The Benefits of a Swimmers Treadmill in Your Endless Pool
From sports medicine professionals working with elite athletes to physical therapists working with elderly patients, treadmills with water are an incredibly versatile tool for improving range of motion.
Walk or run on an underwater treadmill in your Endless Pool for a cardio workout that burns more calories than land-based exercise. Alternatively, you can work against the powerful SwimEx current for a more challenging core conditioning workout.
Benefits
If you are an elite athlete or recovering from a recent injury, the swimmers treadmill in your Endless Pool swim spa offers an amazing training and rehabilitation tool. Its buoyancy supports the body for free movement while increasing resistance in all directions to create a more intense workout. This allows you to burn more calories and build stronger muscles without the pounding of land exercise and its associated pain.
In addition, water is great for reducing inflammation and swelling, improving joint function and mobility and helping the body to get back to normal faster. For example, a patient suffering from a knee surgery or lower swimmers treadmill leg injury can often walk much longer on an underwater treadmill than they can on land. This is because the treadmill simulates land-based walking or running, but does not place as much stress on the joints and muscles.
The aquatic environment also helps to prevent the muscle and bone loss that can occur with prolonged immobilization. It encourages the muscles to work in unison and promotes a quicker recovery of movement patterns.
Athletes who use an underwater treadmill can increase their training volume without putting too much stress on the knees, hips and ankles. This can help them stay in shape during rehab and return to their sport at a higher level earlier.
Another advantage of the swimmers treadmill is that it can be used with a variety of assistive devices, which enhance the therapy session. For instance, if the patient is unable to apply weight on one foot due to an injury, it may be possible for the physical therapist to use the underwater treadmill to help them achieve this with a harness or balloon (see Figure 3).
It has been shown that using an underwater treadmill during rehabilitation results in a greater improvement in on-land running and walking performance. For this reason, many top athletes incorporate it into their training routine. This is because it can significantly reduce the risk of injuries that might otherwise keep them out of competition. A recent study showed that runners who alternated training on the land and the underwater treadmill experienced a significant boost in lean muscle mass.
Safety
The warm water of an underwater treadmill provides buoyancy and reduces stress on joints while providing a firm base for movement. The hydrostatic pressure of the water also helps to relieve pain, improve flexibility, increase strength and reduce swelling. These benefits are beneficial to people of all ages, including seniors who may fear falling when performing exercises on land. In addition, water-based exercise is a great way for young athletes to learn proper technique without the risk of injury that can occur with gymnastics or basketball.
When used for rehabilitation or therapy, a swimmers treadmill can be more effective than traditional walking on land. The treadmill allows the user to work against the resistance of the water in a controlled environment that is monitored by a trained veterinary or physical therapy team. This controlled environment also makes the process more effective by allowing for the training of gait patterns and preventing injury due to improper motions or overuse.
The veterinary or physical therapy team will add the water to the tank slowly so that the dog has time to adjust to the feeling and the motion of the treadmill. Once the dog is comfortable with the feeling and is able to place his or her feet in a normal position, the veterinary or physical therapy team will begin moving the treadmill. The water will usually not go above the dog’s shoulders, as this can cause him or her to get too cold and is not necessary for proper functioning of the treadmill.
To avoid accidents, the veterinary or physical therapy team will often put bumpers on the sides of the treadmill. These bumpers can be pool noodles, rubber floaties or any other object that will help the dog to stay in the center of the treadmill and keep his or her feet planted in the correct positions. Bumpers will also help the veterinary or physical therapy team to monitor the movements of the dog and correct any incorrect ones.
Installation
If you are an elite athlete looking for a way to get a more rigorous workout without the excessive stress on your joints and muscles, or someone who is recovering from injury but still wants to be able to exercise, a swimmers treadmill can make it possible. By installing a pool running belt and a powerful SwimEx underwater current, you can run or walk at your own pace while getting a full-body, low impact workout that strengthens the core, legs and arms.
The underwater treadmill is a lightweight and versatile piece of equipment that installs in any Endless Pool, allowing you to create the ultimate exercise experience in your own backyard. The treadmill is motorless and swimmers treadmill requires no electricity, meaning that it is an environmentally friendly addition to your home fitness system. Additionally, the underwater treadmill can be lowered or raised to accommodate swimmers of all levels.
Using the same hydraulic power unit that powers your Endless Pools swim machine, the underwater treadmill pumps biodegradable vegetable oil to its 5 HP underwater motor for energy-efficient power. The adjustable speed allows you to set the treadmill from a leisurely stroll to a brisk run. You can easily change the pace with either the water resistant remote control or the Wifi enabled Endless Pools Fit@Home App. The inclination can be adjusted from 0° to 3°, which can also increase your workout intensity.
Maintenance
Taking proper care of your treadmill is vital to its lifespan and avoidance of costly repairs down the road. It is recommended that you wipe down the console of your treadmill after every use with a cleanser that is safe for gym equipment, or at least a damp cloth. It is also a good idea to press the safety clip into place before you begin using the treadmill. This prevents the potential for tripping or other accidents while exercising and also reduces the exposure of your treadmill to variations in electricity service.
Unless you have a self-lubricating treadmill, it is also important to manually lubricate the many moving parts of your treadmill once a month. It is recommended that you consult your owner’s manual to determine exactly what type of lubricant and how often it should be used based on your usage.
Over time, it is not uncommon for the walking belt on your treadmill to become out of alignment. Fortunately, this is an easy fix and can be done by tightening a few bolts on either side of the deck of your treadmill. Always check your owner’s manual before making any adjustments to your treadmill to ensure that you do not accidentally cause damage to it.