Συνδυάζει την κινητική και συναισθηματική βιωματική εκπαίδευση παιδιών και ενηλίκων. Προετοιμάζει την ανεξάρτητη και αυτόνομη κίνηση στο νερό μεσα απο τη μάθηση κολυμβητικών δεξιοτήτων.
Aquatic physical therapy has a large focus on exercise in water which can include the following used in isolation or in combination:
- Balance training
- Strengthening and stabilizing
- Cardiovascular conditioning
- Adapted swimming
- Flexibility or exercises for range of movement
Aquatic exercise is prescribed specifically
Aquatic exercise is prescribed specifically for the participant following an assessment to identify main problems and includes the integration of evidence based practice along with shared goal setting. Specificity with exercise prescription remains a high priority along with further considering dose response to aquatic physical therapy. Focus must continue on outcome measures for measuring effectiveness and objective measures to improve accuracy of estimating load. Examples are a metronome or music for speed and resistance from turbulence, volume of floatation for buoyancy resisted exercise, repetitions and sets and measures of cardiovascular load. The use of outcome measures and objective measures will facilitate the transition from practice to research and vice versa. Nearly all aquatic approaches and exercises offer direct benefits to stabilising or strengthening. Resistance training in aquatic physiotherapy can have excellent outcomes. Clear protocols with progressive load, understanding the physics of the environment and measuring forces is important.
The aquatic environment is ideal for cardiovascular training not only for sporting populations or basic musculoskeletal rehabilitation but also in chronic conditions with support documented in patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis (Hall et al 2004), chronic low back pain (Barker et al 2003) and stroke (Driver et al 2004). The nature of any chronic condition is often reduced mobility and subsequently reduced VO2 max. With continuing research into this area, consideration should be given in all chronic patients to planning part of each session to address improving their VO2 max. The aquatic environment can be an exercise medium safe from falls or injury, it can also be highly challenging more at the edge of balance limits including practice in single limb stance. Larger movements of the centre of gravity, limbs and trunk are therapeutically useful but it is unclear if any influence on the fear of falling. Balance is specific to the environment and the task but aquatic programs have shown carryover into land based measures. Adapted swimming covers all strokes that may be in some way modified. Adapted swimming offers not only a cardiovascular training, musculoskeletal challenge in terms of endurance and range of movement but most importantly it offers so much with regard to participation.