Ergonomic Spring Cleaning

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As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, we feel energized and motivated to engage in spring cleaning, a ritual that has been taking place for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Spring cleaning gives us an opportunity to breathe new life into our homes after the winter season.

Deep cleaning your home can be a daunting task, especially for those with chronic pain or limited mobility. The following tips for ergonomic cleaning can help you avoid pain and strain while getting the job done.

  1. Use Proper Tools: Invest in ergonomic cleaning tools that reduce the need for bending and stretching. Lightweight vacuum cleaners with adjustable handles and mops with long handles are great tools for reducing back strain. Consider using a scrub brush with long handles for cleaning your bathtubs and showers. You can even get a powered version which rotates on its own which helps you avoid having to tightly grip and exert pressure onto the cleaning tool to scrub away messes.
  2. Maintain Good Posture: Stand up straight while cleaning and avoid bending over excessively. Try to look ahead rather than looking down. Looking ahead can help in maintaining good posture and avoiding strain on the neck. Utilize a step stool by sitting on it when cleaning low areas rather than bending down to clean.
  3. Take Breaks and Stay Hydrated: Cleaning can be physically demanding, so take regular breaks to rest your muscles and prevent fatigue. Drink plenty of water while cleaning to stay hydrated and maintain energy levels.
  4. Alternate Tasks: Avoid doing repetitive motions for an extended period. Alternate between tasks to give different muscle groups a break.
  5. Use Proper Lifting Techniques: When lifting heavy objects like buckets or furniture, bend your knees and use your legs to lift, rather than your back. Keep the object close to your body and avoid twisting while lifting.
  6. Use Padding: Place padding under your knees or use knee pads when kneeling to clean low surfaces to reduce strain on your joints.
  7. Use Two Hands: When using cleaning tools like mops or brooms, use both hands to distribute the workload evenly and reduce strain on one side of your body. When dusting or wiping down surfaces, alternate between hands.
  8. Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to any discomfort or pain while cleaning. If something doesn’t feel right, stop and take a break or adjust your technique.

Balancing Act: Keeping You On Your Feet

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Do you find you are less confident than you used to be when walking in a crowded environment or on an uneven surface? Are you avoiding certain activities, or perhaps gripping the handrail a little tighter these days? If so, you’re not alone. Up to 85% of older adults are afraid of falling, and with good reason. One out of every five falls results in a serious injury and falling once doubles your likelihood of falling again.

Most people don’t even think about their balance until it starts to deteriorate, but there’s a lot going on behind the scenes to keep us on two feet. Our brain uses sensory input from our feet to adapt to the surface, and proprioceptors on our joints to know where we are in space. Our eyes and ears give us information about our environment, and our inner ear, or vestibular system, keeps our equilibrium. These systems work together to tell our motor system how to make corrections and keep us upright.

These corrections are typically fairly automatic and start with engaging our ankles, then bending at the hips, and eventually a quick step in order to recover. If these reactions aren’t strong enough or quick enough, we end up on the floor. Unfortunately, many medical conditions, as well as general deconditioning, can have a negative impact on your ability to both identify and correct a loss of balance. The good news, however, is there are things you can do to not only maintain your stability but gain it back! Some of these strategies include:

  • Strengthening your hips and thighs. These large muscles are responsible for keeping you upright and shifting your weight into your base of support
  • Stretching out your calves. Flexibility in your ankle actually plays a big role in whether your body can effectively right itself when you start to wobble.
  • Getting your eyes and ears checked regularly to maintain optimal function.
  • Wearing properly fitting footwear with good traction and reviewing your home for possible trip hazards.
  • If you’re struggling with dizziness, have your doctor review your medications with you for possible side effects.

The fear of falling may be a healthy fear at times. After all, it often keeps us from doing unsafe things. However, studies show that a fear of falling is associated with higher risk of falls, partly because individuals reduce their regular mobility and avoid activities that would normally challenge their system. This results in increasing weakness and perpetuates the cycle of instability.

