HydroWorx is proud to announce that the polls are now officially open for the first ever Excellence in Aquatics Award! The award has been created to recognize those who achieved exceptional rehabilitation results through the use of advanced water therapy.
Determination. Innovation. Excellence.
Sports fans everywhere love a good comeback story. The spirit of the game is watching an athlete triumph after recovering from a devastating injury just months before. Behind these great rehab stories are the athletic trainers and medical staff who also sacrificed to ensure this athlete or team (in many cases) would reach their goals.
The 2013 Excellence in Aquatics Award recognizes these professionals who, despite all odds, garnered superior rehabilitation results through innovative, and sometimes unconventional, methods. These pioneers relied on aquatics as a medium to help achieve exceptional results. This year’s nominees, displayed creativity, expertise and courage when it came to rehabilitating their athletes– and it paid off.
Be sure to vote before midnight on Thursday, June 20th. This year’s winner will be announced at the NATA 64th Annual Meeting and Clinical Symposium in Las Vegas, NV on Wednesday, June 24th at 12:15 pm in the HydroWorx Booth #1553!
*AND THE NOMINEES (in alphabetical order) ARE…..
Carson-Newman College Football for Facilitating the Rapid Return from a Fractured Fibula. Carson-Newman College’s starting middle linebacker Jarell Emanuel, sustained a fractured fibula, when he was hit on the lateral aspect of his lower leg during practice, just days before their season opener. The rehabilitation plan began two days after the injury with Jarell walking chest deep in their HydroWorx 1200 Series pool. After just two weeks of rehab in the pool, Emanuel was cleared for non-contact practice and was finally cleared for contact on September 17th — just one month after sustaining a fibula fracture in practice!
NOVA Southeastern’s basketball guard, Brian Cahill, has had a long and hard road to be where he is today. Cahill has suffered from serious back and spinal injuries since his senior year in high school, undergoing two serious back and spinal surgeries. After undergoing two surgeries, red-shirting one season, taking another year completely off of school and rehabbing in the pool every day, Cahill was finally able to play in every single game of this past 2012-2013 basketball season!
*For full descriptions of each rehabilitation story and to place your votes, please click here: VOTE NOW
With the Leading Age Texas Annual Meeting around the corner, we personally wanted to let you know that HydroWorx will be exhibiting at Booth #217 this year!
What is LeadingAge Texas? “LeadingAge Texas (formerly the Texas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging – TAHSA) was established in 1959 as a Texas not-for-profit corporation. Its purpose is to provide leadership, advocacy, and education for not-for-profit retirement housing and nursing home communities that serve the needs of Texas retirees. LeadingAge Texas is committed to assisting its members in providing the highest quality of services possible to the residents they serve.”
Be sure to stop by Booth #217 to meet with Meghan Doolittle and Patrick Hald, Director of Business Development, who will also be presenting an Ignite presentation, to learn how aquatic therapy can provide a wide range of benefits for your residents. Attendees will also have a chance to enter in the drawing to win a $100 gift card!
If you can’t wait to find out the benefits of warm water therapy, download this Tipsheet: “5 Ways Aquatic Therapy is Impacting Rehab” today!
“I started out in the HydroWorx at 1.1mph at 10 minutes and 6 months later I’m up to 4.5mph for 35-40 minutes. Not only have I improved, but I have advanced far beyond what I had ever thought I could take my body too…I’m actually jogging for the first time in my life…It’s taken me further than I have ever dreamed that it could.”
- Kathy Ellis, aquatic therapy user and rheumatoid arthritis sufferer
Free Webinar: Register Today!
Creative Aquatic Programming to Improve Balance & Mobility
On May 30, 2013 from 1-2pm EDT, join our co-presenters and wellness experts, Kim Eichinger and Teresa Rudy, from Country Meadows Retirement Communities for “Creative Aquatic Programming to Improve Balance and Mobility.” Participants will be given ideas on using familiar exercises using a variety of tools to add excitement and challenge to aquatic programs. Participants will also learn how to use movement variation and interval training to improve coordination and balance.
HydroWorx is on the move this spring and the next stop is Las Vegas for the annual College Athletic Trainers Society’s conference! The College Athletic Trainers’ Society offers a variety of opportunities for athletic trainers, physicians and non-members to learn and network with the best in collegiate sports medicine, and this annual meeting is one of these great opportunities. 
