Why Swimming is One of the Best Exercises for Arthritis

As most of you know, arthritis is the condition that results in joint inflammation which can become very painful and can cause general movement in general to be quite difficult. Swimming as well as other water-related activities are some of the most beneficial forms of exercises for arthritis.

This is because, when you are swimming, roughly 90% of your body weight is being supported by the water surrounding you. The support from the water and the almost weightless environment around your body allows you to overcome any painful movement occurring in your joints that are affected by arthritis.

Swimming also helps in toning your supporting muscles without the discomfort that comes with other forms of exercising. In turn, swimming is also a great exercise for the disabled or those who suffer from long term illness/injury.

Swimming is not only a great and fun exercise for those who suffer from arthritis, but it also helps to reduce the risk of arthritis, as it allows a person to maintain their normal structure of joints and muscle strength.

Other water-related exercises for arthritis:

1. Aqua-aerobics: this is the performance of aerobic exercise that is performed in reasonably shallow water e.g. a swimming pool. It is a method of resistance training and requires participants to be immersed in water.
2. Aqua-jogging: as it states, it’s essentially jogging in water; this lessens weight on joints by approximately 50% when compared with walking. It’s also an excellent form of cardio training.

We hope you enjoyed learning about why swimming is one of the best exercises for arthritis! If you are lucky enough to have a swimming pool, give some of the above mentioned water activities a try – or head down to your local pool!