Programs that target balance, like yoga and tai chi, are great, but the key to staying committed is to pick something you really enjoy. Activities like golf or gardening can be just as effective at challenging your system. Even going for a walk with a friend will require you to turn your head and hold a distracting conversation while picking your feet up and avoiding obstacles! If you’re unsure where to start, talk to a local physical or occupational therapist. They can do a specialized assessment to determine where your specific problems lie and recommend strategies to address them. Most importantly, keep moving! As they say, a body in motion stays in motion!

Rachel Hett, PT, DPT is a graduate of the University of Florida where she received her Bachelor of Health Science as well as her Doctor of Physical Therapy.  She is an experienced physical therapist as well as Team Leader in the senior living setting.  Her professional interests lie in Falls & Balance, Vestibular, Dementia, and Neuro programming.  Rachel is also a Certified Dementia Capable Care Specialist.

New Year Fitness Goals

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“New Year, New Me”  – Does this sound familiar? The start of a new year is often a time for people to want a fresh start. For some, it may be a fresh start with healthier habits, being more responsible with money, or working to become a better person. Many people welcome the new year as a time to start fresh with a new fitness routine. Whether it be going for a daily walk, trying out a new class at the gym, or starting your marathon training, here are a few tips to help you succeed with your New Year’s fitness resolutions.

  • Start slow. If you are trying a new activity, ease into it to avoid excessive soreness or injury.
  • Make it a habit. Schedule time in your day for exercise when it is convenient for you and put it on your calendar. They say it takes 21 days to form a habit, so don’t give up too soon!
  • Fuel your body. Adequate sleep, healthy diet, and drinking plenty of water are important for effective workouts.
  • Have fun! Choosing an activity you enjoy will help you stick with it. Try a dance class, listening to your favorite music at the gym, or going for a walk/run on a trail with good scenery.
  • Rest is just as important as the work. Our bodies need rest days to recover from exercise, especially if you are performing a new activity or exercising for the first time in a while. Don’t feel guilty if your body needs a rest day – or – scale back your program and try going for a light walk or performing a gentle stretching or yoga routine if you feel you need a break.
  • Buddy up! Grab a friend to try a new class at the gym, ask your spouse to exercise with you, or take your dog for a walk! The buddy system helps us stay accountable.
  • Listen to your body. If you are feeling sore or tired, you may be over doing it and need a little rest or a modification to your program. If you are experiencing any pain – reach out to your Physical Therapist for advice.

Whatever your New Year’s Resolution may be, give yourself some grace and remember to strive for progress not perfection. There is no ‘one size fits all’ program so do what feels best to you and be proud of yourself for taking steps to become a healthier YOU. Now, get up and move your body in a way that feels good!

Sara Sermershein is a Physical Therapist in the Employer Based Setting for Tx:Team.  She has worked in outpatient Physical Therapy for the last six (6) years treating patients of all ages and various orthopedic conditions. She holds certifications in dry needling as well as vestibular and concussion rehab. 

It’s Women’s Health Week! Questions? We Have Answers!

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May 8th through the 14th is Women’s Health Week and the goal is to empower women to make their health a top priority and educate on the steps women can take to improve their health.  During the week, you can get the answers to top questions that are asked about Women’s Health. 

Women’s issues are important and most women suffer needlessly because they are not aware of the rehabilitation programming designed especially for women. Many patients suffer in silence from disorders caused from pregnancy, disease, musculoskeletal injury and surgery, or an unknown etiology.

Women’s Health physical therapists are trained to evaluate and treat the common conditions as well as more extensive diagnoses. The Tx:Team’s Women’s Health Program works with each patient on an individual basis with the ultimate goal of returning you to your daily routine as quickly as possible.  Physical Therapists work alongside you, the patient, to examine, treat, train, and educate.

Many of the diagnoses that women face are sensitive and can make a woman feel embarrassed. It’s time to get the conversations started! Since a women’s health program may be new to a majority of women, there are typically many questions surrounding how the program might help with your diagnosis or problem.

What does a Women’s Health Physical Therapist do?  