As a proud sponsor of CATS, HydroWorx hopes to meet you in Booth #8 at The Orleans Hotel, Las Vegas! Top athletic trainers worldwide are turning to aquatic therapy to decrease athlete’s recovery time as well as increase strength and endurance. They have found aquatic therapy to be a modality that safely decreases rehabilitation time frames and patient’s pain levels. The results have been so dramatic that, in some cases, athletic trainers and clinicias are beginning to rewrite expectations of outcomes and protocols due to the use of advanced aquatic therapy technology. Meet with HydroWorx’s Regional Director, Matt Foss, in Booth #8 to learn more!
Additionally, attendees will have a chance to win a $100 Gift Card! Sign-up below or on-site for our free upcoming webinar to be entered in the drawing for the gift card!
We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Free Webinar: Use of Aquatics for Improving Linear Speed Mechanics
On May 21, 2013 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm EDT join our co-presenters Lance Walker, Director of Performance for Michael Johnson Performance and Lindsey Anderson, Linear Speed Specialist for Michael Johnson Performance, for this webinar on improving speed mechanics in water.
The participant will be introduced to general concepts of linear speed training, including acceleration and absolute speed mechanics. Participants will also learn how a coach, athletic trainer, physical therapist, or performance trainer can use aquatics as an additional effective training modality in teaching and improving elements of speed in athletes of all levels. Register Today!
There’s a “month” for everything these days and we’re not sure how legit “National Runner’s Month” is, but we’ll “run” with the theme anyway!
The following is a post written by, Mike Studer, PT, MHS, NCS, CEEAA, and President and co-owner of Northwest Rehabilitation Associates, in Oregon. Studer offers informative and timely information for all you runners and runners in training out there!
One of the athletes that we train at our clinic is a master’s runner. He set a goal of running 13 half-marathons (13.1 miles) in 2013. Why not?
Galen Rupp training for races in the HydroWorx pool
As you might imagine, this effort will take some special training to be able to actually race these events, not just tolerate them. Among the secrets (revealed in detail for this article) is the HydroWorx underwater treadmill, as a tool for training, recovery and tapering – used systematically throughout his season. Here are some of his personal accounts through 5 races – with some great “nuggets” of advice in each.
Race #1 – January 26, Cascade Half Marathon– 1:25:45.
- Avoiding the cold and rain with a few 90 minute sessions in the comfortable warm water therapy pool, running on the underwater treadmill at 7-7.5 mph.
- Track sessions rained out twice – replaced with underwater treadmill interval training:
- 3 minutes at 7.5 mph with resistance jets on at 60-70% of capacity. Recover for 2 minutes with jets off at 6.5 mph. (10 sets)
- Lateral running: 30 second sets at 3.5 mph during the cool-down phase
- Taper, with one 35 min 6.2-6.5 mph treadmill run for 3 days pre-race.
Race #2 – February 2, Roaring River Run – 1:23:09
With only one week between races, two separate runs underwater (February 3rd – recovery on the day after Roaring River Run) and another three days pre-race. Recovery included running underwater at 6.2-6.5 mph without the resistance jets for 35 minutes and another recovery run at the same speed for 45 minutes.
Race #3 – February 9, Heartbreak Half Marathon– 1:29:51
- Recovery 20 minutes, same day as the race, 5.5-6mph without the underwater resistance jets
- One track workout in the pool, per above, adjusted to 5 minute sets at 7.5mph x 60-70% capacity with 2 min recovery
- Two 90 minute pool runs at 6.5-7.2 mph without jet resistance
- Taper week with one 35 minute pool run at 6.5 mph 2 days pre-race
Race #4 – March 3, Lincoln City Half-Marathon – 1:25:42
- Recovery run 60 minutes one day after
- One track workout in the pool, 7.0-7.5 x 5 min intervals at 60-70% with 2 minute recoveries
- Two additional 90 minute pool runs 6.5 mph
Race #5 – April 14, Race for the Roses – 1:24:56
- 10 mile tempo run (land), followed by a 20 minute run in the HydroWorx pool
- Land based tempo running x 4 miles at 9.3 mph; followed immediately with 35 minute pool run
As you can see, for the distance-runner, there are at least four different approaches in which one can use the underwater treadmill:
- Recovery running
- Taper running
- High intensity intervals with low impact/breakdown
- Multi-directional efforts (lateral and backwards running)
We will check-in with this runner later on in the year, as he approaches his goal of 13 half-marathons in 2013 (13 x 13.1 in 2013) to see how his use of the Hydroworx 500 Series pool is helping and enhancing his performance during the race.
