm down, otherwise it will float. | Movements are concentric, but gravity lowers the limb down, so muscles are working in one direction. |
| The therapeutic advantages of water, such as buoyancy, thermal conductivity, and resistance can help you reach your therapy goals. | You can only work on specific area of the body at a time. |
| For back pain, working out in the water is more tolerable, with less impact on the spine. | Too much impact, which may potentially cause pain, discomfort and further damage. |
| Deep water exercise is almost like placing the back in traction. | Because of gravity, there is compression on the back at all times. |
| Warmth, buoyancy and 3-dimensional support of water provide a safe environment for someone who has balance challenges. | Air provides no support. You will have balancing challenges and spend more time worrying about balance than exercising. |
| Because of buoyancy, you weigh less, thus enabling free movement. | Your weight may prevent participating in full or part in some movements. |
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