Women’s Health Physical Therapists provide specialized physical therapy services to diagnoses specific to women. These clinicians have received additional training for evaluation and treatment of the pelvic floor including both external and internal assessments.

What conditions does the Women’s Health Program address?

  • Urinary Incontinence
  • Pelvic Pain
    • Clitirodynia
    • Levator Ani Syndrome
    • Prudendal neuralgia
    • Vulvodynia/VVS
    • Dyspareunia
    • Coccygodynia
    • Tension Myalgia
  • Pelvic Organ Prolapse
  • Low/Mid Back Pain
  • SI Joint Dysfunction
  • Pregnancy related pain
  • PreNatal/PostPartum Conditions
  • Painful scars (c-section/episiotomy)
  • Diastasis Recti
  • Back Pain
  • Neck/Shoulder Pain
  • Painful Intercourse
  • Sacrococcygeal Joint Dysfunction
  • Osteoporosis
  • Lymphedema Management
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Gynecological surgery (pre/post op care)
  • Myofascial Pain Syndrome
  • Pain associated with Interstitial Cystitis & Endometriosis

Tx:Team Women’s Health Physical Therapy programs can be found at FMH Rehabilitation in Frederick, MD. Ladies, it’s time to take the steps to improve your health and Women’s Health Week is the perfect time to start!

Operate Out of Love

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Carroll Nelligan, President, Chief Operating Officer

 

My heart is hurting today as I know is the case with all of you.  This is not a political post.  There are plenty of avenues for that.  We have been faced with many months of challenges and we are all fatigued in different ways.

I am writing about what I know to be true.

Operate out of love.

You are healers.  It is your destiny to bring that into the world.   What I kept thinking about over the weekend is that we are all aligned in that.  We are wired to care, to nurture, to help, to love.  We don’t see our patients through a lens of what color their skin is, their political views, or their income.

When I worked in urban Philadelphia, we treated the worst of the traumatic brain injury cases.  The Philly cop that was shot during a terrible robbery, the Hasidic Jew who was in the school bus bombing, the young boy from the Manayunk projects who had been shot on a corner drug deal, none of it mattered who they were but how we could help them become human beings again.  The love for our patients and the ability to change lives is what drove us.

In so many ways we have all been pushed to a limit.  We have been stripped down to our basic selves and have nowhere to hide, to safely tuck away, to self-care.  You have an opportunity through your work to bring your best selves into the world each day.  To spread love and compassion and to raise the energy of the world we live in.  We have choices to operate out of fear or operate out of love.

I am so proud of the way that we have responded during the pandemic.  We are strong, we are resilient.  Those are not just words on a wall.  We have seen this in action. So many stories of those who redefined what it means to be essential.  It brought tears of appreciation to my eyes.   These are very challenging times.  When one wave hits us, another seems to be waiting in the ocean to pummel us again.  We can breathe.  We can survive. And, we can thrive.

When hearts are hurting like this, focus on the lovely human you are treating in front of you.  Your full and undivided presence and attention to your patients, to your teammates, and to your community is what is needed right now.  We need you on the ground following a moral compass that points in the right direction regardless of what the world is doing wrong.  We need leaders who continue to search for the best answer, not the familiar one.

We are transforming as a nation, as a world, as a human race.  Thank you for all you do as healers in a world that needs so much healing right now.

COVID-19 Notice of Patient Care

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The Department of Homeland Security has designated physical and occupational therapy, and speech language pathology, as essential healthcare services (for more information, visit CISA.gov).  As such, most Tx:Team clinics are open and available for therapy services.

The health and safety of our employees and patients is our utmost concern during this time.  We realize that your decision to visit us is personal and based on your individual medical history.  We want to ensure that we remain diligent in providing a safe clinic environment.

Our standards include…

  • Preemptive patient screening prior to receiving treatment
  • Elevated infection control standards, including extensive cleaning of equipment and clinic surfaces and enhanced hand hygiene
  • Daily health screening processes for all Tx:Team employees
  • To maximize social distancing, management of patient scheduling to limit the number of people in clinics and patient homes

Our employees play an important role in maintaining the health and wellness of the patients we serve.  Tx:Team will continue to monitor the COVID-19 guidance and information from public health authorities and will communicate updates in accordance.  Thank you for trusting us with your care.