Five Races Down and many more lined up! This demonstrates a great training and recovery program for competitive runners and those looking into getting in to racing. It requires hard work, dedication, and commitment but following a program similar to the one Mike Studer has detailed out, makes it seem achievable! Who wants to begin training?
As Studer has pointed out, training underwater is a great way to increase miles without the risk of injury increased by running on land. On May 21st at 12:30pm EST, HydroWorx will be hosting a webinar titled, “Use of Aquatics for Improving Linear Speed Mechanics,” presented by specialists from Michael Johnson Performance!
Attendees will learn:
- General concepts of linear speed training
- Use of aquatic technology as a training modality
- How to improve elements of speed in athletes
Register online today, you won’t want to miss this one!
In less than two weeks HydroWorx will be hosting a free online webinar presented by specialists from Michael Johnson Performance (MJP).
The philosophy at Michael Johnson Performance is simple. Their “programs are based on proven success and designed to help athletes of every ability achieve their goals and reach improved levels of success in their sport. Whether you are a first-time youth athlete just joining a team, a draft prospect trying to prepare for the NFL Combine or a professional player preparing for the season, we have the training program and the expertise to design a plan to fit your needs. The MJP training philosophy applies to all sports and abilities and results in improved performance on the field, court, track or ice.”
In keeping with the above philosophy, the webinar presented by two specialists at MJP, is applicable and can be beneficial to all sports and all abilities. Michael Johnson, Four-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, President and Founder of Michael Johnson Performance and Lance Walker, Director of Performance for Michael Johnson Performance, will be presenting the webinar titled, “Use of Aquatics for Improving Linear Speed Mechanics” on May 21st from 12:30- 1:30 pm EST.
Participants will be introduced to general concepts of linear speed training, including acceleration and absolute speed mechanics. Participants will also learn how a coach, athletic trainer, physical therapist, or performance trainer can use aquatics as an additional effective training modality in teaching and improving elements of speed in athletes of all levels. 
Attendees will learn:
- General concepts of linear speed training
- Use of aquatic technology as a training modality
- How to improve elements of speed in athletes
Register online today, you won’t want to miss this one!
Learn more about our speakers:
Michael Johnson is a four-time Olympic track and field gold medalist, nine-time World Champion and world record holder. During his 11-year career, Michael established a record of 13 Olympic and World Championship medals, all of them gold. Michael represented the USA in the Olympics on three occasions: Barcelona in 1992, winning gold in the 4 x 400-meter relay; Atlanta in 1996, winning gold at 200 meters and 400 meters; and Sydney in 2000, winning gold again at 400 meters.
During his career, Michael broke world records in the 200 meters, 400 meters and 4 x 400-meter relay. He became known as the “Fastest Man in the World” in 1996, when completing the historic 200/400- meter olympic double. He recorded the fastest time ever clocked by a human, running 23 mph en route to his 200-meter world record performance of 19.32 seconds. Michael added the 400-meter world record in 1999, clocking 43.18 seconds. After his retirement in 2001, Michael opened Michael Johnson Performance with a mission to help athletes of all ages and all sports reach their full potential, using the same training philosophy and training techniques he used as an athlete.
Lance Walker is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA) and a Registered Physical Therapist in the state of Texas. He previously served as Director of Performance Training at Integrated Athletic Development responsible for the training and/or physical rehabilitation needs of over 50 active professional athletes from the NBA, NFL, MLB, PGA, CBA, and CFL. Lance served three seasons as Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Dallas Cowboys. Lance brings an extensive background in strength and conditioning and sports medicine at the high school, collegiate, and professional levels. Prior to joining the Dallas Cowboys, Lance held performance trainer positions at the University of Oklahoma and the Casady School (OK), where he worked directly with athletes across many sports, including football, basketball, track, golf, gymnastics, and wrestling, among others. A 1993 graduate of Kansas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Lance earned three varsity football letters and attained Academic All-Big 8 honors as a receiver. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Oklahoma and a Master’s degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Oklahoma. A well-recognized authority in his field, Lance has contributed to over 10 professional publications in sport science and presented at over 15 national conferences.
What is ISAKOS?
ISAKOS stands for, International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. “This organization is an international society of surgeons established to advance the worldwide exchange and dissemination of education, research and patient care in arthroscopy, knee surgery and orthopaedic sports medicine.” May 12-16, 2013 the 2013 ISAKOS Biennial Congress will be taking place in Toronto, Canada where more than 4,000 orthopaedic surgeons, allied health personnel, physical therapists and more will gather to network and discuss ideas with experts around the world.
