By Hayden Buckman
If cooler mornings on the mountain leave your knees, hips or hands stiff and aching, you’re not alone.
For the many locals living with osteoarthritis or an inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis, the change of season can make everyday movement harder.
One of the most effective, and most underrated, tools we have to help is hydrotherapy.
Hydrotherapy simply means exercising in warm water, usually in a pool heated to around 34 degrees.
It works so well for sore joints because water does something dry land can’t.
Buoyancy takes the load off your joints, so movements that feel sharp or grinding on land become smooth and comfortable in the pool.
That means you can move further, more often, and with far less pain.
The warmth matters too.
Warm water relaxes tight muscles and eases the stiffness that people with arthritis know all too well, particularly first thing in the morning.
The gentle pressure of the water also helps reduce swelling around inflamed joints, while the water itself provides light resistance to rebuild the strength that protects those joints over time.
The evidence backs this up.
Research consistently shows that supervised water-based exercise can reduce pain and improve function and quality of life for people with osteoarthritis, with benefits comparable to land-based programs but often far more comfortable to get through.
For inflammatory conditions, it offers a way to keep moving during flare-ups when higher-impact activity simply isn’t realistic.
A few things worth knowing – hydrotherapy suits almost everyone, including those recovering from joint replacements or managing several conditions at once.
A program guided by a physiotherapist ensures the exercises are targeted to your body, not generic laps, and progressed safely as you improve.
For many people, sessions may also be accessible through a range of funding options worth asking about.
Flynn has been holding sessions at a local pool generously provided by a local resident on Wednesday afternoons.
The team at Physique Health is always happy to talk through whether it’s the right fit for you.
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
