low resistance exercises. the benefits of using aquatic therapy would result in a cool-down effect, that would essentially create a more optimal central temperature eventually increasing the ability to perform exercises effectively. professional training and certification aquatic therapy is performed by diverse professionals with specific training and certification requirements. an aquatic therapy specialization is an add-on certification for healthcare providers, mainly including physical therapists and athletic trainers. for medical purposes, aquatic therapy, as defined by the american medical association (ama), can be performed by various legally-regulated healthcare professionals who have scopes of practice that permit them to offer such services and who are permitted to use ama current procedural terminology (cpt) codes. currently, aquatic therapy certification is provided by the aquatic therapy and rehab institute (atri), which aims to further education for therapists and healthcare professionals working in aquatic environments. the atri prerequisites for certification include 15 hours of aquatic therapy, rehab and/or aquatic therapeutic exercise education, which can be completed hands-on or online. once completing the prerequisites, those pursuing certification can take the aquatic therapy & rehab institutes aquatic therapeutic exercise certification exam.