Fibromyalgia and Warm Water Exercise/Therapy

    "If you can't exercise because of fibromyalgia or obesity, warm water therapy is the best place to start," says Doris Cope, MD, director of Pain Management at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. "Warm water can be very comforting. The exercise gets blood flow to muscles and tendons. And if you're in the water, your joints are not being stressed during exercise." Also, water offers resistance, which helps muscles get stronger.

     You don’t need to know how to swim to get all the benefits from the heated therapy pools at H3O Aquatics. The natural buoyancy of water helps you move -- so you can do exercises that would otherwise be painful. These exercises can be done with an instructor, physical therapist, or on your own in our heated facility. Studies indicate that water aerobics improves quality of life for women with fibromyalgia pain in the long-term. In one 12-week study, women who exercised in warm water -- for 60 minutes, 3 times a week -- reported improved physical and mental well-being. They also had less fibromyalgia pain and more vitality. As for their state of mind, they reported feeling less depressed, and more sociable.