Swimming for Joint Pain Relief

Experts say that swimming is one of the best full body workouts, particularly for individuals with arthritis. Here’s why swimming could be the perfect addition to your joint-friendly exercise routine.

• It’s low-impact – Pool water provides buoyancy to support your body weight, cushion the joints and minimize pain.
• It promotes weight loss – Excess weight is a major contributor to arthritis because it places undue stress on the joints. The average person burns anywhere from 400 to 600 calories during one hour of swimming, making it an excellent aerobic activity for weight loss.
• It improves circulation – It doesn’t matter if you’re an expert swimmer or a novice. Just moving your body in the water will increase blood flow to the affected joints to reduce inflammation and relieve muscle tension.
• It increases range of motion – Swimming keeps joints loose and limber, allowing you to work on increasing your range of motion.
• It builds muscle – In addition to building cardiovascular fitness, swimming is a great muscle-building exercise. Water provides natural resistance for your muscles to work against, helping you increase muscle tone in a safe, low-impact environment.
• It’s fun – The best kind of exercise routine is the one you stick with! Swimming is just as entertaining as it is effective, which means you’re more likely to stay committed. 

If you need more variety than just swimming laps, try water walking, water aerobics, or water Zumba! There are plenty of options to keep you motivated, so try them all!