Let’s face it…we all encounter obstacles in life. Joshua J. Marine said, “Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.”
Whether big or small, the feeling we have when we overcome our challenges is amazing!
It doesn’t matter how old you are or what stage of life you’re in, you’re going to face challenges. You may encounter obstacles when you’re young and first starting off. It may be the challenge of finding a job you love or the right career for you. Perhaps it’s finding the right formula for parenting, or maybe it’s the opposite, and you’re taking care of elderly parents. And then there’s those physical challenges that can stop you in your tracks, no matter what your age, searching for a solution.
We first met Patricia at the Michael Phelps Skill Center in Saco, Maine. Her challenge? Arthritis. This is her story of overcoming.
“I am 62 years old, and I suffer from arthritis in my right leg and hip. I experienced pain and cramps when walking, but it was worse when I’d try to climb stairs. It was like I needed to coach each leg up, then the other. Then one day I ran into a friend that I hadn’t seen since high school. We found that we had similar struggles, and she told me about the Michael Phelps Swim Spa. I had heard about the swim spas before, but I thought they were only used for athletic training. I didn’t realize that they were also used for someone like me -someone needing an exercise program for arthritis. In the past, I tried going to the gym, using a treadmill, and doing my stretches, but I was discouraged with the results. I remember starting in the swim spa on a Tuesday. Within two days I could go up stairs! And I mean straight up, only one foot per step! I said to my friend Paul, ‘Look at this – its working!’ After the third day, I felt incredible!
Exercising in the swim spa is now my normal. I love the propulsion of the swim spa. At the end of my workout, I turn the speed up to 40 and let it massage my legs, thighs and my IT bands. That has also played a big part in my therapy. Using the swim spa is fun and I not only have relief of my arthritis pain, but I feel stronger and healthier. My clothes are even fitting better!”
Exercising and training in water provides an ideal environment for more than 100 different kinds of arthritis. By using the natural resistance and buoyancy of water, people who suffer from arthritis can increase muscle strength and range of motion in a safer environment, without the effects of gravity, and begin higher level training earlier in their rehabilitation without adding stress to their injury. This makes overcoming a lot easier.
The Michael Phelps Swim Spa takes these benefits to a new level with a continuous current of water, therapeutic jets and the ability to customize the temperature of the water.
You don’t have to be Michael Phelps to overcome, but using the Michael Phelps Swim Spa can certainly help!