When should you not swim?
- During menstruation (tampons will not protect you from possible infection).
- If you have open wounds.
- If you are sick or already sick with infectious diseases.
- During periods of exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and other ENT diseases.
- For skin diseases.
- For some types of allergies.
- For some eye diseases.
- Patients with arrhythmia, angina pectoris and other heart diseases should only swim after consulting a doctor.
General rules for therapeutic swimming for the spine
Of course, therapeutic swimming differs from sports or amateur swimming . There is a slightly different goal here and, accordingly, slightly different techniques and methods are used.
There are a number of general recommendations that should be followed:
- Don't get too cold . You should choose a pool with a comfortable and not cold temperature, preferably a little warmer than normal.
- Warm up . Do at least a short warm-up on land first.
- The duration of the workout is about 40 minutes. During the process you need to rest if necessary or change the pace.
In addition to this, you need, of course, to focus on your own condition and well-being. The presence of any unpleasant symptoms indicates the need to reduce the intensity or end the workout. During therapeutic swimming, you need to listen sensitively to your own body.
Video: “How to swim correctly for your benefit?”
Know and love your back
- If you have a herniated disc, not all swimming styles will be beneficial for you. Your main task is to reduce the load on the hernia, stretch the spinal column and build muscle. Swimming on your back is what works best.
- If you have severe kyphosis (a backward curvature of the spine that creates a bulge in the thoracic region), you may especially benefit from breaststroke on your stomach.
- If you have osteochondrosis, you can alternate between swimming on your back and on your stomach.
- To strengthen the joints and ligaments of the shoulder girdle (so that your shoulders do not move forward and your posture is straight), you should learn to swim crawl.
- With a lateral curvature of the spine, it makes sense to select the load individually - these will be exercises for asymmetrical swimming.
Contraindications to the use of swimming for the spine
In fact, they are practically absent . Even if you do not have swimming skills, it is quite possible to acquire the necessary skills to perform effective therapy in the pool.
In addition, it should be noted that there are restrictions when you should not swim:
- curvature of the spine of 3-4 degrees, here you should swim only as prescribed by a doctor;
- osteochondrosis at a significant stage or during exacerbation, you must first obtain a treatment program and consult;
- heart and lung diseases, you must first learn about the permissible loads and training options.
Of course, there are also general restrictions that do not concern the spine, but relate to factors that do not contribute to swimming. We are talking about various skin diseases, colds, and central nervous system diseases. At the same time, in general, swimming is more often useful than harmful and can be useful to many.
Indications
Water gymnastics is especially useful and even necessary in the following cases:
- with sedentary work and a sedentary lifestyle;
- physical or nervous stress;
- depression, sleep disorders;
- injuries of the musculoskeletal system followed by long-term immobilization;
- osteochondrosis and intervertebral hernias;
- poor posture and curvature of the spine - scoliosis, kyphosis, etc.;
- weak muscle corset of the back.
Water aerobics for the spine: a set of exercises
First, you should consider a set of positions that allows you to statically and gently stretch and relax your back.
Only for this you will need to use delimiter floats, which are located between the tracks:
- with the thoracic spine lie on top of the floats, legs are extended freely, arms are extended behind the head, remain in this position, relax, sway calmly;
- lie down in the water between two strips of floats, so as to touch each one and be able to stretch a little between them, gradually perform a conscious tension of all the back muscles;
- the legs are thrown over the top of the side, the pelvis lies in the water and is pressed against the side of the side, the back is free in the water, they remain in this position until complete relaxation.
Next, more active exercises are performed , and this relaxation complex can also be used to complete the workout. Many of these exercises are performed in shallow water where it is comfortable.
If the disease has gone into remission, then you can do water aerobics, standing and jumping leg swings.- Squats in water.
- “Drawing” a circle with your feet in the water.
- “Drawing” “eights” with the pelvis.
- Punches in the water.
- Intensive crossing of straight legs, straight arms.
- Movement with straight arms up/down in the water.
- Raise your knees and pull them towards your chest, and straighten your legs.
- Exercise "bicycle" in the water column.
The number of repetitions should be chosen depending on the level of training. You should not get overly tired and overstrain your muscles; they will still receive significant tone from staying and moving in the water. A good option is to create your own set of movements that you like. After all, if they bring pleasure, then there is much more motivation to train in the future and the positive effect is better reinforced .
Why does my back hurt?
Back and lower back pain is a common problem faced by people of all ages - both adults and young people. The main causes of pain are:
- office “sedentary” work;
- slouch;
- osteochondrosis;
- herniated discs, etc.