Cabin Fever? Beat the Winter Doldrums

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“I’m bored.”  In the middle of winter, this phrase can make any mom or dad break out in a sweat.  And a snowy winter day with children who cannot find anything to do may seem to last centuries.  A long day at home or a lengthy winter vacation is the perfect time for children to participate in fun activities that will build their skills, as well as put a stop to the classic complaints of boredom.  Coming up with creative ideas in a variety of skill areas, along with ideas for adaptations for children with special needs, can be a daunting task for parents as well.  Consider the child’s age and/or developmental level, safety, needs, and preferences to help you select appropriate activities to bust those cries of boredom!

 

Plan Ahead

To avoid being put on the spot in coming up with a fun activity when the famous “I’m bored…” complaint erupts, put together a “boredom box” with ideas from which the children can select.  Assist your child with coming up with his or her own ideas of what to include.  This can be a good strategy to use whenever your child has more ideas of things to do than time.  Include skill building activities that are developmentally appropriate and are “just the right challenge” with a fun twist so that the activity is not viewed as work.  To avoid having to scramble for materials for activities at the last minute, organize an additional “supply box” with basic craft supplies (e.g., construction paper, crayons or markers, cardboard tubes, paper plates and bags, glue, glitter or other decorations).   Consider including small craft sets with instructions, puzzles, and small travel games that are new or seldom-used.  Examine the skill categories below and adapt the following activities to your child’s skill level and safety needs.

 

Make Dressing and Self-Care Fun!

Winter break, snow days, and weekends afford plenty of opportunities for children to master the art of getting dressed, due to the extra time to get ready, and the extra seasonal clothing, such as snowsuits and boots.  If your child needs additional practice mastering fasteners, or resists getting dressed without assistance, incorporate fasteners and dressing into a game.  When multiple children are present, have a suitcase race where children don clothes (over their own clothing) as quickly as they can to win a prize—this can be done as a relay race for more than two children.  Institute a fashion show where the children can practice putting together their own outfits from old clothes (including parents’ clothing), or a doll or stuffed animal fashion show.

 

Visual and Fine Motor Skills

As visual and fine motor skills are an integral part of the school day from an early age, incorporating some of the fun activities below at home will help to boost skills

  • Make some homemade Valentines or birthday cards.
  • Write letters to family or friends on personalized letterhead.
  • Design scrapbook pages from a recent vacation or holiday to incorporate cutting, coloring, and handwriting.
  • Dust off the jigsaw puzzles, legos, lincoln logs, or travel editions of games (these have smaller parts).
  • Encourage building from a model made by a parent or older sibling, or if appropriate, building from instructions on the box. In addition to visual motor skills, word finds or crossword puzzles build vocabulary, and your child can design his or her own puzzle for someone else to solve.
  • For imaginary play, set up a pretend office with supplies such as paper clips, binder clips, old folders, or junk mail to practice manipulating common items. Get messy with squirt bottles (to spray a window or shower), hole punches, or clay tools and presses to strengthen fingers.
  • You can make handwriting fun by designing a secret code to write with fun squiggly pens, bathtub or window markers, or invisible ink markers.
  • Institute a “no-talking, only writing” time to communicate for fifteen minutes or so to encourage writing (this also might help to calm a noisy household).

 

Gross Motor Skills

After spending too much time indoors due to inclement weather, children will need to find a safe way to move around and expend some energy.

