PhysioDC

Physical Therapy

  • Home
  • About
    • Physical Therapists
      • Daniel Baumstark MSPT, CHT
      • Christopher Cousins MPT
      • Kira Davis MPT
      • Christina Eidi DPT
      • Molly Horan PT, DPT
    • Treatment Philosophy
    • Patient Reviews
    • Resources
  • Services
    • Physical Therapy
    • Hand Therapy
    • Running Analysis
    • Functional Dry Needling
    • Concussion Management
    • Dance Rehabilitation
    • Custom Orthotics
    • Personal Training
  • Products
  • Media
    • Podcasts
    • Photo Gallery
    • Exercise Videos
  • Forms
  • Billing
    • Insurance
    • Payments
  • Blog
    • Select Your Body Part
  • Directions
  • Contact

It’s Pool Season: Use It for Your Rehab

Last updated on June 11, 2017 By Kira Davis MPT Leave a Comment


The weather is getting warmer and the sun is out for longer. People are putting on their swimsuits to sunbathe at the pool. If you are dealing with an injury, it’s a perfect time to change up your exercises a bit to do some rehab in that water.

Benefits of Aquatic Exercises

The buoyancy and density of water makes it possible for one to exercise with assistance or resistance. Being in a pool can help you bear weight more easily on a limb that is having trouble bearing the same weight on land. At the same time, being in a pool can give you some resistance as you push your limb against the water.

Basic Pool Exercises for Lower Body

Basic walking
Walk forwards, backwards, and sideways. This is great for working your leg muscles against the resistance of the water. This is also a good thing to do after a foot or leg injury to help normalize your gait. When we have difficulty bearing weight on a certain joint on land due to the pressure of gravity, taking off some of that pressure can help us work through all of our available range of motion, normalizing our gait. Basic walking in the water is ideal for regaining function from many different injuries from total hip replacements all the way down to turf toe.

Knee flexion
This is an exercise that is very useful to people that have had surgery such as an ACL repair or total knee replacement. Sometimes regaining the ability to bend your knee fully is very difficult after these procedures. The buoyancy of the water helps to assist moving the leg. For this exercise you can stand and bend your knee so that your heel is going up towards your buttocks, and then see if you are able to grab your foot. Another way to do this is by trying to march your knee up towards your chest, and then gently put your hands on your shin bone, hugging your leg towards you.

Standing balance
This is as basic as it sounds. Stand in the water and lift one leg up while trying to balance on the other leg. The water will try to displace you all while keeping you steady at the same time, so there is no need to really worry about falling. The deeper you are in the water (chest high) the harder this exercise will be, yet the safer it is. If you are in shallower water (just below the waist), the exercise is still difficult to do but for different reasons. The more people that are in the pool moving the water around, the more difficult this exercise will be. Try doing a 30 second balance 4 times.

Basic Pool Exercises for Upper Body

Shoulder internal and external rotation
Stand in chest high water with your elbow in at your side; then rotate your arms in and out as if you are opening and closing a newspaper. This type of movement is wonderful for strengthening the rotator cuff, which is a stabilizing force couple of shoulder. The water in this exercise will give you a nice amount of resistance.

Shoulder flexion
This exercise is nice if you are having trouble raising your arm due to stiffness or tendonitis causing pain. This can be done a few ways. One way to do this is by being about chest deep in the water, and then start with your elbow at your side and raise your arm forward in a slow punching motion; for a longer arc motion you can start with your hands at the side of your legs, and let the buoyancy of the water help you raise your arm in a forward motion.

Tricep press downs
This last example is very good for functional use of being able to push downward, like when you are using your arms to help you up from a chair or pushing yourself off of the ground. If you have water dumb bells you can use those or even just foam pool noodles. Hold the noodles in each hand with your elbows bent at your side and push down. The density of the water with the buoyancy of the noodle will add wonderful resistance for your triceps and latissimus dorsi muscles.

These are just a few examples of how you can use the pool to assist you in your rehab. Get creative. Most things that can be done on land can also be done in water with a little modification. Talk to your therapist about how you can incorporate some of your exercises into the water when you are enjoying the lovely weather this summer.

Image credits: Top photo © Francesco Ridolfi/Fotolia; 2nd © Galina Barskaya/Fotolia.

Filed Under: Exercise & Fitness, Orthopedic Injury



Additional Articles

When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
Should I Use Ice or Should I Use Heat?
How Much Grip Strength Do I Need To Drive a Car?

