AquaLogix Fitness Blog http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness AquaLogix Fitness Blog Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:24:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Program aims to improve lives of Fort Bragg wounded warriors http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/program-aims-to-improve-lives-of-fort-bragg-wounded-warriors/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/program-aims-to-improve-lives-of-fort-bragg-wounded-warriors/#comments Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:25:27 +0000 http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=144 Wounded warriors rehabilitation program

Wounded warriors rehabilitation program

Photo credit Tina Ray/Paraglide

Sergeant 1st Class Nathan Bannerman, left, and Staff Sgt. Timothy Conley, talk during the Wounded Warrior Sports Program Monday at Tolson Youth Activities Center. Aquatic therapy is designed to improve the strength, flexibility, endurance and socialization skills of wounded warriors.

FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Sergeant First Class Nathan Bannerman spent an hour Monday morning working out in the pool at Tolson Youth Activities Center.

Bannerman participated in an aquatic therapy program offered as part of the Wounded Warrior Sports Program.

Aquatic therapy is designed to improve the strength, flexibility, endurance and socialization skills of wounded warriors, said Teresa Shields, instructor and the Warrior Activity, Recreation and Sports coordinator for Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

Bannerman, who suffered a stroke last October, said he has been making a good recovery.

“I needed something to challenge me more and they figured aquatic therapy was a good one. I like it so far,” he said, on day one of the program.

Bannerman listened as Shields gave instructions on how to stretch using the pool’s ledge for balance and how to shift weight to decrease stress of joints.

The water’s buoyancy helps support the patient’s weight until he or she regains strength to use flaccid muscles, said Shields, who provided lots of advice and tips to the warriors.

“Drink lots of water today,” she told them. “The pressure of the water helps your kidneys to process so you may feel you have to go to the bathroom. That’s normal.”

Staff Sgt. Timothy Conley has been in the Warrior Transition Battalion for almost nine months.

With shrapnel injuries on his face and shoulder and a back fused with rods following two overseas deployments, Conley said he believed the aquatic therapy would help.

“It’s outstanding. It’s lovely. It’s the only thing I’ve been able to do so far that didn’t really hurt me,” said Conley.

Aquatic therapy gives wounded warriors an opportunity to become comfortable with their lives and about themselves following rehabilitation, said Karen White, Fort Bragg Sports, Fitness and Aquatics athletic director.

“This program is unique to MWR, to the Army and the benefit is obviously to the Soldier,” White pointed out. “These guys give their all to us and it’s the least we can do to get them back into society,” she said.

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/program-aims-to-improve-lives-of-fort-bragg-wounded-warriors/feed/ 0 Water Works Aquatic Activity: A Painless Way to Stay Fit http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/water-works-aquatic-activity-a-painless-way-to-stay-fit/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/water-works-aquatic-activity-a-painless-way-to-stay-fit/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 20:21:41 +0000 http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=135

Sally Marshall was trying her best to stay fit and active. But with arthritis in her right ankle and nerve damage in her feet, the retired fashion illustrator was finding workouts difficult.

“I landed hard on one foot while exercising one day, and then I couldn’t even walk right,” she says.

So taking the advice of her son, an Indiana University professor of kinesiology (the study of movement) and an expert on the physical and mental benefits of exercise, the 81-year-old turned to the water, enrolling in twice-weekly aquatic aerobic classes at a community pool near her Lincoln, Neb., home.

“It has done wonders,” says Marshall. “I’ve gotten stronger because of the water’s resistance. I can control my movements and balance because of its buoyancy. I’m walking just fine now, and my arthritis is now under control.”

That’s no surprise to Marilyn Regueira, the instructor of Marshall’s water exercise class. “One man in my class had hip surgery and because of complications in his recovery, he was confined to a wheelchair,” she says. “But after our classes—he would wheel himself into the pool—he is now walking again.”

Such stories are not uncommon, says John A. Hardin, M.D., chief scientific officer of the Arthritis Foundation. “Although exercise is beneficial—whether done on land or in water—it’s very possible that water activity helps because it takes weight off the muscles and joints. So it’s able to improve arthritis and other conditions that cannot be helped with land exercise.”

Increasingly, researchers are finding that because of water’s buoyancy, resistance and temperature, aquatic workouts may go further than similar land-based activities in relieving the pain of age-related conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia; in boosting range of motion, balance and everyday functioning; and in improving heart health and possibly even brain function.