  • In a large, open area (basement, family room), provide your children with common household items, such as chairs, plastic juice bottles, a broom handle, hula hoops, or jump rope to design an obstacle course (with adult supervision for safety).
  • Hang up an over-the-door basketball hoop, or design one from a box with the top and bottom cut out to play rag basketball (from knotted up towels or t-shirts), or use a lightweight sponge ball.  Using these homemade toys or games can be more fun than purchased ones, and this will encourage their creative development.
  • If your child enjoys dance or aerobic exercise, consider renting or purchasing an inexpensive exercise or dance video for kids, use a dance pad video game, or have your own dance choreography contest.
  • Consider games from birthday parties or gym class, such as “Twister,” hopscotch (many toy stores offer foam mats), hula hoops, jump rope, “Simon Says,” or “charades” to encourage development of certain movement skills and physical activity.  By playing these games in a fun, friendly atmosphere, rather than being graded in gym class, or being concerned with winning a prize in sports, children who have difficulties with coordination may become more comfortable with motor planning.

 

Cognitive and Social Skills

We all continue to build our cognitive and social skills throughout life, establishing systems to do things and how we appear to other people; therefore, these are very important skills to practice.

  • If your child has difficulties interpreting emotions from facial expressions and body language, try body language charades (what is this person telling you?) or making an emotions collage of people from magazines with a designated facial expression or body language.
  • Practice teamwork by building something together or use an obstacle course as a relay race.
  • Work on sequencing via the oldie but goodie “follow directions game” by having children write down the directions to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, then have someone else make the sandwich following the directions exactly (use your *clean* hands if the directions don’t specify a knife)!

 

Sensory Skills

For children who have difficulties interpreting and processing sensory information, winter may be a difficult time to get used to seasonal changes in sensory input, and less access to outdoors (where many calming strategies might be located).

  • You can put clean snow in a dishpan or large plastic container for some table play inside to adjust to the sensation and temperature of snow prior to immersing the child in snow outside.
  • For a slightly easier to clean up sensory experience, place rice, beans, flax, or popcorn kernels into a bowl/bin/container with some of those summer sand toys!
  • Also, pull out the summer mini child’s pool, and fill with lightweight plastic balls (available at many toy stores) to create your own ball pit.
  • To create an indoor quiet area, your children may enjoy draping old sheets or blankets over two chairs to create a tent or use a large (appliance) box for a calming space with cushions or pillows for resting.
  • Children may enjoy spending a day inside making pretzels, kneading bread dough, rolling out cookie dough, or making “slime” as a tactile sensory experience.
  • Some household heavy work can be calming to children with “cabin fever,” such as pushing or pulling a vacuum, pushing a shopping cart, shoveling snow, pushing a wagon or wheelbarrow—all of these should be of appropriate size/weight (toy or regular), depending on the child’s size/abilities.

 

Seeking Expert Assistance

If your child has significant difficulties with dressing/fasteners, fine motor or handwriting skills, visual motor skills, motor planning, or sensitivity to tactile experiences, he or she may benefit from a physician’s referral for a pediatric therapy evaluation.  A pediatric therapist working in an outpatient center can determine if your child could benefit from skilled services and home exercise programs that build on these skills.

The Weekend Warrior and Olympian Champs All Rely on Physical Therapy

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The Winter Olympics are starting! For an Olympic athlete, training is a year-round activity.  But many of us non-Olympians go to the gym, work hard, and participate in recreational activities we love.

Olympians put a lot of stress and strain on their bodies. And so do we as weekend warriors. Odds are when you incur an injury, much like the Olympians, you will start a rehabilitation program.  What are the differences?  Not many!  Your physical therapist is most times using the same treatment strategies that are used on Olympic athletes

Evaluation

Your therapist will evaluate your current status and work with you to develop a treatment plan based on your goals. They will ask you questions about your current lifestyle, routines, and history to customize an individualized plan unique to you.  At each visit, your progress and treatment plan are reviewed and your therapist may ask you additional questions and adjust your goals to help you reach maximum success.

Remember, no matter your level, all athletes set goals.

Treatment Plans

Your physical therapist will take in account your current limitations and devise a plan to slowly and methodically reach your short and long-term goals. They will be careful to push you just enough so that you see progress without overusing those areas that you are seeking treatment.  Just as Olympic trainers push their athletes to reach success.

