She’s in the water: why you should take a splash

Posted on 14 March, 2023

Welcome to Kirra Rankin’s next series with HerCanberra called She’s in the water.

Water has the power to soothe, heal and rejuvenate. The mere sight and sound of water can induce a flood of neurochemicals in the brain. These particular neurochemicals promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation. And that’s just being around water—we haven’t even mentioned exercise yet…

Studies have shown that gazing at bodies of water can help lower your heart rate, decrease blood pressure and increase feelings of relaxation. Now we have your attention—did you get a moment to read our last series She’s on the trails? It was great for those who can walk or run on Canberra’s beautiful trails, but what about those who can’t for whatever reason?

Whether it be physical disabilities, mental or emotional health, autoimmune conditions, load management, the list goes on—we want to give everyone options to optimize their health. Maybe exercising in water is your answer?

12 per cent of the Australian population report suffering from a common mental disorder (eg: depression and anxiety). The prevalence of chronic pain is estimated to increase to 5.23 million people by 2050. Just over half of people living with chronic pain are women.

If you do have depression, anxiety or chronic pain, regular exercise is vital for your recovery, developing confidence, and empowering you to re-engage and get back to the activities you want to do. Movement also:

• Improves your mood.
• Increases your serotonin, regulating your emotions.
• Gives your dpamine gets a boost.
• Gives you a sense of accomplishment.
• Jump-starts our attention system.
• Acts as escape from the daily chores, and pinging phone.

She’s on the trails briefly mentioned Deep Water Running & Hydrolates (Aquatic Pilates) in the series, to give you options, but for this series I want to focus on water as a therapy. Welcome to She’s in the water.

Here’s a brief overview of our next series: pool options in Canberra, how to get started, different programs for different body parts, deep water running interval programs, mini-Hydrolates programs we use for “burnout” (coming back to self); looking after your skin and hair post pool session, hydration at the pool, healthy snacks after or before a morning session, shoulder mobility programs for swimming lovers, different equipment for variety.

THE WHY.

The benefits of water therapy for injury treatment, strengthening and recovery have been demonstrated in clinical studies and medical research.  Who loves immersing in water?

Do you know WHY it feels so good? Depending on the immersion depth, the hydrostatic pressure promotes blood flow by varying the pressure exerted on the body; this results in increased blood flow to major organs and the promotion of diuretic action. Here’s some other reasons:

Buoyancy. Natural buoyancy of water comfortably supports your weight and reduces stress on joints. Exercises and treatments are easier, more comfortable, and safer performed in water.

Viscosity.  Benefit from water resistance, which provides efficient muscle strengthening. While providing support at the same time. Magic.

Hydrostatic pressure. Water supports tissues naturally, helping relieve swelling in damaged areas and improve joint position awareness.

Warmth. Warm water is not just comfortable and soothing, it also relaxes muscle tissues and vasodilates blood vessels, which allows for increased blood flow and more efficient healing of injuries.

THE BRAIN.

A deep biological connection has been shown to trigger an immediate response in our brains when we’re near water. One study found that simply walking where water is visible for 20 minutes a day immediately increased mood (compared to walking in a more urban setting). In fact, the mere sight and sound of water can induce a flood of neurochemicals. These particular neurochemicals promote wellness, increase blood flow to the brain and heart and induce relaxation.

And that’s just being around water—the movement side is where the magic happens!

Okay, now that we’ve planted the seed. Let’s get started.

Where’s your favourite pool to workout? Our first series of She’s in the water is focusing on local pools, and how to get started. Here’s 10 pools that we refer to for our Capital Hydrotherapy community to self-manage:

1) Canberra Olympic Pool (Open 5.30 am – 9 am); Civic.

2) Manuka pool (Open 6.30 am – 7 pm); Griffith.

3) Dickson Pool (Open 6 am – 7 pm); Dickson.

4) Canberra International Sports and Aquatic Centre (Open 5.30 am -9 pm); Bruce

5) Club Lime Aquatics ANU (Open 6 am- 9.30 am); Acton.

6) Active Leisure Centre, (Open 5.30 am – 8.45 pm), Erindale.

7) Lakeside Leisure Centre (Open 5.30 am – 9.30 pm); Tuggeranong.

8) Stellar Canberra (Open during restricted hours for pre-booked member access); Woden.

9) Hartley Hydro (Open 7 am – 7 pm); Hughes.

10) Queanbeyan Aquatic Centre (Open 6 am – 7:30 pm); Queanbeyan.

How to start? At HerCanberra, we like to keep it simple:

• Pack your swimmers and desired equipment (think: noodles, fabric resistance bands, resistance gloves, paddles, and leg straps)—we’ll discuss these options next series. I’ve heard Colleen’s Lingerie and Swimwear in Garran have a great variety for all shapes and sizes.
• Find a local pool. Check out the quiet periods.
• Start moving (ease into it).
• Create a goal that suits your function (stay motivated).

You don’t have to get your hair wet to exercise at a pool.  You can do your make-up and hair, pack your bag for work—exercise for 20 to 30 minutes—then head into work. Let’s not complicate this.

Remember, you don’t have to start with a long water session straight away.  PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION.

JUST START.

Next series we will focus on different equipment and a mini-Hydrolates (Aquatic Pilates) programs to self-manage.

Did we inspire you to take a splash?

Love, Kirra