Often pain and discomfort in the back are the result of high load on the spine. This can be explained simply: every day a person spends a lot of time in an upright position, which increases pressure on the intervertebral discs. The vertebrae become pinched, causing back pain. If you have any back pain, you should consult a specialist who will conduct an examination and select the right treatment. Most often in such cases, swimming is prescribed as an addition to the main treatment. Does your back hurt? Strengthen your back muscles by swimming!
Basic rules of behavior in the pool
The question of “how long to swim” is decided on an individual basis, since the duration of the session greatly depends on the degree of development of the disease. If the water is warm (today there are many special swimming complexes with heated water), then such a pool during an exacerbation is not only possible, but even necessary. But you must follow the basic rules very carefully, otherwise you can cause significant harm to yourself and worsen the condition of your spine.
How to swim in the pool correctly:
- maximum relaxation of the muscles of the back and neck and restoration of symmetry can be achieved by swimming on the back or breaststroke;
- When going swimming, you must take a life jacket with you. You will need it for relaxing on the water - it is in this position that you can completely relax your entire back. Even when you fully master the technique of lying on the water, the vest will still be useful;
- be sure to follow breathing techniques – it helps to significantly increase the effectiveness of your exercises;
- The phase of active movements should last 5-10 minutes, followed by rest on the water.
And the most important rule: even with a mild degree of intervertebral osteochondrosis, you can only exercise in the pool under the guidance of an experienced instructor.
What accessories can you use when swimming if you have back pain?
Advice from Proswim experts: use swimming accessories - boards, sticks, swimming paddles - to increase the productivity of your workout, as well as for the prevention and treatment of back diseases. What accessories can be used for back pain?
- swimming board . This accessory completely isolates the work of the arms, thus training only the muscles of the core and legs. Swimming with a board helps stabilize your body position in the water. The spine is stretched, which has a beneficial effect on joint mobility. The swimboard is suitable for all swimming styles. The accessory should be held on outstretched arms, while the face looks down at the bottom of the pool. At the same time, the body is stretched out like a string. With this position of the body in the water, the load is distributed evenly.
– the kolobaska allows you to isolate the work of the legs and focus on training the upper body. The kolobaska is fixed between the thighs - this makes it easier for the swimmer to keep his back correctly.
– Swimming paddles help reduce the load on the shoulder girdle and back muscles. By practicing swimming in a pool with paddles, you improve the correct stroke technique and put the right load on your back muscles, reducing the risk of various injuries.
What are the benefits of swimming for arthrosis?
Water procedures are indicated for people of any age, including the elderly, among whom gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis are most often diagnosed. When immersed in water, the load on the joints is reduced significantly - the person feels relief and is able to perform movements that are not subject to him in his normal state. Regular training will help you get rid of excess weight, which is extremely dangerous with arthrosis. In later stages, when people often cannot move at all, swimming becomes their only option for physical activity.
Swimming has a positive effect on the body:
- relaxes muscles, eliminates spasms and cramps;
- strengthens periarticular muscles;
- reduces pain by cooling the joints;
- activates lymph outflow due to water massage of periarticular tissues;
- promotes general relaxation and rest.
Swimming improves metabolism in joint tissues
What if you go on a hike?
Even if the main purpose of your trip is the sea, you are unlikely to spend your entire vacation on the beach. You will probably want to explore the local attractions or even go on a hike. People with spinal problems should do the latter only lightly - multi-kilogram backpacks are not for you. But even if the walk is relaxed and pleasant, be sure to take care of comfortable shoes - low, wide heels with elastic, soft soles.
It will “dampen” the impact of the foot on the ground, and the vibration from it will not be transmitted to the spine (it is harmful - it contributes to the appearance of microtraumas).
The pool can be medicine
Is a swimming pool useful for osteochondrosis? Is it possible to go to the swimming pool if you have severe pain? In most cases, the answers to these questions are positive. Swimming lessons give excellent results if taught by an experienced instructor.
One of the main therapeutic factors of physical therapy in the pool is the possibility of long-term unloading of the spine when performing active movements. A specially selected set of exercises eliminates overstrain in certain areas of the muscles and restores correct symmetry. In addition, while performing exercises in the pool, patients can take a little rest from the pain that torments them.