The Healthcare Plight of the Working Dancer
man experiencing lower back pain
Ruling Out Alternative Causes Of Spinal Pain
home fitness workouts via computer
Physical Therapist Reviews YouTube HITT Routines

About Kira Davis MPT

Kira Davis has been practicing as a licensed physical therapist (license #PT870656) in the outpatient orthopedic setting since 2006 in the metropolitan Washington, DC area. She received her Masters of Physical therapy in 2005 from Howard University and her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in the Pre-Physical Therapy program in 2003 from Howard University. She has experience addressing many types of sports injuries and is herself an avid soccer player. Trained in classical dance since the age of 3 and an active dance student, she strives to be one of the area's elite physical therapists for the dance community.

FTC Compliance Disclaimer: PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.

physical therapist recommended products

Ask a Physical Therapist a Question Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Disclaimer: By clicking on the I Agree button below, the individual posting a question fully understands that any response to the question is merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given.

four × 2 =

Contact PhysioDC

Office: 202-223-8500
Fax: 202-379-9299
Email Us
Listen to Our Podcast

Physical Therapy Office Location

1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20036

Click here for directions

Offering the Following Services

  • Physical Therapy
  • Hand Therapy
  • Running Analysis
  • Functional Dry Needling
  • Concussion Management
  • Dance Rehabilitation
  • Custom Orthotics

Select Your Body Part

Click the image below to try our Select Your Body Part tool to read articles relevant to you.

Most Popular Articles

  • 1. Why Won’t My Elbow Straighten?
  • 2. When Can I Start Working Out After Shoulder Surgery?
  • 3. Managing Expectations When Recovering from Labral Repair
  • 4. Shoulder Surgery: When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?
  • 5. Why Are My Ring Finger & Pinky Finger Numb?
  • 6. Two Long-Term Effects of Ankle Sprains
  • 7. Post-Surgical Ankle Boot? Please Get a Lift For Your Other Shoe!
  • 8. How to Sleep Comfortably after Shoulder Surgery
  • 9. Physical Therapist Reviews Shaun T’s Insanity Routine
  • 10. Do Your Ribs Move?
  • 11. Hip Labral Repair Rehabilitation: What To Expect
  • 12. Why Should I Stretch My Back on a Foam Roll?
  • 13. Physical Therapist CEUs (Continuing Education Units)

Recent Posts

  • Ruling Out Alternative Causes Of Spinal Pain
  • Physical Therapist Reviews YouTube HITT Routines
  • Drawing: A Tool For Learning Anatomy
  • Post-Traumatic Elbow Contractures: Etiology & Therapeutic Interventions
  • Benefits of the Anti-Inflammatory Diet
  • What Exercises Can I Do For My Lower Back While Driving?
  • Allowing Tendonitis To Heal
  • Aging, Falling, and Sensible Solutions
  • Why Are My Ring Finger & Pinky Finger Numb?
  • Shoulder Surgery: When Can I Get Rid of My Shoulder Sling?

Join the Discussion

  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Can You Balance on One Leg?
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Microfracture Knee Surgery Rehabilitation
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Review of Specialized Sleeping Pillow
  • Sylvia Hayes on Review of Specialized Sleeping Pillow
  • Kim on Microfracture Knee Surgery Rehabilitation
  • Levi Armstrong on Importance of Seeking Medical Attention After a Head Concussion
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Can You Balance on One Leg?
  • Romina Llanes on Can You Balance on One Leg?
  • Dan Baumstark, MSPT, CHT on Why Does My Knee Crack?
  • Katelyn Davis on Why Does My Knee Crack?

PhysioDC Address

1001 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 330
Washington, DC 20036
Entrance on K Street

Find us on Google Maps

Office Hours

Monday-Thursday    7:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday 7:30 AM - 3:00 PM

Contact PhysioDC

Office: 202-223-8500
Fax: 202-379-9299

Email Us through our online contact form.

Copyright © 2022 Washington PhysioDC, LLC · Sitemap · Privacy Policy · Disclaimer
PhysioDC is a unique, physical therapist owned & operated rehabilitation clinic conveniently located in downtown Washington, D.C.

Resources · Recommended Products · Exercise Videos · Podcasts · Photo Gallery

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for Educational Purposes Only and is not designed to diagnose, treat, mitigate, prevent or cure any health conditions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not evaluated statements about these health topics or any suggested product compositions. Answers to questions submitted are merely the opinion of the physical therapist and should not be taken as a prescribed course of action. Any advice given by the therapist must be cleared with the treating physician involved in direct patient care. The person posing the question absolves the responder of any liability in regards to opinions given. PhysioDC insists that all patients receive approval from a prescribing physician prior to starting a structured exercise program involving any of the exercises included on this site. PhysioDC.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com; proceeds from product sales help cover the operational & maintenance costs for the site.