Water may seem an unlikely form of healing and rejuvenation. Healing is often associated with various practitioners and various forms of natural supplementation and rehabilitation exercises. Rejuvenation is often perceived in a similar way, with meditation and massage being the mainstays. Yet water is an often underrated form of healing, therapy and rejuvenation.
I first became aware of the power of water through my grandmother, who was still driving a car at eighty-seven years of age and lived well into her nineties. Being a very outdoors-orientated and adventurous person, one of her favorite pastimes was to wonder off to the beach and lie in one of the many rock pools soaking in the freezing Atlantic sea water. The fact that she had done this year round for most of her life and well into her eighties was remarkable, and probably contributed to her longevity.
There is something about the ocean that is both addictive and therapeutic all the same. I often think back to my school days when the recalcitrant rugby and cricket teachers would scoff at various pupils' achievements in surfing and other water sports. Surfing is anti-social and breeds lazy trouble makers they would say, emphasizing that team sports – except soccer! - were the perfect grounding for success in later life. While I don't denounce those playing team sports in the slightest, it is perhaps ironic is that the vast majority of people who were surfing in their formative years are still immersed in the sport to this day. Surfing is clearly a part of their lifestyle where the ocean is central to their lives. They look pretty fit and healthy too. I can't say I've ever met a stressed surfer; have you?
Water is also a great form of therapy for injury prevention and rehabilitation. Ice baths are a popular form of recovery for contact and endurance sports alike. They perform a similar role to that of compression garments, which are becoming “de rigueur” amongst athletes of all levels. I still maintain that standing in a cold pool or ocean is the best form of recovery for tired muscles, surpassing even the most advanced forms of compression clothing. If you don't have access to a swimming pool, nearby water body or live inland, placing your feet and lower legs in a bucket of ice cold water on a fairly regular basis is more than sufficient for a substantial recovery and rejuvenating effect. Follow this with a hot bath or shower and you have the complete recovery package.
Aqua running is another form
of preventative maintenance and rehabilitation that is often overlooked in the
quest for recovery from injury. The sight of people wearing a floatation belt
and “jogging” up and down the local 25m pool was always a source of great
entertainment and bemusement for me. That was until I actually tried it myself
when I was nursing chronic running injuries; it is quite a workout and can
actually enhance fitness for runners who are not injured.
World class triathlete, Greg Bennett, is one of the all-time leading exponents of the Olympic distance. Bennett and his wife Laura are perhaps two of the most innovative athletes in the world today, and use a mix of experience and lateral thinking to repeatedly evolve their approach to training and racing. Deep water running is an unlikely cornerstone of Bennett's training, and not just for injury prevention or recovery. He genuinely believes that it improves his performance as well as preserving his body as he approaches his forties.
I once worked for a geological practice headed up by a guy I would describe as an unassuming genius. Geologists are an interesting bunch and my boss was no exception. We would often have long conversations over copious cups of tea about his travels to remote areas, which are part and parcel of working in that industry. One conversation centered around his high sweat rate and resultant fluid loss, which would often be a problem on various field trips into the “ulu.” Dehydration was a constant worry for him, his trial and error solution being a tepid bath. Another example of water as therapy, which ironically was key to replenishing energy levels after substantial fluid loss.
If you are a triathlete, you may have noticed a distinctive loosening of your legs while performing kicking drills. Kick sets are a highly underrated form of conditioning and recovery after hard running sessions. Whilst these drills are mostly specific to swim training, the positive effects for the other two disciplines of the triathlon are widely unheralded. If you roll onto your back whilst in the pool and perform a backstroke kick for several laps, you may be surprised at how loose your calf muscles suddenly feel; a brilliant form flexibility training away from the overused and often dangerous gastrocnemius stretches.
The next time you are on a long hike, run or bike ride in hot weather and are lucky enough to approach a waterfall, take a few minutes to stop and refill your drinking bottle. Down the liquid as quickly as you can, refill for a second time stand underneath the waterfall. Upon resuming your mode of exercise, you may experience an altered mindset in the positive sense.
Water is life. And therapy.
