Stress Relief with Endless Pools Swim Spas
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Like many people who suffer from occasional lower
back pain, Dr. Robert Voller, 53, of Mississippi, has
never received a comprehensive diagnosis for this common
condition. He knows intuitively, though, that low- or
no-impact activity is key to managing the problem. The Endless Pool regimen he has adopted since
installing it in August 2001 reflects that
approach.
Thus, in contrast to users whose primary objective
is building strength, Robert’s modus operandi
is to enhance flexibility via frequent, short sessions
in his Endless Pool: once or, preferably, twice daily
for 10-15 minutes at a time. Specific movements include
both swimming and stretching
exercises using the constant resistance of the water
as a non-jarring counterweight. He keeps the water temperature
in the 80-to-85-degree range during spring and summer,
an average of five degrees warmer in colder weather.
Among adult Americans, back problems are the single
most common ailment, and non-specific back pain is the
most prevalent cause of time lost on the job, not to
mention time and money spent in search of relief. The
increased
incidence of sedentary lifestyles is integral to the
problem, and progressive strategies for its treatment
have generally focused not on rest, but on movement
and greater range of motion.
The benefits of aquatic therapy in addressing back
pain issues are two-fold. First, water forms an especially
safe and comfortable environment for those already in
pain. Second, the greater-than-air buoyancy of water
makes possible many movements that are simply not possible
without the added
support it affords. At the same time, water’s
greater resistance -- 600 to 700 times that of air --
provides an outstanding medium for building strength.
“Even comparatively sedate forms of exercise,
like walking, were sometimes rough on my back,”
says Robert, “but the non-weight bearing
environment of the Endless Pool has helped me tremendously.”
Noting the correlation frequently cited between nervous
tension and numerous musculo-skeletal afflictions, especially
lower back pain, Robert looks forward to the relaxed
state his workout promotes at the end of a long day.
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