NFL star Travis Kelce runs on an underwater treadmill to build endurance and prevent injuries

• NFL tight end Travis Kelce has been a consistent star for the Kansas City Chiefs since 2013.
• At 32, Kelce has managed to avoid injuries and maintain endurance throughout his career.

Travis Kelce adds an aquatic twist to his cardio to maximize his protection against injury.

The 32-year-old tight end has missed only two games for the Kansas City Chiefs since emerging as a full-time player in 2014 and has made the last seven Pro Bowls.

Kelce says he is able to produce and stay on the field as he's gotten older because of the attention he pays to his recovery, specifically using an underwater treadmill for cardio before and after practice and games.

Kelce says doing the long cardio sessions underwater helps his body release lactic acid to heal and protect his muscles from the bumps and bruises, but in a low-impact environment to limit the stress on his body.

"Getting the body moving without having to put a lot of strain on the joints and stress on my muscles has been huge for me over the course of my career," Kelce told Insider. "Throughout the season, it gets me ready every single week and getting those lactic acids out of my body from games, so I'll usually hit the pool once or twice before I even start practicing."

Kelce said he's used the machine, which the Chiefs keep in their team training room, ever since he came into the NFL, and it helped him rehab from his one major injury in his career: an ankle sprain his rookie season in 2013.

"It was something the Chiefs recommended to me that I've been fortunate to have at my disposal," Kelce said, who presented the 2022 Super Bowl Sleepover Suite at SoFi stadium to a group of random fans at Super Bowl LVI, courtesy of Mariott Bonvoy.

Hydrotherapy can add muscle-building resistance to workouts while also reducing stress and swelling

Underwater treadmills, also known as hydrotherapy treadmills, give the muscles a gentle resistance during the act of running or walking.

The added resistance from the water can help to tone and build muscles, similar to how swimming can build strength, especially when it is used as a recovery method after heavy weightlifting or bodyweight workouts, according to celebrity trainer Alberto Salazar via Running World Magazine.

But the water also creates equal pressure all around the body, which is known to reduce swelling and stress on joints while also increasing flexibility, according to the Journal of Spinal Cord Medicine.