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Swimming and water therapy are great ways to ease joint pain and stiffness. Swimming is one of the best aerobic exercises. It builds endurance and strengthens the whole body.
Water therapy exercises are done in a warm pool or hot tub. They are better if you have more severe joint problems. The water takes much of the strain out of exercising your limbs. The heat soothes your joints.
With water therapy, you can focus on the joints that hurt and let the rest of your body relax. If you have knee osteoarthritis, for example, you can do a knee bend while sitting on a bench. If you have wrist pain, you can bend and turn that joint.
Talk with your doctor or physical therapist before beginning a water-exercise program.
Pool/hot tub exercises
For legs:
- Knee lifts. Stand with your back to a pool wall. Bend your knee. Bring your thigh up so it’s even with the water line (or as high as you comfortably can). Straighten your knee. Then, lower your leg while keeping the knee straight. Repeat on other side.
- Calf stretches. Stand with your side against the pool wall. Hold on to the deck for balance. Place your feet a few inches apart and take a step forward. While your body is straight, lean forward slowly and bend your front knee. Keep the heel of your back foot pressed against the pool bottom. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with other leg.
- Walking. Walk slowly in circles or across the pool. Swing your arms through the water as you go. Water shoes or sneakers may help.
For shoulders:
- Arm circles. Raise arms in front of you until they are just below the waterline. With elbows straight, make small circles about the size of a softball with your arms. Gradually make the circles larger, until they are about the size of a basketball. Then, make them smaller again. Do clockwise motions, then counterclockwise. Keep arms in the water at all times and don’t let them cross.
- Sideways arm reaches. Sit on a pool or tub bench. Raise both arms out to the side. Keep your palms down and hold arms at waterline without shrugging shoulders or twisting your upper body. Lower arms.
For hands/fingers:
- Thumb circles. Move thumbs in large circles, then reverse.
- Finger curl. Bend each finger joint into a loose fist, then straighten.
- Wrist bend. Bend each wrist upward and downward, keeping fingers and hands relaxed.
Where to work out
Many cities and towns have one or more public pools. Most private sports clubs have pools and hot tubs. So do many large hotels. In some cases, they offer special rates to use their pool facilities.
Check with your city or town for information on local pools and water therapy facilities. Local arthritis organizations and hospitals may also have information on water therapy and water aerobics classes.
Also of Interest
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Managing osteoarthritis is different for everyone. Give yourself time to find what helps you. |
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