“If you are over 50, the American College of Sports Medicine recommends moderately intense aerobic exercise for 30 minutes a day, four times a week, plus resistance strength training, plus balance and flexibility training,” says Mary E. Sanders, a researcher at the University of Nevada, Reno, and founder of Golden Waves, a functional aquatic exercise program for older Americans. “A swimming pool provides the one place where you can do all of that at the same time without the need for a lot of machines—at your own pace and more comfortably.”

What are some of water’s health benefits? Its hydrostatic pressure “pushes” against your chest and body, lowering the heart rate and helping blood circulate more efficiently. Its resistance makes any movement harder than on land, resulting in faster development of muscle strength, endurance and flexibility. Its buoyancy makes your body “weight” in waist-deep water 50 percent lighter than your land load, reducing joint impact for less pain and providing better balance. And in a cool pool, you can exercise longer and more comfortably.

Those properties make water welcoming to people who have trouble exercising on land—those who are elderly, obese, arthritic or osteoporotic. But even able-bodied folks benefit.

In one study, published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in May 2007, Sanders found that older women who regularly participated in a water-based exercise program improved their on-land walking speed by 16 percent, their agility by 20 percent and their ability to climb stairs by more than 22 percent, compared with others who did the same routines on land. She is now conducting a five-year study on Japanese women between ages 50 and 80. “What we are finding is that when they have an event such as stroke, their recovery rate is much faster if they have participated in water-based exercise.”

Pool exercise also speeds recovery after knee-replacement surgery, according to a study by Richard McAvoy, a physical therapist and certified strength and conditioning specialist in New Hampshire. He presented his research at the 2007 World Aquatic Health Conference on the rehabilitation of 30 patients who’d had knee replacement, among the fastest-growing surgeries in the United States. Half of the patients combined 30 minutes of water-based exercises with 30 minutes of traditional land exercises; the others did their rehab on land only.

“We found there was significant improvement in flexibility of the knee joint in those who used both water and land exercises,” he says. “What’s more, they reported on their outcomes survey less joint clicking, grinding, swelling and difficulties with stiffness, compared to the land exercisers.”

The reason: “In the water, you can do multidirectional exercises that you cannot do on land—such as walking backwards at different speeds,” explains McAvoy. “When you sit on an exercise machine, you usually can only move one way and in one direction.”

Pool time also seems to improve mood and mental health. “We already know that exercise makes you feel better,” says exercise researcher Jack Raglin, Sally Marshall’s son. Although the feel-good results of exercise are often attributed to the release of endorphins—beneficial hormones that produce the so-called runner’s high—only intense, strenuous exercise triggers that biochemical response. “It’s clear that even milder forms of exercise can result in psychological benefits,” he says.

Raglin’s theory is based on studies he has published in 15 medical journals: Just being in water improves mental health and prompts a positive outlook. Other studies, meanwhile, suggest that a positive outlook aids in preventing and battling disease.

“When you’re in warm water, the body heats up more quickly than on dry land, which relaxes muscles and eases tension,” says Raglin. “But it also releases hormones to ease stress and mental fatigue and invigorate the psyche.” Some research also suggests that because movement is harder in the water, that may also promote chemical changes in the brain important in maintaining thinking and memory.

And there’s that other mental advantage: “Water tends to be a more social environment,” says Raglin. “The simple fact that you are in an environment you enjoy, away from work and stress, may be a diversion that promotes mental health. And let’s face it … just about everybody enjoys being in water.”


Sid Kirchheimer is a freelance writer who lives near Philadelphia.

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/water-works-aquatic-activity-a-painless-way-to-stay-fit/feed/ 67 Aquatic Therapy is the U.S. Army’s Newest Recruit http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/aquatic-therapy-is-the-u-s-armys-newest-recruit/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/aquatic-therapy-is-the-u-s-armys-newest-recruit/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:06:16 +0000 aqualogix http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=126 A promising new pilot program for wounded warriors is generating a lot of attention

By Kendra Kozen| February 2010
For as long as there has been an army — and maybe longer — there have been wounded warriors. But today, thanks to two new pilot programs, those brave men and women are finding a new way back to health through aquatic therapy and exercise. If successful, aquatics could become a major part of the U.S. Army’s rehabilitation operations and perhaps even spur greater participation among the civilian population.
Mary Wykle, Ph.D., is the driving force behind the programs, along with Col. Barbara Springer, LTC Nikki Butler and Janet Papazis. Dr. Wykle is an expert in the field and has worked with wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, D.C.