HydroWorx will be among the exhibitors next week, located at Booth #514, where our very own, Kim Willing (International Sales Director) will be offering information about the benefits of warm water aquatic therapy for your patients. Utilizing aquatic therapy allows for early intervention after an injury or surgery, as well as numerous other therapeutic advantages. Additionally, by stopping by our booth (514), you will have the chance to enter a drawing for a $100 gift card!
Below is a video which demonstrates how- to waterproof a fresh surgical site in order for the patient to receive aquatic therapy immediately after surgery.
Free Webinar: Use of Aquatics for Improving Linear Speed Mechanics
Michael Johnson running in the HydroWorx 500
On May 21, 2013 from 12:30pm to 1:30pm EDT join our co-presenters Lance Walker, Director of Performance for Michael Johnson Performance and Lindsey Anderson, Linear Speed Specialist for Michael Johnson Performance, for this webinar on improving speed mechanics in water.
The participant will be introduced to general concepts of linear speed training, including acceleration and absolute speed mechanics. Participants will also learn how a coach, athletic trainer, physical therapist, or performance trainer can use aquatics as an additional effective training modality in teaching and improving elements of speed in athletes of all levels. Register Today!
You can’t categorize everyone that is looking to lose weight into one box. Some are looking to lose 10 pounds, others 100. Some are doing so for health reasons, others for self-confidence. Some find it easy, others find it hard. Some want to diet, others want to exercise.
But there are a couple reasons that are true about most diets: they are time-starved and the more enjoyable the “program”, the higher chances they have of sticking to it.
One man found the perfect combination. As a businessman and father, Ken found a way to not only get a great workout and enjoy it but also do so efficiently. Thankfully for Ken, he had access to a facility near him, ACCUA which provided the ideal option: an underwater workout program. By doing an underwater workout Ken is able to work every muscle in his body within half an hour, enjoy a different workout every day to keep it fresh and reduce stress on his body from doing so while unweighted. Ken, initially intrigued but unsure, signed up for a free trial and was hooked within minutes. He immediately signed up for 14 sessions with the goals of weight loss and strengthening his chest but soon found he was also enjoying the secondary benefits of reduced stress levels and increased confidence.
Within a short amount of time, Ken had dropped 45 lbs and was feeling great!
Aquatic fitness offers a versatile way to work out and lose weight. Ken’s workout sessions were customized to his goals and his workouts changed from session to session. Using different types of pool equipment offers the ability to target different areas of the body. In the example session (video link below), Ken used a tennis racket and beach ball for core strengthening, a medicine ball, resistance jets and the side of the pool for upper body work and an underwater treadmill with resistance jets for cardiovascular endurance and leg strength.
As evidenced in this video, working out in the water may feel “easier” since you’re at a reduced body weight, but it doesn’t always mean it will be easy! In order to get results, it requires a lot of hard work and dedication- But those results sure are worth it!
The following blog post has been summarized from the article, “The Benefits of Aquatic Therapy for the Elderly and Disabled,” written by Dana Richard Freeman on Yahoo.Voices.
Exercising and rehabbing in an aquatic therapy pool is beneficial to all, regardless of age, gender and fitness level. There is no restriction or limit to who can reap the benefits of exercising in a warm water therapy pool. However, for this specific post, we will look at the reasons why warm water therapy is effective for those with disabilities and the aging population.
For these populations, exercising on land can be very painful and difficult because they are 100% weight-bearing on their joint. However, by stepping in a warm water pool, the individual will experience ‘unweighting’ due to water’s natural buoyancy properties. As Freeman puts it, “Water provides a measure of buoyancy that reduces the resistance brought on by gravity outside of an aquatic environment.” Water also provides a level of tolerable resistance that can increase the individual’s muscle strength and increase their overall range of motion. The biggest and most important benefit of warm water therapy for this specific population, is that it allows for greater ease of movement.
Water eliminates the fear of falling and creates a fun and therapeutic environment for patients to exercise. Freeman makes another great point, stating that with warm water therapy, patients are able to begin their therapy as soon as they are immersed in the water, foregoing the need for a lengthy “warm-up” session. 
The use of aquatic therapy is effective for myriad problems. Key benefits that residents and paitents can experience with a HydroWorx aquatic therapy pool include:
- Balance activities without the fear of falling or injury
- Exercise and weight loss with little to no pain
- Improved leg strength to help remain active and reduce falls
- Ease joint and muscle pain from arthritis, fibromyalgia or other chronic pain issues with warm water
- Increased compliance with rehab and wellness programs
- Faster rehabilitation from various surgeries
“The goal of aquatic therapy is to increase the independence of all patients, with or without disabilities or chronic conditions, of all ages. All physical therapy seeks to improve the wellness of all patients; aquatic therapy has been shown to be of particular benefit to the elderly and patients with disabilities.”