Health-improving gymnastics
The benefits of hanging on a horizontal bar for any form of osteochondrosis have been clinically proven. The spinal column is stretched, the distance between the discs and vertebrae increases, and pinched nerves are released. But such training is beyond the power of old people, overweight people, and weakened patients. Exercise therapy pools are equipped with special crossbars. By holding on to them and immersing your body in the water, you can not only hang for a long time, but also perform certain movements.
If you have the opportunity to perform the movements recommended by your doctor after regular swimming, you should definitely take advantage of it. Here are the most common and effective exercises to strengthen the spine:
- lower yourself into the water, raise your knees, simulating walking in place. After a few minutes, start moving in the water, gradually increasing the pace;
- standing in the water, alternately pull your knees towards your body, spreading your arms to the sides. During training, the main load should fall on the legs, and not on the spine;
- lie on your stomach, holding the side, spread and close your straight legs, performing a “scissors” movement;
- squat to the maximum possible depth. At the beginning of training, you can maintain your balance by holding onto the side;
- float on an inflatable raft, moving by not too intense swings of your legs. For cervical osteochondrosis, it is enough to swim 25-30 m, for lumbar osteochondrosis - 50-100 m;
- Hold an inflatable raft or pillow between your legs and swim, making strokes only with your hands. If you experience pain in the lumbar region, you do not need to perform the exercise.
During training, it is important not to overload the cervical spine. The load should be evenly distributed over the entire spine, lower and upper limbs. We should not forget the useful pressure difference at the interface between air and water. Exercises for cervical osteochondrosis are performed while diving to the collarbones. For chest pathology, you need to go into the water up to your chest, for lumbosacral pathology - up to your waist.
The training ends with free swimming for 10-15 minutes. Then you need to take a shower, dry yourself and be sure to lie down on the couch for half an hour to restore your breathing and relax.
What types of muscles are used when swimming?
This sport is suitable for everyone, since almost all muscle groups are involved in the process of swimming.
- Freestyle primarily affects the muscles of the chest, legs and back.
- In breaststroke, the shoulders and back are primarily worked.
- The butterfly stroke gives the maximum load, using the muscles of the shoulders, back, abs, legs, while aligning the spine.
Select a convenient time for training and your preferred type of activity on the website page: Select a convenient time for training and your preferred type of activity on the website page: . We work for you seven days a week at the address: ZAO, YuZAYU, st. Olof Palme, 5 (metro station “Sportivnaya”, “University”, “Slavyansky Boulevard”, “Fili”).”
Safety first
It should be especially emphasized that the pool only helps those who follow safety rules. The fact is that, once in the water, a person suffering from osteochondrosis feels an instant decrease in pain, and he has a false sense of permissiveness. But any sudden or sweeping movement can further aggravate worn discs and pinched nerves. And this is fraught with a new exacerbation of the disease and a strong deterioration in the condition.
Security requirements can be formulated as follows:
- You need to perform the exercises very carefully, and in no case should you chase records;
- You can start exercising no earlier than 30 minutes after eating;
- you need to exercise either in a heated therapeutic pool, or in a pool where there is a specially designated and fenced area (this is necessary to prevent collisions with other swimmers);
- classes must be conducted by an instructor with special education; working out with an ordinary sports coach, or on your own, means dooming yourself to great risk;
- before entering the water (even if it is warm), you must complete a set of warm-up exercises;
- stay in the water should not exceed 45 minutes (longer swimming creates the danger of hypothermia and has a bad effect on the condition of the skin);
- After finishing classes, you need to take a contrast shower, perform relaxation exercises and drink hot or warm tea.
Important note. Even slight hypothermia obtained in water causes severe harm in osteochondrosis. If during exercise you feel that you are starting to feel cold, you must immediately get out of the water and warm up well.
Why is swimming recommended for osteochondrosis?
Swimming brings significant relief for osteochondrosis of any part of the spine. As soon as a person is immersed in water, his body becomes practically weightless, the muscles relax as much as possible, and the pressure compressing the vertebrae disappears. Under such conditions, the distance between the vertebrae immediately becomes greater, and this allows the deformed discs to straighten out and begin to restore their natural shape.
When the intervertebral spaces expand, the pinched nerve endings are released and the pain subsides. The increase in these intervals is so significant that after a 45-minute swimming lesson, a person’s height increases by almost a whole centimeter. But after a person leaves the water, the intervertebral discs compress again, and growth becomes the same.
The vast majority of people suffering from osteochondrosis feel immediate relief when completely immersed in an aquatic environment.
But for a cure, or at least to curb the disease, simply visiting the pool is completely insufficient. To restore the health of your spine, you must follow the rules of behavior in the pool.