Wykle said the program has two parts: aquatic rehabilitation for soldiers still undergoing physical or occupational therapy and an Aquatic Warrior Exercise program. The latter is designed to help those with continued limitations rebuild strength and fitness/readiness so they can resume regular unit training. Both curriculums were designed to deal primarily with musculoskeletal injuries, though the neurological and psychological impact of traumatic brain injuries and PTSD also were accounted for.”

“We’re trying to mimic their land-based physical training,” Wykle said.

Currently several measures — including surveys, pain indexing, and physical fitness and
ability testing — are being used to track progress and gauge effectiveness. If the pilot is successful, the Army is expected to adopt the program on a larger scale.

“The goal is to develop a standard program [to create continuity between all locations],” said LTC Butler, Allied health staff officer for health policy and services at the Office of the Army Surgeon General. “If this works, the plan would be to roll it out sequentially … over a couple of years.”

Butler said she’s received great feedback so far from staff and participants. For wounded soldiers, she said aquatic rehab is helpful because it allows for exercise without weight-bearing stress on injuries. It also helps increase core strength, which is particularly important in getting wounded warriors back to regular duty.

Research shows the process of immersion also reduces pain, which may mean the soldiers could need less pain medication, added Dr. Bruce Becker, a longtime proponent of aquatic therapy and director of the National Aquatic & Sports Medicine Institute at Washington State University.

Looking beyond the military, he and Wykle believe that if the program is successful, it could spur interest in aquatic rehabilitation for civilians as well.

“What we’re trying to do is promote the important healing properties of aquatic therapy and exercise,” Wykle said.
]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/aquatic-therapy-is-the-u-s-armys-newest-recruit/feed/ 1 Underwater Video Camera Attachment for Sports, Exercises http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/underwater-video-camera-attachment/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/underwater-video-camera-attachment/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:19:06 +0000 http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=93

Need an economical way to film your exercise class or see what you are doing wrong in the flip-turn? This  amazing new underwater video camera system allows you to make underwater videos and pictures without even getting wet! This simple, light and easy to use unique design makes it easy for the novice to the professional videographer make high quality underwater videos at a fraction of the cost of a standard underwater video camera.

Real Underwater Videos takes using Blue Ye Video.

You will be amazed how easy this underwater camera is to use. The camera is attached to a extending pole that you put underwater while you are standing on dry land, a dock, by a pool, on a boat or any other floating vessel on water. No longer to you have to put on a wetsuit to get in cold water, buy or rent a expensive underwater video camera to make those underwater videos that you have always wanted to make.

Watch more of a Sports Injury rehab with LA Times, sports writer, Roy Wallack and Sports Trainer and former Oakland Raiders conditioning coach Marv Marinovich rehabing Dylan Price football injury as shown in the above video.

For more info of this underwater camera attachment go to Blue Ye Video

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/underwater-video-camera-attachment/feed/ 1 Waterproof and Shockproof MP3 Player http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/waterproof-shockproof-mp3/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/waterproof-shockproof-mp3/#comments Sun, 12 Jul 2009 11:10:28 +0000 http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=54 Waterproof MP3 Player

Waterproof MP3 Player - a great product that is waterproof and shockproof

This new product is designed for sports, recreation and aquatic exercise. A must if you like listening to music while being active.

Unlike ipods (which get damaged easy, expensive, and the waterproof case that one pays extra and  leaks all the time) this 2 GB Audio WATERPROOF MP3 Player with arm strap and earbuds is the
HOTTEST NEW AUDIO PLAYER on the market and at a price that is reasonable (under $100)  Check out the stats on this baby!

  • MP3 Player and earbuds are waterproof, completely submersible up to 10 feet
  • Shockresistant, durable design allows for skip free audio
  • Earbuds are form-fitting (3 sizes included), designed to keep sound in and water out
  • 2GB Flash Memory Holds/Plays up to 600 songs
  • Use with MP3, WMA, Protected WMA (DRM) files and Subscription Music Services
  • Color OLED screen to display track details
  • FM radio tuner with channel presets
  • Equalizer presets and WOW settings to maximize sound quality
  • Built-in rechargeable battery with up to 18 hours of music per charge!
  • Compact size, ultra-lightweight, sleek design, floats
  • Armband, USB Transfer cable, and manual included
  • Can be used with supplied waterproof earbuds, or your favorite headphones
  • Functional as a storage device for files other than music
  • Compatible with both PCs and Macs
  • Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish, Czech, Polish, Finnish, Danish, Hungarian, Slovak, Simple Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Hebrew, Thai.