Participation

When Olympians stop participating in the recovery plans, their chances of success diminish. Your active participation in your rehabilitation recovery is crucial.  Communicating with your Physical Therapist about your daily routine, exercise habits, work schedule, and other obligations can help ensure you accomplish as much as possible during your Physical Therapy session.  And they will always ask you about your Home Exercise Program so be sure you are keeping up with your plan.  Your Physical Therapist expects you to reach self-management – actively maintain the strength, range of motion, and flexibility you have achieved.

Whether you’re a professional athlete, weekend warrior, or recovering from a recent fall, a sprain, or surgery, you can benefit from the same rehab strategies that help Olympians climb on top of that podium and achieve gold!

Tx:Team partners with Canvas: our next hire is only a text away

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recruiting

Changing the Landscape of Recruiting

Indianapolis, IN: The recruiting process has now been tailored to today’s candidate with the introduction by text.  Tx:Team, has partnered with Canvas, the world’s first text-based interviewing platform,  to be the first rehabilitation company to use this unique texting service in the hiring process.

 

What does the partnership bring to Tx:Team Recruiting?

The Tx:Team recruiting process has always been personal. But now, with the addition of the Canvas platform, candidates will be able to have conversations with Tx:Team recruiters at their convenience. With estimates of 50 million millennials to be hired between now and 2025, the hiring process must evolve to attract this texting generation. Starting the conversation through text not only adds a personal touch for the candidate, but it also allows the recruiter to engage and screen candidates much earlier in the recruitment cycle than ever before.

 

As therapists, our passion, is delivering healthcare, and we provide rewarding, stable careers for skilled therapists. At the very the heart of our success are the committed, caring clinicians changing the lives of patients every day at our Tx:Team clinics. As our name suggests, we build teams that work together to deliver the highest standard of healthcare. The concept of working as a team, and helping and caring for each other, is the essence of Tx:Team.

 

We believe that to create the strongest teams, it’s critical that we attract the right talent and find the perfect place for them to grow their skills. With the partnership of Tx:Team and Canvas, we believe those rehab teams are just a text away.

 

About Tx:Team

Tx:Team is a national physical, occupational, and speech therapy company that partners with healthcare facilities or at an employer’s health clinic, providing a complete, integrated therapy solution. We supply talented clinicians and support staff, and we manage the delivery of their services. We do this efficiently, economically, and effectively. Our model offers exceptional benefits to our clients, our patients, and the dedicated therapists and staff who are at the very heart of Tx:Team.  Follow Tx:Team on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. #txteamrehab

To see all positions available with Tx:Team, visit Careers.

Exercise During Pregnancy

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Amelia Iams, DPT

aquatic exercise during pregnancy

Exercise is important to include in everyone’s daily life, but it becomes even more important when you are pregnant. Pregnancy causes many changes in a woman’s body.  Hormone changes in the body cause softening of the ligaments, joint laxity, and instability in the ankles.  Hormones and anxiety can be the reason for increased mood swings.  Changes in the center of gravity due to a growing belly can cause increased occurrence of back pain.  Increased retention of fluid in the body causes swelling in both the hands and feet and can amplify complaints of constipation.

Exercise during pregnancy provides similar benefits to your body as it does during other times in your life, but it also can prevent and minimize changes in the body and pain or discomfort that occurs when you are pregnant. Some of the proven benefits that exercise during pregnancy includes are:

  • Avoidance of excessive weight gain
  • Maintenance or improvement in endurance, muscle strength, and flexibility
  • Reduction of the likelihood of gestational diabetes
  • Decrease or reduction in symptoms of low back pain or pelvic girdle pain
  • Reduction in occurrence of preeclampsia
  • Decrease in the risk of cesarean delivery
  • Reduction in psychological stress

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) states “for healthy pregnant and postpartum women, the guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (ie, equivalent to brisk walking). This activity should be spread throughout the week and adjusted as medically indicated.”  That is equal to about 30 minutes 5 times a week of moderate exercise.  Research also indicates that including both strengthening and aerobic exercise to your routine is important to help support the changes that occur in your body with pregnancy.

