Mumbai: Now, get a river workout in this Lower Parel pool!

Dr Adnan Badr and a trainer demonstrate how to use the equipment in the pool. Pic/Bipin Kokate

Now, here's a weight loss method that could well become popular with Mumbaiites. The city has received its first Smart Pool - a form of hydrotherapy that produces water pressure akin to a river's, with various levels. This not only helps in faster weight loss, but is also a boon for patients suffering from knee or spinal injuries and arthritis.

Farokh Daruvala, 58, a financial analyst, was reeling from pain caused by arthritis in the knee. For six years, he consulted several doctors for his treatment and also did physiotherapy, but nothing helped. For the past one month, however, he has been able to walk a little longer as the pain in his knees and stiffness in his hamstring has lessened. This sudden relief has been due to the pool that can produce 900 revolutions per minute (rmp), akin to river-like currents at variable speeds.

Divy Kakadia couldn't even walk before he used the pool

"After undergoing hydrotherapy treatment for nearly a month, I am not only relieved of knee pain but my muscles and joints have become more flexible. My stamina, too, has improved," said Daruvala. So far, he has undergone five one-hour sessions at the smart pool. "My exercise regime includes walking against the current, sitting on my knees inside the water, hand and leg movement with tools like dumbbells. Also, the trainers help me rotate my legs in the water with ankle weights," he said.

It has been over a month that Dr Muffazal Lakdawala, a well-known bariatric surgeon procured the first smart pool in the western region and perhaps the second in India at his health centre-Digestive Health Institute (DHI). This pool has the capacity to help patients with spinal or knee injuries, acute obesity, arthritis and other muscular problems.

Footballer Floyd Dharmai works out in the pool

mid-day spoke to a few others currently using it. Floyd Dharmai, 30, a football player from the Bandra West Football League recently injured his ankle, which became a huge hindrance to his game. But, the hydrotherapy sessions in the pool actually helped in faster recovery. "The water current puts so much pressure that one has to make an additional effort to walk without hurting the ankles. I was made to do different exercises, which helped strengthen different muscles in my lower and upper body. The different levels of water pressure helped me strengthen my core muscles as well," Dharmai told mid-day.

Divy Kakadia, a 23-year-old lawyer who suffered from lumbar disc bulge causing impingement of the nerve, is another living example of back pain being soothed by the smart pool. "Due to my lumbar disc bulge, I couldn't even walk without any support. But, ever since I started using the pool, my condition has improved. The aqua therapy was very helpful in relieving my back and leg pain," he said.

What is a Smart Pool?
These pools are equipped with patented LAPS (Laminar Aqua Propulsion System) technology that moves massive quantities of water, generating river-like water currents, making it an all-in-one swimming treadmill. The pools are operated through a control panel and are used for swimming, relaxation, general wellness, fitness, athletic training and therapy. Due to the auto-filtration system inside the pool, the water always remains fresh. It makes the pool free from microbes, fungi and algae.

Dr Adnan Badr, physiotherapy and rehab specialist at DHI, explained, "When a person with any kind of injuries, injured limbs, inflammation of joints or suffering from acute obesity, swims and exercises in the pool for 10 minutes, it is equivalent of an hour in the gym. Using hot or warm water around the body raises the core temperature, and creates better blood flow around the circulatory system. It also reduces muscle tension and relieves pain, boosting the immune system."

There are various types of equipment used inside the pool, but these are not as heavy as those used in a gym. These tools become extremely resistant when used under water. "When you try to move the tools against the water pressure, it requires strength but without using additional effort like what is needed with equipment in a gym," he said.

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