Allison Ward

Professor Burket
Recreational Therapy Modalities
October 25, 2021
Adaptation Activity #2: Underwater Treadmill
1. Activity: Underwater Treadmill

2. Sources:

JRRD Guest Editorial. (n.d.). Office of Rehabilitation Research & Development.

https://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jour/10/477/pdf/stevens.pdf

SCRE Professional. (2021, February 19). Treadmill training. Spinal Cord Injury Research

Evidence.

https://scireproject.com/evidence/rehabilitation-evidence/cardiovascular-health-and-exercise/exe

rcise-rehabilitation-and-cardiovascular-fitness/treadmill-training/

Wing, J. (2011). Effect of Aquatic and Body Weight of Aquatic and Body Weight Supported

Treadmill Exercise on Physiological and Kinematic Measures. DigitalCommons@USU

Utah State University Research.

https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1008&context=gradreports

3. Equipment Needed: a pool (indoor or outdoor), a counterweight, winch, harness

for participant, parallelogram, driven gait orthosis, foot lifter, lokomat, and assisted water

transportation swivel chair

4. Activity Description: Aquatic treadmills help with cardiovascular endurance, as

well as strength due to walking against water resistance. Aquatic treadmills are used in
hopes of helping a person’s strength outside of the water. The benefit of starting out in

water is that this exercise limits the stress on bones and joints, it simply strengthens them

in hopes of better movement on land and improvement of posture. The steps for

underwater treadmilling are as followed:

● Step One: Transition client from wheelchair to harness on treadmill using

the assisted water chair on the pool deck

● Step Two: After client is the assisted water chair, secure client in assistive

harness

● Step Three: Slowly transition client out of chair and onto treadmill,

gradually tightening the harness on the counterweight

● Step Four: When client is on treadmill, make sure posture is straight, and

the harness is tightly fastened on the client, as well as on the

counterweight attached to the treadmill

● Step Five: Turn on the treadmill and have the client take steps forward,

gradually increase speed according to the client’s comfortability.

5. Primary Social Interaction Patterns: This activity is able to be performed in a

group setting and have multiple participants doing the same activity at the same time,

such as an underwater treadmill class, however it does not require the participant to

interact with other participants. The only interaction should be between the recreational

therapist and the participant if help is needed. In this activity the client focuses solely on

one object, the treadmill. This makes this activity’s primary social interaction pattern

extra-individual.
6. Adaptation: The main adaptation for underwater treadmilling is the use of the

full-body harness. The harness helps assist the participant in keeping a straight posture

while taking steps on the treadmill. It also keeps the participant on a straight path and

allows the participant to have the ability to take full steps in a forward direction while

participating in the exercise.

7. Participant: 21-year-old man with an incomplete C 6 Spinal Cord Injury