Have you ever wished that exercise felt less like a chore and more like relief? Imagine stepping into warm water, feeling weightless, and knowing you’re strengthening your body without any excess strain. That’s what aquatic therapy can do for you. It’s a science-backed approach that improves movement and flexibility, eases pain, and helps you feel more confident in your body.
Also known as pool therapy, this method uses the natural properties of water to create a safe, low-impact environment where healing and strength-building go hand in hand. Whether you’re dealing with stiff joints, are recovering from an injury, or are just looking for a gentler way to stay active, this could be your perfect fit.
What is Aquatic Therapy (aka Pool Therapy)?
Aquatic therapy is a specialised type of physical therapy performed in warm water, usually under the guidance of a trained physiotherapist or rehabilitation specialist. You might also hear it called pool or hydrotherapy; both terms refer to the same water-based approach to therapy.
Both the warmth and the buoyancy of the water reduce any unnecessary pressure on the joints and muscles, making movement easier and more comfortable1. At the same time, the water provides a natural level of resistance, which helps build strength and muscle mass and improve flexibility. Aquatic therapy is often used to help recover from injuries, manage chronic conditions like arthritis, and improve balance and mobility while being gentle on the body and the joints.
6 Benefits of Aquatic Therapy
Whether you’re easing back into movement or looking for a new way to stay strong and mobile, aquatic therapy can provide a wide range of excellent benefits you may not experience during more traditional exercise activities.
1. It’s Gentle on Your Joints
One of the biggest reasons people try aquatic therapy is because it’s easy on the joints. When your body is in the water, it feels lighter, thanks to a natural effect called buoyancy – the upward force the water exerts. That force – the buoyancy – is what makes it easy to float.
It also reduces the impact on weight-bearing joints like your knees, hips, and spine, making movement smoother and less painful. In fact, studies show that exercising in water can significantly reduce joint pain and improve physical function without putting strain on the body.2
This can be especially helpful when walking or land-based movement and exercises feel stiff or uncomfortable, and they may if you’re living with arthritis, have recently had a joint replaced, or live with chronic pain.
With arthritis affecting over 10 million people in the UK3 and knee replacements among the most common surgeries in the UK, with over 100,000 performed yearly4, it’s easy to see why aquatic therapy is crucial for recovery, long-term care, and sustainable well-being.
2. Improved Muscle Strength and Endurance
Another key benefit of aquatic therapy is how it builds muscle strength and endurance without the need for heavy weights or exercise machines. Water naturally creates resistance with every movement. That means something as simple as walking forward or lifting your arms underwater becomes a strength-building exercise.
This type of resistance training is especially helpful for those who feel unsteady on land or are dealing with reduced mobility. People who participate in aquatic resistance programs may see significant improvements in strength, muscle tone, and walking ability within just 24 weeks.5
However, it’s never too early to build muscle in the water. We start to lose muscle mass as early as age 30. The sooner we focus on building muscular strength in various ways, the stronger we can expect to be as we reach the older phases of our lives.
Aquatic therapy is an excellent workout to add to a strengthening regimen as a younger or older adult. Not only can it provide the benefit of less resistance and pressure on the joints, but it can also target smaller stabilising muscles that are hard to work out during land-based exercises.
3. Increased Balance and Coordination
Being steady on your feet is key to both falls prevention and maintaining an independent lifestyle. Water provides a safe place to practice movements that challenge your balance without the fear of falling. Because the body is partially supported by buoyancy, it allows more freedom to move, experiment, and strengthen stabilising muscles that help with balance.
Regular sessions in the water can also train your brain and body to work better together – something that is key to maintaining balance as we age. One of the reasons balance is harder as we get older is because our brain and body aren’t communicating as quickly as they used to, leading to decreased coordination of movement.
A study published in the Clinical Rehabilitation Journal6 found that participants in aquatic balance programs showed improved postural control and a reduced fall risk after just eight weeks. That’s very encouraging news, especially considering that falls are among the most common causes of hospital admissions.7
By gently improving coordination, flexibility, and reaction time, aquatic therapy gives people an easy and enjoyable way to stay safer and have more confidence during everyday activities like walking, climbing stairs, or even getting in and out of a chair.
4. It Encourages Relaxation and Reduces Pain
If you’ve ever slipped into a warm bath after a long day, you already know how calming and soothing warm water can be. Pool therapy takes that relaxing sensation further by combining it with guided movement. The warm water increases circulation, which helps bring oxygen and nutrients to tired or inflamed tissues while encouraging tight muscles to release and relax.
This gentle environment has been shown to lower stress levels and ease discomfort. Research has found that warm-water exercise can significantly reduce chronic pain and improve overall well-being in people with conditions like fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis.8 It also encourages the release of endorphins (your body’s natural “feel-good” chemicals), which can help reduce pain and give your mood an added boost.
