In search of rehabilitation or to relieve pain, many people with mobility problems turn to aquagym sessions in Ngor, a small coastal village near Dakar in Senegal.
Every Saturday morning, many people gather on Ngor beach to play sports and have fun. People with reduced mobility are also among the subscribers of this open-air gym.
For this category, aquagym is a necessary therapy to improve their mobility and manage their chronic pain.
''I suffered from cervical spondylosis. It paralyzed me. I was in a wheelchair. After using a cervical collar, I went (for the first time) to the club (gym) in April (2025), and then came here on crutches. Now I feel better, explains Ibrahima Souaré, member of the Ngor Dolphin Club.
This improvement is, in part, the result of exercises carried out under the supervision of coaches from the Ngor Dolphin Club. To relieve pain, for example, patients are pushed knee-deep into the sand and gently rotate their torso to relieve pain.
''I can tell you that 60% of the members (of the Ngor Dolphin Club) are referred by doctors. We work with the CNAO (National Center for Orthopedic Appliances) in Fann (a district of Dakar) and many doctors, says Saliou Samb, coach at the Ngor Dolphin Club.
Various exercises are on the program. Papa Makane Ndiaye, member of the club, explains that seeing others progress is a source of motivation.
''Working in a group is very encouraging. I saw a young man who was previously driven to these exercise sessions by someone else, but now comes by car to participate in the rehabilitation exercises,'' he explains.
Stretching, balance exercises and muscle strengthening with their feet in the water prove the determination of these men and women to improve their physical condition.
