Balance is key for every runner. Since running involves constantly falling into the next step, having strong balance is essential for improving your performance. One of the best places to train balance? The pool! Aquatic therapy uses the natural resistance of water to challenge your stability by disrupting your body’s position, making it an excellent tool for balance training.

Plus, aquatic therapy offers more than just balance benefits. Aquatic therapy aids in recovery by reducing swelling, easing sore muscles, and serving as a great low-impact cross-training option.

• Change of support : 
  • This drill helps you improve your confidence by changing supports. It helps you become confident transitioning from single leg balance on one leg to the next which is very similar to running. It also reinforces pulling before landing which makes you a more efficient runner and allows you to run farther and easier! Watch here
• Double leg jump to single leg jump
  • This teaches you how to land properly and transition from double leg to single leg balance. It is important to learn proper landing mechanics so this can translate to your running. Imagine what happens if you contact the ground with heavy feet and you don’t know where your feet are. Think of all the forces that go through your body and potentially cause injury. This is a great exercise to work on balance, accuracy, softness, and landing! Watch here
• Pull to pose 
  • This is a wonderful exercise to teach you how to pull your leg through when your running. Some runners may use too much of their calves when they are running which can lead to overuse injuries like achilles tendonitis. Other runners may drive their knees up and over use their hip flexors. When you run you should use your hamstrings and this exercise teaches how to pull your leg through when you are running to utilize correct muscle activity! Watch here
• Single leg balance with hip abd/flex/ext
  • This is a great exercise to help strengthen your hips. It is important to have strong hips to be able to support your leg when you are running.By bringing your hip forward you are strengthening your hip flexors such as Psoas, Rectus Femoris,& Sartorius. By bringing your hip out to the side you are strengthening your Glute Medius/Minimus and Tensor fascia Latae. By bringing your leg straight back you are strengthening your Glute Max and hamstrings. All important muscles for running! Watch here
• Single leg balance with y balance reaches 
  • This is a great exercise to help improve your sense of stability. This exercise challenges you because reaching allows you to come out of your base of support. By going out of your base of support you are testing your limits of stability. That is your ability to reach as far as you can without falling or taking a step forward. By reaching in three directions you are challenging your reactive balance! Which means you will be able to balance if the road is slippery when you are running or if there is an object in front of you, You will be able to react hence why it is called REACTive balance. Watch here
• Single leg deadlift
  • Hamstring strength is essential for runners. A lot of injuries happen when runners do not pull their leg through with their hamstring. By doing this exercise on one leg it is more challenging than doing a deadlift with both legs on the ground. Make sure to perform this one in shallow water. If you are at hip level you are 50% body weight so keep this in mind when you practice this exercise! Watch here
• Single leg hops 
  • Running can look like hopping on one leg. It is important to be able to hop on one leg with accuracy. Pick a spot in the pool and try to land on that spot every time. Make sure to have your knee slightly bent when you land and to land softly. Landing mechanics are so important to your running form. It is important to land softly to absorb the forces from the ground to decrease forces on your body. Watch here
• Skiers: 
  • It is important to be able to support your leg when you are running. Running is essential single leg balance to single leg balance. Our hips have to be strong, especially a muscle on the side of our hip glute med. This muscle has to be stable in order for our hip/knee not to collapse. This is a great exercise to work on keeping your body strong when you are running prolonged periods and to prevent injury. Watch here
• Single leg balance in pose position 
  • Learning how to balance in the pose position is an essential part of running. Pose is the position that every runner goes through. It is when one leg is up and one leg down. It is a power position and we want to get in and out of this position as soon as possible when we are running. It is important to be strong and stable in this position. Watch here