As a trainer or therapist, it is important to have an exercise plan for your patients, which may take some time to create. Here are a few suggestions before beginning your therapy program.
Practice the simple act of stepping onto and down from the stationary belt to ensure the participant feels comfortable.
Practice stepping from the belt to the outer sides of the stationary belt, allowing participants to learn to move from a narrow stance to a wide stance.
Perform posture exercises on the stationary belt, making sure they are looking forward and not down.
Practice working with the individual to reach from handrails to the control buttons.
Perform warm-up exercises on the stationary belt.
Then as the individuals become more and more comfortable with the underwater treadmill, slowly add more challenging exercises to increase their fitness, posture and confidence!