Are you interested in learning more about who can benefit from warm water therapy? The reach is continuing to expand! Download this one page tip sheet to explore the expanding patient mix benefiting from aquatic therapy.
HydroWorx is on the move again, this stop: Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Tomorrow, May 1st, marks the beginning of the two day LSN annual meeting and exhibition in Chicago. Life Services Network, LSN, “is one of the largest and most respected associations of its type in the country. Founded in the early part of the 20th century by an ecumenical group of long term care providers, LSN has represented the complete continuum of services for older adults for over 75 years. Committed to the advancement of quality and innovation in older adult services, LSN is also the state affiliate of the American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) and the Assisted Living Federation of America (ALFA).”
LSN’s strength lies in the diversity of its partners. LSN’s partnership consists of:
- Assisted Living Communities
- Continuing Care Retirement Communities
- Home and Community-based Services
- Home Healthcare Services
- Hospice Care
- Independent Living Senior Housing
- Nursing Facilities
- Supportive Living Communities
At this meeting and event, attendees will be able to:
- Hear presentations from leading experts in your field
- See innovative demonstrations
- Attend one of the many networking events
- Visit the vendor booths on the expo floor
If you are planning to attend, be sure to stop by and meet our Central Sales Director, Ben Grinnell at Booth #611. You will have the chance to win a $100 gift card, just by dropping your business card in a basket. Additionally, by stopping by our booth and speaking with Ben, you will learn how your residents, patients and all individuals can benefit from warm water aquatic therapy. We hope to see you there.
FREE Webinar: Aquatic Therapy for the Neuro Case Mix
This Thursday, May 2nd at 1pm EST, Jan Black, MS, PT and Ted Yanchuleff, PT, ATC will be presenting about how to maximize the properties of water and creatively challenge clients with neurological conditions. Learn more about our free webinars and Sign up Today!
Sports Performance Training is becoming more and more popular everyday, but what is it?
According to the Sports Medicine Training Center, “the goal of sports performance training is to enhance your performance in competition to make you more successful in your chosen sport. It differs from personal training in which the primary goal is usually to improve overall fitness.” Therefore sports performance training and conditioning includes a wide variety of training regiments and activities.
One of the best places to start or focus on when beginning your performance training is the core. As an athlete, all of your movements stem from your center, the core. Without a strong ‘base’ injury becomes more likely, which as an athlete is the last thing that you want to endure.
Murphy Grant, head athletic trainer and Director of Sports Medicine for the University of Kansas, performed an aquatic demonstration in the HydroWorx pool at the Nationals Park, home of the MLB Washington Nationals, where he demonstrated and discussed a number of important core strengthening exercises for training.
Grant reiterates that the core is where the body’s center of gravity is located and where all movement begins, which is why establishing core stabilization programs for your athletes or even yourself is extremely important. Core training is extremely beneficial for proper posture and balance. Strengthening your stabilizers and your balance can potentially save you from injury down the road. Your body will have been trained to regain balance and stabilize when you are about to fall, get pushed around or when you take a wrong step. The pool is an ideal environment for core and performance training because the water creates natural resistance for added strengthening that you cannot create on land. Additionally, in the pool the risk of injury is eliminated due to water’s unweighting ability.
In the video, Grant demonstrates and explains a number of exercises in the water including some of the following:
- Core Pulls: The individual works on pulling their abdominal tight and in toward their spine, however the athlete must be able to communicate and talk even though their muscles are contracted.
- Isomatic Core Crunches: Using a small to medium Swiss ball in the water, the individual wraps their arms around and pushes it underwater to create a small but effective abdominal crunch.
- Safety Bar Lower Abdominal Crunch: The athlete performs a crunch while holding themselves up in between the two treadmill bars.
- Swiss Ball Sit: Simply sit on the Swiss ball in the water, which activates your core to stabilize in order to stay seated on the ball.
- Wood Chop: Woodchoppers can be performed first without the HydroTone for a warm up and then with the HydroTones to create added resistance (demonstrated in the video). These can be done laterally (side to side) as well as diagonally.
- Box Pattern: This exercise is simply making a box in the water with a HydroTone, which Grant describes will incorporate every part of your core.
Watch Grant’s full Core Workout in the Water!