As of now shipping is free in the US

More on this player go to Aquatic MP-3

Source of Article: Costa Rice Blog

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/waterproof-shockproof-mp3/feed/ 4 Injured Soldiers Use Aqualogix for ReHab – Ft Dix, NJ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/rehab-injured-soldeirs/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/rehab-injured-soldeirs/#comments Fri, 10 Jul 2009 23:12:04 +0000 http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=49 Pool Like this are being used more and more to rehab injured soldiers

Pool Like this are being used more and more to rehab injured soldiers

Sergeant First Class Vincent Fanning and SFC Brian Thomas from Fort Dix, NJ wanted to find a better way to help their soldiers returning from the war to recover from their injuries. Some had back and neck injuries from traumatic explosions and many have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

The Aquatic Therapy and Rehab Institute (ATRI), The Jalkanen Foundation, and Dr. Mary Wykle arranged scholarships for SFC Thomas and SFC Fanning so they could attend aquatic therapy training in Washington DC. This letter was posted on behalf of ATRI.

SFC Fanning later wrote:

Dear ATRI, It was with a bad attitude, and a suspicion that I would be learning nothing more than synchronized swimming, that I begrudgingly drove from New Jersey to DC for the conference. I was essentially “volunteered” to be there, and wasn’t happy about it.

But I’m a Soldier, and I do what I am told to do. That being said, I need now to apologize to you for my closed mind before I arrived…. and further, to Thank You so very much, for inspiring me, opening my mind, and giving me purpose and direction.

This purpose and direction has changed my belief that water was only a tool for recreation and personal hygiene! Yours was my first class, and in that two or three hours of lecture time, and during the instruction in the pool, you gave me a sense of belief, …and wonder, ..and excitement.

And by the end of the first day, the most profound sense of inspiration. As the conference progressed, I began to put 100% into all of the aquatic exercises, so I could really test myself, if not convince myself, that it would work. It did.

There are few parts of my body that don’t hurt this morning. I’m not going to take any pain meds though, as I want the pain to remind me of my own lack of better physical fitness and use it to describe to my soldiers how I feel, and how using the water is definitely an excellent way to physical conditioning, progression, and maintenance.

I retained most of the exercises and training techniques conducted in the pool…captivated and motivated by the skills and abilities of the instructors, and the effects the exercises had on me, both academically and physically. These are the techniques we will use to help our soldiers.

Few people have inspired me. Unless they are in a uniform similar to mine, I hadn’t much time for them.

Not out of disrespect or cynicism, but because what I do takes up what I believe is every person’s most valuable resource…TIME. Without time, the intensity of life’s other joys is diminished.

The time I shared with all of you in Virginia was priceless. My military time is nearly done.

And although I had some plans for life after the Army, I felt a nudge to travel in a different direction…Thank You.

With most sincere admiration and thanks,

Sergeant First Class Vincent P. Fanning
United States Army

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/rehab-injured-soldeirs/feed/ 1 Newsletter – Neuromuscular training http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/newsletter-neuromuscular-training/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/newsletter-neuromuscular-training/#comments Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:02:23 +0000 http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=34 Here it is, our first AquaLogix newsletter going out to you our health, fitness, therapy and rehab professionals and loyal customers. We thank you for your vision, hard work and belief that the AquaLogix Fitness System is setting the foundation to revolutionize the aquatic fitness and rehab industry.

We will be updating you monthly with our newsletter on what is happening with AquaLogix. To wet your appetite, we have an exciting new training program coming out in the future. It will be an advanced neuromuscular training developed over the decades of research and implementation. It will benefit all fitness levels and age groups. There will be more information to be released in next month’s newsletter. Keep a look out!

This newsletter also encompasses a blog that will help us dialogue with you on everything Aqualogix and more. Please be interactive with the blog and let us hear your feed back on the AquaLogix fitness System. Also, take a look around the links that we have shared with you. We would also like to invite you to join our Facebook community of dedicated AquaLogix fans. We look forward to hearing from you.

Health is like water – Free flowing, full of energy, vitality and life.

Being as water,

Terry McBride

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/newsletter-neuromuscular-training/feed/ 0 Hello Aquatic Fitness Fans http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/hello-world/ http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/hello-world/#comments Tue, 24 Mar 2009 10:00:00 +0000 aqualogix http://aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/?p=1 Welcome to the Aqualogix Fitness Blog. If this is your first time here, please register (below right side) and start blogging!

]]> http://www.aqualogixfitness.com/water-fitness/hello-world/feed/ 1