aquatic exercise

2020/3.1, March 4 — Island Adventures, Liner Laments, Precision Tiling and more
THE ESSENTIAL E-NEWSLETTER FOR WATERSHAPE DESIGNERS, ENGINEERS AND BUILDERS March 4, 2020 www.watershapes.com FEATURE ARTICLE…
Current Systems Offers Literature on RiverFlow
Current Systems (Ventura, CA) has published a full-color brochure on its RiverFlow swim current/lazy river/waterfall…
NSPF’s Dr. Tom Lachocki
An Interview by Lenny Giteck In the six years since Dr. Tom Lachocki became CEO of the National Swimming Pool Foundation, NSPF has given more than $3.5 million in grant money for scientific research into aquatics, a figure that represents
Healthy Trails
It’s great when people start talking about important issues – and satisfying to have a hand in provoking those discussions. In the past 18 months or so, you may have noticed that we at WaterShapes have published occasional articles about swimming, aquatic activity and hydrotherapy as they relate to
Swimming to Wellness
Most people know that swimming is a great form of exercise, but far fewer seem aware that getting in the water can mean the difference between a life of disability and one of well being for those who live with chronic injuries and illnesses.  In this special feature, Barbara Goldstein describes how a daily swimming regimen has enabled her to stay fit and able in mind, body and spirit while keeping symptoms of three serious medical conditions at bay.   When I was a child, I read a biography of Theodore Roosevelt and discovered that we had asthma in common.  In my case, doctors treated the condition with medications, but Roosevelt had lived in a time long before the era of modern medicine, and I was interested to learn that he kept his condition under control by swimming regularly.  About the time I turned 40, we had a pool installed at our home.  Even with
Healing Waters
In our business, when we talk about people with disabilities, we always put people first:  We speak of "people with brain injuries," for instance, or "people with arthritis" or "people with spinal injuries."  That's an important distinction, because the language informs the entire mindset needed to help them improve their situations in the most effective ways.   For starters, this "people-first" approach helps us avoid misleading generalizations:  Often, we find that two people with nominally similar conditions or disabilities will have significantly different needs and that the methods used to treat each may prove to be significantly different as well.  Everything we do at the Brown Center, in other words, must be based on the individual's own
Healing Waters
In our business, when we talk about people with disabilities, we always put people first:  We speak of "people with brain injuries," for instance, or "people with arthritis" or "people with spinal injuries."  That's an important distinction, because the language informs the entire mindset needed to help them improve their situations in the most effective ways.   For starters, this "people-first" approach helps us avoid misleading generalizations:  Often, we find that two people with nominally similar conditions or disabilities will have significantly different needs and that the methods used to treat each may prove to be significantly different as well.  Everything we do at the Brown Center, in other words, must be based on the individual's own
Therapy Power
  For centuries, human beings have turned to immersion and exercise in water as a means of healing injuries and illnesses and of promoting both physical and mental health.  Researchers have investigated the hows and whys of these phenomena for years, and the benefits seem to be even more remarkable than originally thought.  There's still much to learn, but there's already more than enough good news for watershapers to share with motivated clients.   (Photos © Dreamstime)  
Healthy Pursuits
When you talk to clients about why they want a swimming pool or spa, which benefits generally top their lists?  Are they after beauty, luxury or a relaxing lifestyle accessory?  Or is it the sound of moving water, a focus on entertaining or a place to play?     Through the years, I've spoken with lots of you about how important it is to understand precisely what
The Main Ingredient
As you spend your days creating structures that contain and control water, it's easy to lose sight of the water itself.  Yes, we're conscious of the fact that we have to filter, treat and sometimes heat it, but in its role as the defining feature in our products, water is so familiar a participant that in some ways it almost becomes invisible. This time around, I want us all to step back from the intricacies of the design, engineering and construction tasks we all perform to consider the water itself.  As we do, you'll find yourself thinking (as I often do) that we're in a special, healing trade that