Despite all the benefits to exercising while pregnant, most women do not begin an exercise program and those who were exercising prior to pregnancy actually decrease their activity during pregnancy.   Through several studies and surveys, women have stated various reasons for decreasing their activity during pregnancy.  The two most common reasons are: not enough time and pain with movement associated with the pregnancy.

Choosing an exercise program that is safe, can be maintained during the entire 40 weeks of pregnancy, and can fit into a busy work and family schedule is a difficult task.   It is recommended that pregnant women avoid high contact sports and activities that have an increased risk for falls or impact, such as soccer, basketball, hockey, snow skiing, water skiing, and off road cycling.  Exercises that require jumping and quick changes in directions, such as Zumba, Cross fit, and trail running, are not recommended due to joint instability brought on by hormones.  Also high impact aerobics can be difficult to and uncomfortable to perform later in pregnancy.

An underutilized exercise avenue is aquatic exercise programs. Several research studies have advocated the use of pool exercises for women who are pregnant.  The natural properties of water help alleviate many of the adverse changes associated with pregnancy.  The buoyancy of the water will help to eliminate the stresses on the joints and to support the abdomen.  Women have reported feeling more comfortable moving in the water and able to assume better postures as a result of the additional support.  Hydrostatic pressure is an additional benefit when exercising in the water.  The pressure that the water exerts on the body helps to decrease the swelling in the limbs brought on by pregnancy.

Aquatic exercise is non-weight bearing and low impact, so stress on the joints is minimized. Water provides natural resistance to movement which helps to strengthen muscles and thereby incorporating both strengthening and aerobic exercise into one session.  This can help you meet both suggestions for a healthy body during pregnancy without increasing the time you spend at the gym.  Many women stop exercising as their pregnancy progresses because of decreased balance, increased swelling in their feet, or pain and discomfort in their back.  The water helps to support the body, and it is not likely that you will be injured falling in the water. Several studies have proven that exercising in the water during pregnancy helps to decrease low back pain and reduce time off from work due to pain and discomfort.  There are many benefits to exercising in the pool that cannot be achieved with land based exercise, therefore making it an excellent option for women during pregnancy.

There are many fitness centers as well as physical therapy centers that offer aerobic exercise classes in a pool and individualized pool exercise sessions. Choosing the right one for you should be based on several factors, such as cost, location, available time, and expertise of the instructor.  In some cases aquatic therapy can be covered through your health insurance when provided by a physical therapist.  A physical therapist can help design an exercise program that is individualized to you.  Other options to consider when choosing a pool are temperature of the water, depth of the water, and air temperature of the pool area.  Exercising in the water decreases your ability to sweat but there is increased loss of heat through skin contact with both the water in the pool and the air temperature difference in the pool room.  It is recommended that pools utilized for aerobic exercise for pregnant individuals be at about 80-86 degrees Fahrenheit.  Most pools at a gym are cooler to allow for longer time and more intense exercise while therapeutic pools at rehabilitation clinics will be warmer and offer increased comfort for those suffering from back pain.

Safety and monitoring your exercise regimen in the pool is important. The properties of water will naturally decrease the heart rate by increasing the volume the heart pumps out.  If you use your heart rate to gauge your exercise, it is suggested that you decrease your heart rate guidelines by 15 beats per minute.  When exercising in a pool is better to gauge your exercise intensity by using a scale called Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion.  A physical therapist can provide you with the scale and educate you on how to use it.  Dehydration with exercise can occur in the pool as easily as it can on land.  Having access to water during exercise can be important to avoiding any complications with exercise.

All exercise programs are most effective when you can choose an activity they enjoy and a program that is individualized to your needs and goals. We highly recommend water aerobics or any aquatic exercise for women during pregnancy. Aquatic exercise is an exercise program that women would be able to follow throughout the entire 40 weeks of pregnancy.

 

Amelia Iams, DPT is a Physical Therapist at FMH Rehabilitation Aspen Ridge in the treatment and management of sports related and orthopedic injuries.