Discovery could free millions from Wheelchairs and Walkers
September 04, 2006 (PRLEAP.COM) Health News
Columbus Ohio - While trying to develop water exercises for people who could not otherwise do exercises, or even walk, a Columbus fitness instructor has uncovered two simple and wet ways to restore a remarkable amount of strength, flexibility and mobility to millions of people who are dependant on canes, walkers and wheelchairs.According to Steven Craig, founder and fitness instructor for WaterWalking.org: "What is so impressive about these two exercises are that they take a few minutes every other day and their effects are often visible after the first session."
"The first exercise is called WaterWalking, which is performed while wearing a life jacket. WaterWalking is basically a strait arm and leg walking motion done while floating vertically in deep enough water that the legs have no contact with the bottom."
" Almost anyone with greatly limited mobility can still float and move around in a pool while wearing a life jacket."
"WaterWalking works every large muscle needed for walking in both forward and reverse, so no motion is wasted and the time spent doing it is minimal. WaterWalking also builds strength through a much wider range of motion then is possable by walking, or even running on dry land."
"Because WaterWalking is also the only full body exercise that elongates the back, instead of compressing it, (body hangs down from the life jacket), it also has a very exciting potential for millions of folks who cannot, or will not exercise because of back problems"
"In most cases the only expense these people will encounter is the cost of a life jacket and pool access" He added,"Well they may also need a bathing suit".
The other exercise is simply alternating "Wet Knee Kicks", while relaxing in a hot tub."
Steven explains the power of this relaxing exercise this way:
"What would happen to one of your arms if you refused to use it for ten or more years?"
"Would a similar withering effect happen to just about any other body part?"
"Are there millions of people who have not applied any strength retaining resistance through their knees full range of motion in a decade or longer?"
"As long as they are still physically healthy, a bodybuilder, who has retired for a decade or longer, can rapidly restore a great deal of their former strength, as a average healthy person (who has never bodybuilt) may require years for comparable increases.
"These factors prove that it is far easier for a human body to restore former power then to build it from scratch. These Wet knee kicks were designed to restore neglected strength, instead of develop them. That is likely the major reason why both of these exercises work so rapidly"
"Doing one hundred of these 'Wet Knee Kicks', (per leg) three times a week can double to triple the strength in many long neglected knees in only weeks. Age seems to play a much smaller role in this then determination. These exercises are only temporary fixes unless they become a standard part of these folk's daily lives."
Steven is just finishing a small web site which uses cute cartoon sketches to explain these, and many other water exercises. He adds that "I named it WaterWalking.org because that describes organizing the walking motion in water, it has nothing to do with religion. The only guru at this web site is the Grand Lama of Wet Fun."
Steven is also the author of a book called WaterWalking. It contains nearly a hundred other exercises that he has also developed. He says that his wet abdominal crunches are so intense, that their highest level can make a person cry out in less then 5 seconds. For several weeks he is also giving away this cartoon illustrated water exercise book, (for free) at the web site. But only as a download.
He adds one final note, "Only try these exercises after reading all the information we have about them, and then getting your doctor's approval."