The beauty of pool therapy is that it nurtures both body and mind. You’re doing so much more than just moving. You’re healing in a space that encourages calm and comfort with every session.
5. Faster Injury Recovery
When you’re recovering from an injury, movement can be tricky. It can be painful and, if not done correctly, can worsen your condition. One of the often-overlooked benefits of aquatic therapy is that it allows people to stay active during their recovery without putting too much strain on healing tissues or joints.
This is why aquatic therapy is standard in physiotherapy programs for everything from post-surgical rehab (like after knee or hip replacements) to sprains, fractures, and tendon injuries. Aquatic-based rehab has consistently improved strength, flexibility, and mobility in patients recovering from orthopaedic surgery, often more comfortably than land-based methods.9
The ability to move freely without fear of falling or overloading an injury can be incredibly motivating, allowing people to regain their confidence while their bodies heal.
6. Accessible for All Ages and Abilities
One of the most comforting things about pool therapy is how well-suited it is for anyone. You don’t need to be a strong swimmer; in fact, you don’t need to know how to swim at all. Most sessions take place in shallow, warm water with a therapist guiding you through gentle movements tailored to your comfort level, condition and goals.
You don’t need to be a certain age, and you don’t have to have an injury to decide to engage in pool therapy. It meets you wherever you are.
Because of this flexibility, pool therapy works well for people of all ages and ability levels. Whether someone is managing a long-term condition, recovering from surgery, or looking for a safe, low-impact way to stay active, the water is a calm and supported space where you can move freely.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make an appointment with a London physiotherapist?
To make an appointment with a Physit physiotherapist, contact us at 0204 570 2391, and a team member will help you arrange your first visit.
How do I prepare for my aquatic therapy appointment?
Please have any scans or reports (X-ray, CT, MRI) or discharge notes ready for your therapist, if applicable.
Read more of our FAQs and contact us if you can’t find the answer you need.
Experience the Benefits of Aquatic Therapy with an At-Home Physiotherapist
Whether it’s building strength, easing pain, or simply moving more freely, aquatic therapy reminds us that movement can feel good while we work toward long-term health or short-term recovery goals.
While not everyone has access to a pool, the benefits of physiotherapy go far beyond the water. With the proper support, progress can happen anywhere, including the comfort of your home.
That’s where we can help. At Physit, our expert physiotherapists bring personalised care right to your door, all without the traffic and waiting rooms. You get focused, one-on-one treatment designed around your goals, schedule, and space.
Are you curious about what home physiotherapy can do for you? Reach out today, and let’s get you moving.
Article Sources
- Barker, A. L., Talevski, J., Morello, R. T., Brand, C. A., Rahmann, A. E., & Urquhart, D. M. (2014). Effectiveness of aquatic exercise for Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Meta-Analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 95(9), 1776–1786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2014.04.005 ↩︎
- Wang, T., Belza, B., Thompson, F. E., Whitney, J. D., & Bennett, K. (2006). Effects of aquatic exercise on flexibility, strength and aerobic fitness in adults with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 57(2), 141–152. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.04102.x ↩︎
- Bell, L. (2025, January 15). Understanding arthritis: effects on daily life and mobility. CPD Online College. https://cpdonline.co.uk/knowledge-base/care/how-arthritis-affects-daily-living-mobility ↩︎
- Headline summaries. (n.d.). https://reports.njrcentre.org.uk/headline-summaries
↩︎ - Tsourlou, T., Benik, A., Dipla, K., Zafeiridis, A., & Kellis, S. (2006). The effects of a Twenty-Four–Week Aquatic Training program on muscular strength performance in healthy elderly women. The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 20(4), 811. https://doi.org/10.1519/r-18455.1 ↩︎
- La Cruz, S. P. (2020). Effect of an Aquatic Balance-Training Program in Patients with Chronic Stroke: A Single-Group Experimental Pilot Study. Medicina, 56(12), 656. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina56120656
↩︎ - Harper, A., & Wilkinson, I. (2024). Falls in older adults: causes, assessment and management. Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpmed.2024.08.010 ↩︎
- Bidonde, J., Busch, A. J., Webber, S. C., Schachter, C. L., Danyliw, A., Overend, T. J., Richards, R. S., & Rader, T. (2014). Aquatic exercise training for fibromyalgia. Cochrane Library, 2014(10). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd011336 ↩︎
- Villalta, E. M., & Peiris, C. L. (2012). Early aquatic physical therapy improves function and does not increase risk of Wound-Related adverse events for adults after orthopedic surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 94(1), 138–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2012.07.020 ↩︎
